swiftness so she resolved to marry none but him that should excel her in running Hippomenes the Son of Mars entred the Lifts with her and gained the Victory by casting three Golden Apples which Venus had given him out of the Garden of the Hesperides in her way for she stopping to take them up her Eyes were dazled with their shining and he overcame her by this Stratagem and enjoyed his Love but lying with her in the Temple of Cybele the Goddess was angry at the action and metamorphosed them the one into a Lion and the other into a Lioness ATE a Prophetess or Goddess according to Plutarch In his Banquet of the seven wise Men whom Jupiter cast down headlong from Heaven to Earth at the Birth of Hercules wherein Juno deceived him Homer makes Aâ—e the Daughter of Jupiter who was sent to Men to be the Source of all Evils in the Company of the Litae the Daughters of Jupiter who comfort them but because they are very old lame and blind they come often very late Homer also makes mention of Ate whom he affirms to be a Goddess for midable to Men Gods and even to Jupiter himself although she is his Daughter And after he has related the Surprize that Juno put Jupiter in when she caused Eurysthcus to be born before Hercules which gave him Power over Hercules he says that Jupiter being angry with Ate cast her down headlong from Heaven to Earth swearing that she should never return thither again So that Ate concerns her self wholly with humane Affairs Illico corripuit Aten juravit firmum juramentum nunquam in Olympum Coelum stellatum redituram Aten quae omnes infortunio afficit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic fatus ejicit à Coelo stellato manu rotans fulgur mex autem pervenit ad opera hominum It is evident that the name of this Goddess comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nocco who if Homer makes the Daughter of Jupiter 't is because no Evil happens to us but by the permission of Providence that if this Goddess was heretofore in Heaven and was banished out of it 't was because the Division among the Angels was but once made when they became Evil of Good as they were created and by their own Sin separated themselves from the Company of Blessed Spirits The Banishment of Ate to the Earth signifies nothing else but the terrible Effects of divine Justice which shews itself only upon the Earth because that 's the only Theatre of Injustice ATELLANAE COMOEDIAE Atellan Comedies or Farces which were acted at the end of Comedies to divert the People The Original of these Farces was as Atella a City of Apulia in Campania between Capua and Naples whose Inhabitants were very Satyrical and full of filthy and obscene words These Farces were acted by the Youth in Masquerade as Festus observes and Titus Livius adds that the Atellans would not suffer any to act their Farces that were Stage-players or Comedians for they were not removed from their Tribe as infamous nor prohibited from going to War as other Comedians were Tertia species est fabularum latinarum quae à civitate Oscorum At-llâ in quâ primum caeptae Atellanae dictae sunt Diomedes the Grammarian Quod genus ludorum ab Oscis acceptum tenuit juventus nec'ab histrionibus pollxi passa est â—oinstitutum manet ut actores Atellanarum nec tribu moveantur stipendia tanquam expertes artis ludicrae faciant ATELLANI VERSUS Verses of which these sorts of Farces were composed which were very free and a little lascivious ATHAMAS King of Thebes and Son of Aeolus He married Nephele by whom he had two Children Phryxus and Helle Nephele being turned mad by Bacchus Athamas divorced her and married Themisto the Daughter of Hypsaeus by whom he had Sphincius and Orchomenus but being also divorced from her he married Ino the Daughter of Cadmus by whom he had Learchus and Melicâ—rtus Themisto being very angry to see her self so supplanted resolved to put Ino's Children to Death and hiding her self in a Place of the Palace she slew her own Children instead of her Rivals being deceived by the Cloaths which the Nurse had put on them This cruel Mistake made her slay her self Ino being thus rid of Themisto's Children contrived to take off Nepheles's Children whom she hated and to that end procured a Famine in her Country being advised to parch the Corn and not sow it which caused a Famine and a Plague Athamas sent to consult the Oracle at Delphos how he might be delivered from these Evils but his Messengers being bribed by Ino told him that the Oracle had ordered that he should sacrifice his Son Phryxus who offered