Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Anc^
Tiius , in attending the hero ' s progress through the three states of tb e dead , has been shown , at almost every step , the exact conformity of his adventures with those of the aspirants for the mysteries . ate of of
f wo ^ gates there egress from the abod e the dead ; the one , says Virgil , of horn , the gate whence true dreaiiis were Sent to the upper world ; the dther of ivory , whence came uhsubstantial dreams . By this iEneas aiid the Sibyl ( who had now again taken
him under her guidance ) , when his father had finished his predictions of prosperity of . iEneas , and of triumph to Augustus , again issued into the upper air . But though the dreatns which came from this gate to men , were unsubstantial , yet it need iiot be fcliehce inferred that the visions which iEneas had witnessed and the
glorious fortunes which had been foretold to him Were of this nature . Oil the contrary , this affected hot those Which came out of it ; bu those to whom they came ; and the subsequent good fortune of iEneas shows that there was some foundation in truth for the revelations that had been niade to him say , as far as a cqiuparisph of one part of Virgil ' s jEheid with another goes—folr we do iiot pledge ourselves to believe in mythological fictioiir---We are only giving this narrative as throwing a light upon the Mcleiit mysteries ,
And now we hiay take our leave of iEneas , and of the spectacles , and turn bur attention very briefly to the rites of Ihe mysteries , as we promised some pages sinc ^ . The principal rites preparatory to the exhibition of the spectacles of the lesser mysteries , consisted , according to Btrctbr Leonard Sehmitz , in the sacrifice of a white sow , which the mm $ m s ^ em to have washed
in the Cantharus , and in the purification by a priest , who bore the title of hydraniis . The rnystw had also to take ati oath of secrecy , which was adiniiiistered to tbeih by the mystagogtie or hierophant . And they further received some instructions which enabled them afterwards to understand the mysteries Which were revealed to them
in the great Eleusihia . These l & t'ter Were celebrated every year , in the month of Boedromion , during nine days , from the 15 th to the 23 rd , both at Athens aiid Eleusis .
On the first day , those who had been admitted to the lesser Eleusinia assembled , whence the name Agyrmus ; on the second day the mystw went in procession to the sea coast , where they underwent a purification , whence the name " Ilalade Mj / stai ; " the third day was a day of fasting , in the evening a frugal meat was taken , consisting of cakes made of sesame and honey ; on the fourth day was a procession ,
in which a basket was carried on a waggon drawn by oxen , containing pornegranates and poppy-seeds ; on tlie fifth day , which was called the torch-day , the mystce , led by the daduchus or torch-bearer , went in the evening , with torches , to the temple of Bemeter at Eleusis , where they remained during the ni ght ; the sixth day , called Iacchus , was the most soleihn of all . Oh this day the statue of Iacchus , son of Ceres , adorned with myrtle , ancl with a torch in his hand , was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Anc^
Tiius , in attending the hero ' s progress through the three states of tb e dead , has been shown , at almost every step , the exact conformity of his adventures with those of the aspirants for the mysteries . ate of of
f wo ^ gates there egress from the abod e the dead ; the one , says Virgil , of horn , the gate whence true dreaiiis were Sent to the upper world ; the dther of ivory , whence came uhsubstantial dreams . By this iEneas aiid the Sibyl ( who had now again taken
him under her guidance ) , when his father had finished his predictions of prosperity of . iEneas , and of triumph to Augustus , again issued into the upper air . But though the dreatns which came from this gate to men , were unsubstantial , yet it need iiot be fcliehce inferred that the visions which iEneas had witnessed and the
glorious fortunes which had been foretold to him Were of this nature . Oil the contrary , this affected hot those Which came out of it ; bu those to whom they came ; and the subsequent good fortune of iEneas shows that there was some foundation in truth for the revelations that had been niade to him say , as far as a cqiuparisph of one part of Virgil ' s jEheid with another goes—folr we do iiot pledge ourselves to believe in mythological fictioiir---We are only giving this narrative as throwing a light upon the Mcleiit mysteries ,
And now we hiay take our leave of iEneas , and of the spectacles , and turn bur attention very briefly to the rites of Ihe mysteries , as we promised some pages sinc ^ . The principal rites preparatory to the exhibition of the spectacles of the lesser mysteries , consisted , according to Btrctbr Leonard Sehmitz , in the sacrifice of a white sow , which the mm $ m s ^ em to have washed
in the Cantharus , and in the purification by a priest , who bore the title of hydraniis . The rnystw had also to take ati oath of secrecy , which was adiniiiistered to tbeih by the mystagogtie or hierophant . And they further received some instructions which enabled them afterwards to understand the mysteries Which were revealed to them
in the great Eleusihia . These l & t'ter Were celebrated every year , in the month of Boedromion , during nine days , from the 15 th to the 23 rd , both at Athens aiid Eleusis .
On the first day , those who had been admitted to the lesser Eleusinia assembled , whence the name Agyrmus ; on the second day the mystw went in procession to the sea coast , where they underwent a purification , whence the name " Ilalade Mj / stai ; " the third day was a day of fasting , in the evening a frugal meat was taken , consisting of cakes made of sesame and honey ; on the fourth day was a procession ,
in which a basket was carried on a waggon drawn by oxen , containing pornegranates and poppy-seeds ; on tlie fifth day , which was called the torch-day , the mystce , led by the daduchus or torch-bearer , went in the evening , with torches , to the temple of Bemeter at Eleusis , where they remained during the ni ght ; the sixth day , called Iacchus , was the most soleihn of all . Oh this day the statue of Iacchus , son of Ceres , adorned with myrtle , ancl with a torch in his hand , was