Part 2 (1/2)

Nemesis was also an avenging G.o.ddess. She represents the righteous anger of the G.o.ds, particularly towards the proud and insolent.

Pan was the G.o.d of flocks and shepherds. His favorite residence was in Arcadia.

The Satyrs were deities of the woods and fields. They were conceived to be covered with bristly hair, their heads decorated with short, sprouting horns, and their feet like goats' feet.

Momus was the G.o.d of laughter, and Plutus the G.o.d of wealth.

ROMAN DIVINITIES

The preceding are Grecian divinities, though received also by the Romans. Those which follow are peculiar to Roman mythology:

Saturn was an ancient Italian deity. It was attempted to identify him with the Grecian G.o.d Cronos, and fabled that after his dethronement by Jupiter he fled to Italy, where he reigned during what was called the Golden Age. In memory of his beneficent dominion, the feast of Saturnalia was held every year in the winter season. Then all public business was suspended, declarations of war and criminal executions were postponed, friends made presents to one another and the slaves were indulged with great liberties. A feast was given them at which they sat at table, while their masters served them, to show the natural equality of men, and that all things belonged equally to all, in the reign of Saturn.

Faunus, [Footnote: There was also a G.o.ddess called Fauna, or Bona Dea.] the grandson of Saturn, was wors.h.i.+pped as the G.o.d of fields and shepherds, and also as a prophetic G.o.d. His name in the plural, Fauns, expressed a cla.s.s of gamesome deities, like the Satyrs of the Greeks.

Quirinus was a war G.o.d, said to be no other than Romulus, the founder of Rome, exalted after his death to a place among the G.o.ds.

Bellona, a war G.o.ddess.

Terminus, the G.o.d of landmarks. His statue was a rude stone or post, set in the ground to mark the boundaries of fields.

Pales, the G.o.ddess presiding over cattle and pastures.

Pomona presided over fruit trees.

Flora, the G.o.ddess of flowers.

Lucina, the G.o.ddess of childbirth.

Vesta (the Hestia of the Greeks) was a deity presiding over the public and private hearth. A sacred fire, tended by six virgin priestesses called Vestals, flamed in her temple. As the safety of the city was held to be connected with its conservation, the neglect of the virgins, if they let it go out, was severely punished, and the fire was rekindled from the rays of the sun.

Liber is the Latin name of Bacchus; and Mulciber of Vulcan.

Ja.n.u.s was the porter of heaven. He opens the year, the first month being named after him. He is the guardian deity of gates, on which account he is commonly represented with two heads, because every door looks two ways. His temples at Rome were numerous. In war time the gates of the princ.i.p.al one were always open. In peace they were closed; but they were shut only once between the reign of Numa and that of Augustus.

The Penates were the G.o.ds who were supposed to attend to the welfare and prosperity of the family. Their name is derived from Penus, the pantry, which was sacred to them. Every master of a family was the priest to the Penates of his own house.

The Lares, or Lars, were also household G.o.ds, but differed from the Penates in being regarded as the deified spirits of mortals.

The family Lars were held to be the souls of the ancestors, who watched over and protected their descendants. The words Lemur and Larva more nearly correspond to our word Ghost.

The Romans believed that every man had his Genius, and every woman her Juno: that is, a spirit who had given them being, and was regarded as their protector through life. On their birthdays men made offerings to their Genius, women to their Juno.

A modern poet thus alludes to some of the Roman G.o.ds:

”Pomona loves the orchard, And Liber loves the vine, And Pales loves the straw-built shed Warm with the breath of kine; And Venus loves the whisper Of plighted youth and maid, In April's ivory moonlight, Beneath the chestnut shade.”

--Macaulay, ”Prophecy of Capys.”

N.B.--It is to be observed that in proper names the final e and es are to be sounded. Thus Cybele and Penates are words of three syllables. But Proserpine and Thebes are exceptions, and to be p.r.o.nounced as English words. In the Index at the close of the volume we shall mark the accented syllable in all words which appear to require it.