himself voluntarily to Death notwithstanding Athamas was against it But as they went to sacrifice him the Accomplices discovered to Athamas the Malice of Ino who immediately delivered her and her Son Melicertus to Phryxus to be revenged on her but as he was going to put them to Death Bacchus whom she had nursed delivered them by covering them with a Cloud Athamas was punished with Madness by Jupiter and slew his Son Learchus whom he took for a Lyons Whelp Ino escaped with her Son Melicertus and cast her self head long into the Sea where Neptune Deifyed them Ino under the name of Lâ—â—oâ—thea or the Mother Mutata and Melicertus under the Name of Palaemon or Portunus ATHENAEA Feasts at Athens dedicated to the Honour of Minerva of which some were kept every Year and others every Five Years according to the Institution of Ericthonius King of Athens as Pausanias says ATHENAEUM a Place at Athens consecrated to Minerva where the Greek Poets went to make an Offering of their Works as the Latins consecrated them in the Temple of Apollo This Place was like a publick School where they taught the Liberal Arts. ATHENAE Athens the most famous City of Greece situated in that part of Achaia which lies upon the Coast from whence it was called Acte and after Attica The first Founder of it was Cecreps in the time of Moses from whence it was called Cecropia or Ionia from Ion the Son of Xuthus and afterwards Athens from Minerva for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signifies Minerva This City was famous for Learning and Eloquence and the Defence of all Greece says Lucian in his Praise of Demosthenes I might adds he speak of the Gods to whom it owes its beginning their Amours Decrees Dwellings Presence and Mysteries I might speak of its Laws Decrees Assemblies Colonies Victories and Trophies which are so great and many as well by Sea as by Land that he must be more eloquent than D mosthenes which can sufficiently describe them It was governed by Kings for the Space of 460 Years of whom the first was Cecrops but their Power degenerating into Tyranny the People shook of the Regal Yoke which ended in Codrus They were governed for a long time after by 500 Magistrates named PRYTANES who
into the Body of the Ox Apis and into all the rest which were successively substituted in his Stead and this Ox was looked upon as the Image and Soul of Osiris according to the Testimony of Diodorus Siculus and as there were Two sacred Oxen in Egypt the one named Apis in the City of Memphis and the other called Mnevis in Heliopolis the same Diodorus says they were both consecrated to Osiris Tanros sacros tam Apim quam Mnevim Osiridi sacros dicatos esse pro Diis coli apud universos promiscuè Aegyptios sancitum est Diodorus afterwards sets forth at large how the Worship and Mysteries of Osiris were carried from Egypt to Creece under the Name of Bacchus the Son of Semele the Daughter of Cadmus originally descended from Thebes in Egypt for the Daughter of Gadmus having had a Bastard Child that was very like unto Osiris Cadmus to save the Honour of his Daughter deified her Son after his Death making him to pass for another Osiris the Son of Jupiter Orpheus a little after went to Egypt and in Acknowledgment of the Kindness he had received from Cadmus his Family he publish'd these same Mysteries in Greece but so as to attribute to Semele's Son all that had been said of the truc Osiris several Ages before and so the Osiris of Egypt and Bacchus of Creece the Mysteries of the Egyptian Osiris and those of the Greclan Bacchus were one and the same Herodotus attributes the bringing of this Name History and Mysteries of Osiris or the Egyptian Bachus into Greece to Melampus who was antienter than Orpheus The Egyptian Tradition according to Diodorus Siculus was that Osiris Isis and Typhon were the Sons of Saturn and Rhea or rather of Jupiter and Juno that Osiris is the same with Bacchus and Isis the same as Ceres that Osiris and Isis reigned with extraordinary Mildness and conferred great Benefits on their Subjects that they hindred Men to eat one another any more that Isis inveated the Sowing and Use of Corn and made several excellent Laws that Osiris was brought up at Nysa in Arabia Felix and going for one of Jupiter's Sons they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he applied himself to Agriculture and first taught how to plant Vines That Hermes or Mercury was his Secretary in sacred Things that he was minded to travel all over the World to teach Mankind the use of Corn and