The Age of Fable

ey belong now not to the department of theology, but to those of literature and taste. There they still hold their place, and will continue

essayists, and orators. Our readers may thus at the same time be entertained by the most charming fictions which fancy has ever created,

he ideas of the structure of the universe which prevailed among the Greeks-the people f

ntry occupying the middle of it, the central point being either Moun

into two equal parts by the Sea, as they called the Mediterranean, and it

f the earth, and in a contrary direction on the eastern side. It flowed in a steady, equable curren

ofty mountains whose caverns were supposed to send forth the piercing blasts of the north wind, which chilled the people of Hellas (Greece). Their country w

land in the s

lden gar

of the north, be

h shells n

as the Hyperboreans. They were named the Aethiopians. The gods favored them so highly that they

, whither mortals favored by the gods were transported without tasting of death, to enjoy an immortal

e Mediterranean. Their imagination meantime peopled the western portion of this sea with giants, monsters, and enchantresses; while they placed around the di

he stars, also, except those forming the Wain or Bear, and others near them, rose out of and sank into the stream of Ocean. There the sun-god embarked in

gilded

en axle

eep Atlan

pe Sun his

inst the d

wards the

amber in

the palace of Jupiter, as did also those deities whose usual abode was the earth, the waters, or the underworld. It was also in the great hall of the palace of the Olympian king that the gods feasted each day on ambrosia and nectar, their food and drink, the latter being handed round by the lovel

he "Odyssey" will show how

inerva, godde

mpus, the r

e gods, which

rench, or snow i

cloudless shmes

habitants di

er"-C

houses of the gods; he made for them the golden shoes with which they trod the air or the water, and moved from place to place with the speed of the wind, or even of thought. He also shod with brass the celestial steeds, which whirled the chariots of the gods through the air

the father of gods and men, had himself a beginning. Saturn (Cronos) was his father, and Rhea (Ops) his mother. Saturn and Rhea were of the r

nd Love were the first of beings. Love (Eros) issued from the egg of Night, which floated o

They are spoken of as the elder gods, whose dominion was afterwards transferred to others. Saturn yielded to Jupiter, Oceanus to Neptune, Hyperion to Apollo. Hyperio

ls, the front o

kspe

rn and Rhea. Milton alludes to them in "Paradise Lost." He says the hea

the serpent, w

h Eurynome,

e perhaps,) ha

s, thence by S

Romans the same with the Grecian deity Cronos (Time), which, as it brings an end to all things which have had a beginning, may be said to devour its own offspring] Jupiter, however, escaped this fate, and when grown up espoused Metis (Prudence), who administered a draught to Saturn which caused

eavens, Neptune's the ocean, and Pluto's the realms of the dead. Earth and Olympus were common property. Jupiter was king of gods and men. The

gods. Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was her atte

her accounts say that Jupiter kicked him out for taking part with his mother in a quarrel which occurred between them. Vulcan's lameness, according to this account, was the consequenc

Fro

ll, from noon

y; and with t

e zenith, like

, the Aeg

of war, was the son

son of Jupiter and Latona, and brother of Diana (Artemis). He was

asons, and then led to the assembly of the gods. All were charmed with her beauty, and each one demanded her for his wife. Jupiter gave her to Vulcan, in gratitude for the service he had rendered in forging thunderbolts. So the most beautiful of the

t the darts of desire into the bosoms of both gods and men. There was a deity named Anteros, who was sometimes represented

it was because he was solitary, and that if he had a brother he would grow apace. Anteros wa

upiter, without a mother. She sprang forth from his head completely arm

old," alludes to the

but by tyrant

nd no champion

mbia saw ari

Pallas, armed

inds be nouris

pruned forest,

where nursin

hington? Has

her breast, or Eur

s, even over thieving, and everything, in short, which required skill and dexterity. He was the messenger of Jupiter

n the opposite edges of it, and drew cords of linen through them, and the instrument was complete. The cords were

often used as synonymous with "lyre," and figuratively for music

n of the wi

t and solemn-b

shell! the

sions hear thy

hter named Proserpine (Persephone), who became the wife of Pluto, a

t only the intoxicating power of wine, but its social and beneficent influences likewise

assigned the presidence over some particular department of literature, art, or science. Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, Clio of history, Euterpe of lyri

ce, and all social enjoyments and elegant arts. They were thr

s the office of

men all gracio

he body or a

lovely or wel

riage, entert

e, friendly of

complements

how to each

elves demean,

es; which skill m

f human destiny, and they were armed with shears, with which they cut it off when they pleased

aped or defied public justice. The heads of the Furies were wreathed with serpents, and their whole appearanc

epresents the righteous anger of the gods,

and shepherds. His favorit

nceived to be covered with bristly hair, their heads decorate

laughter, and Plutu

DIVI

cian divinities, thou

follow are peculia

f 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

rn, was worshipped as the god of fields and shepherds, and also as a prophetic god. His name

than Romulus, the founder of Rome, exalted

, a war

ue was a rude stone or post, set in the

presiding over ca

ided over f

goddess o

goddess of

n priestesses called Vestals, flamed in her temple. As the safety of the city was held to be connected with its conservation,

name of Bacchus; an

nt he is commonly represented with two heads, because every door looks two ways. His temples at Rome were numerous. In war time the gates o

ty of the family. Their name is derived from Penus, the pantry, which was sacred

eified spirits of mortals. The family Lars were held to be the souls of the ancestors, who watched ove

is, a spirit who had given them being, and was regarded as their protector through

s alludes to some

loves th

r loves

ves the stra

the brea

loves th

ed youth

s ivory m

he chestn

"Prophecy

words of three syllables. But Proserpine and Thebes are exceptions, and to be pronounced as English words. In t