Wine and in his Absence recommended Mercury to the Service of Isis to Hercules the Government of Egypt to Busiris that of Phoenicia and Lybia to Anteus that he was accompanied by Apollo his Brother Anubis Macedo Pan and Triptolemus that having passed over Africa Asia and Europe he built the City of Nysa in the Indies defeated Lycurgus in Thrace and at last returned home he was killed by his Brother Typhon that Isis and Orus his Sons reveng'd his Death and having slain Typhon they paid Divine Honours to Osiris whose Members Isis very carefully gathered together which Typhon had divided between the Murderers Plutarch observes that the Egyptians took Osiris for a good Genius and Typhon for an evil Genius and the Principle of all Evil. Plutarch wrote a particular Treatise concerning Isis and Osiris where in an Account is given of the Birth and great Exploits of Osiris of his Conquests Benefits to Mankind the secret Contrivances of Typhon against him his Death and the Care taken by Ises for his Deification At last he pretends that Osiris and Isis from good Genii as they were became Gods as a just Reward of their Vertue and that Osiris is Pluo and Isis Proferpina Synesius Bishop of Cyrene who wrote a Treatise concerning Providence confines himself almost wholly therein to the Explaining of the Fable or History of Osiris He begins with this Reflection That if the same be a Fable its full of Wit since the Egyptians were the Authors thereof and if it be more than a Fable it deserves our Pains to make a further Inspection into it he afterwards gives the same Account as other Writers have done of Osiris and Typhon and says that their Father was a King Priest and a God because the Egyptians pretended they had been govern'd by the Gods before the Kingdom fell into the Hands of Men Afterwards he gives a Description of the Reign of Osiris which was a Reign of Justice Piety Clemency and Liberality it self Typhon dethroned and banish'd him and assuming the Government reigned in all manner of Vices and with all imaginable Cruelty But the Patience of the People being worn out they recalled Osiris Typhon was punished by the Gods and Osiris recovered the Crown M. Spon in his Searches after Antiquity gives an Account of an Idol of Osiris I remember says he that being formerly at Leyden I saw among the Curiosities of their Anatomy-School two small Idols The first is an Osiris that was a famous Deity among the Egyptians having a Miter on his Head at the lower part whereof there was an Ox's Horn on each side for he was thus worshipped in the Form of an Ox because he had taught Mankind the Art of Tillage in his Left Hand he held a Staff bent at the End and in his Right a Triangular Instrument This last was very like unto a Whip with three Cords Plutarch says that Osiris commanded over the Dead and might not this Whip be the Ensign of his Authority as the Furies are represented with a Whip and Torches OSSA a Mountain upon the Frontiers of Thessaly that is covered all over with Wood and Snow Seneca says that this Mountain was joined to Olympus but that it was separated by the Labour of Hercules It was a Place of Retreat for Gyants and Centaurs OSTRACISMUS Ostracism it was a kind of Banishment in Use among the Greeks of such Persons whose over great Power the People suspected as fearing least the same should degenerate into Tyranny This Banishment was not accounted disgrateful because 't was not a Punishment inâ—â—icted for any Crime It lasted Ten Years and in the mean time the exiled Person enjoy'd his Estate It was thus called because the People gave their Suffrages by writing the Name of him whom they were minded to banish upon Shells Aristides was exiled in this manner because he was too Just as Plutarch says in his Life OTHO named M. Silviâ—s was the 8th Emperor and succeeded Galba whom he put to Death The Medals which we have of his make him somewhat like unto Nero which caused the People to cry Othoni Netoni But yet he was not so fat tho otherwise he had the Mien and Delicacy of a Woman He was shaved every Day and wore a Peruke because he had but very little Hair His Peruke may be distinctly observed on his Silver and Gold Medals and 't was he that brought the Use of Wigs into Italy The Brass Medals of this Prince which are all of them Egyptian or Syrian do not represent him with a Peruke perhaps because
concerning the Dignity of the Charge and the Duties of the Person entrusted with it then he presented him with a Sword and Belt and sometimes put a naked Sword into his Hand saying as Trajan did to Licinius Sura Receive this Sword and imploy it for my Service if I govern well but if otherwise make use of it against me This Dion Cassius informs us in Trajan's Life This Officer was degraded by divesting him of the Sword and Belt as Galba did by Tigillinus and Sabinus who were Praefecti praetorio as we read in Philostratus These Officers commanded the Guards and all the Armies and administred Justice the Emperors leaving to them the Management of all Affairs They may be compared with the ancient Mayors of the Palace in France who were the second Persons in the Kingdom and to whose sole Management the Kings of the first Line left all Things they thinking it enough to shew themselves once a Year to the People But Constantine the Great did a little moderate the Power of the Praefectus praetorio for to punish him that had declared himself in Favour of the Tyrant Maxentius and demolished the Cittadel at Rome which Sejanus had caused to be built and having divided the Empire into Four Governments he constituted Four General Governours or Praefecti praetorio over them each bearing the Name of their particular Government These Governments were those of Gaul Sclavonia called Illiricum Italy and the East so that there was a Praefectus praetorio Galliarum or a Praetorian Prefect of the Gauls one of Italy another of East Sclavonia called Illiricum Orientale who had his Residence at Thessalonica and the Fourth of the East that resided in Syria These Two last had all the East under their Government which was divided into 60 Provinces and the first Two all the West divided into 58. They had Lieutenants under them whom they commanded in an absolute manner and they were called Vicarii When Constantine had established these Four Governours he deprived them of the Command of the Army which originally did belong to them and required every one of them to administer Justice within his Government with supream Power There are other Authors who attribute this Change to the Emperors Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius but Zozimus does it to Constantine They had a Tribunal where they administred Justice and they passed Sentence by Word of Mouth and not in Writing as other subordinate Magistrates did Non pronuntiabant ex tabellâ sed verbo They had the Priviledge of the Sword which they wore by their Sides that is to pass a final Sentence of Death without further Appeal In the Place where they administred Justice there stood a Table covered over with Scarlet Tapistry and Gold Fringe round it upon which there was a Book shut on the Cover whereof was the Emperor's Picture and on each Side Two gilded Candlesticks with lighted Wax-Candles 't was in this manner he administred Justice that so a greater Solemnity might be added to the Majesty of the Roman Empire This Book was that which the Emperors gave to these Governours when he sent them into their Governments and therein was contained the Duties of their Office Lazius tells us that the Marks of the Praetorian Praefect's Dignity were the Priviledge of the Sword the Rods the Curule-Chair the Scepter or Ivory-Staff the Pretext-Robe the Laticlavium and the Trabea also the Insula or Mitre to wear on their Heads and a Company of Archers for a Guard When these Praefects went from Rome to their Governments they left their Children with the Emperors as a Security of their Fidelity PRAEFECTUS URBIS The Prefect or Governour of the City he was formerly one of the chief Magistrates of Rome who governed it in the Absence of the Consuls and Emperors His Business was to look after the Provision Civil Government Buildings and Navigation His Power extended to a 1000 Stones Throw without Rome according to Dion He was the proper Judge in the Causes of Slaves Patrons and Freed-men He convened the Senate judged the Senators and defended their Rights and Prerogatives as Cassiodorus will have it He was obliged on the first Day of the Year to go and make the Emperor a Present in the Name of all the People of some Gold Cups with Five Pieces of Money as Symmachus says Vobis solemnes pateras cum quinis solidis ut Numinibus integritatis offerimus PRAEFERICULUM a Vase used at the Sacrifices of old that had a prominent Mouth like unto some Vessels now used PRAEFICAE MULIERES They were a sort of mourning Women who at Funeral Solemnities praised the Deceased made a Lamentation beat their Breasts and ditorted their Faces to incite others to mourn See Funus and Exequiae PRAENOMEN it was that which was put before the general Name and signified as much as our proper Name which serves to distinguish Brothers one from another as Peter John James This Praenomen was not brought in use till long after the Name and therefore it was a Custom among the Romans to give to their Children the Name of the Family on the the 9th Day after their Birth if they were Boys and on the 8th to Girls according to Festus and Plutarch and these Days they called Dies Lustrici because it was a Ceremony whereby they acknowledged them for their lawful Children Whereas the Praenomen was not given till they took upon them the Virile Robe that is about the Age of 17 as appears by the Epitome of the 10th Book attributed to Valerius Maximus This also is manifest by Cicero's Epistles where his Children are always called Ciceronis pueri till that Age after which they were called Marcus filius Quintus filius And whereas Cicero in his last Epistle of L. 6. calls his Nephew Quintum Ciceronem puerum it s very likely that he misapplies the Word puer either to distinguish him from his Father who was also called Quintus or perhaps because it was but a very short time since he had taken the Virile Robe upon him There was usually Care taken in conferring this Praenomen to give that of the Father to the Eldest Son and that of the Grand-father and Ancestors to the Second and so on PRAEPOSITUS sacri cubiculi this Name may be given with us to the Lord Chamberlain who marched at the Performance of any Ceremonies after the Master of the Horse-Guards as you have it in the last Law of the Code and in the Law Penul eodem where his Charge is inserted which was to keep himself in the Emperor's Chamber and to take care of his Bed and Cloathing See Panciroli Notitia Imperii Bollanger L. 3. C. 13. PRAETEXTA a Robe so called which was a long and white Vest edged with a Purple Border the Sons of Persons of Quality wore it at Rome till the Age of Fifteen and their Daughters till they were married The Magistrates Augurs Priests and Senators were it on solemn Days as Authors inform us
and by his wise Conduct effaced all the evil Impressions that had been entertained of him so far that he was stiled The Delight of Mankind being of a sweet Disposition liberal and benificent to every Body which made him utter these excellent Words to his Domesticks who put him in mind he should not promise more than he could perform No Man said he ought to return with Dissatisfaction from his Prince TITYUS the Son of Jupiter and Terra this Giant was killed by Apollo or as others will have it Thunder-struck for endeavouring to enjoy Lacona the Poets feigned he was racked in Hell and that a Vulture tore his Heart without killing him TOGA It was a great Woollen Mantle without any Sleeves very large and used both by Men and Women but in Process of time none wore them but leud Women hence that of Horace In matronâ peccesve togata If you commit Sin with a Woman of Quality or a Courtizan The Toga was of divers Colours and admitted of various Ornaments There was that called Toga domestica wore within Doors Toga forensis abroad Toga militaris used by Soldiers and tucked up after the Gabinian Fashion and Toga picta or triumphalis wherewith the Victorious triumphed with imbroidered Palms that which had no Ornaments was called Toga pura TRAGOEDIA a Tragedy a Drammatick Poem which upon the Theater represents some signal Action performed by Illustrious Persons and has often a fatal End Suidas says that Thespis was the first Author of Tragedy who began by making his Actors ride in a Chariot painting their Faces with Wine-lees in order to disguise them for Masks were not yet invented Horace de arte Poetica gives us all these Particulars Ignotum Tragicae genus invenisse Camoenae Dicitur plaustris vexisse poemata Thespis Qui canerent agerentque peruncti fecibus ora Eschylus was the first who invented Masks and Habits to disguise the Actors and in short 't was he that advanced the magnificent and noble Character of Tragedy to the highest Pitch Post hanc personae pallaeque repertor honestae Aeschylus modicis instravit pulpita tignis Et docuit magnumque loqui nitique cotburno Diogenes Laertius in Plato's Life and Aristotle in his Ars Poetica say that at first there was but one Person in a Tragedy who alone made the Chorus Thespis added a Comedian thereto in order to give the Chorus Leasure to take Breath Eschylus added a second and Sophocles a third and so Tragedy came to its Perfection he that won the Prize in a Tragedy received a He-goat which he was to sacrifice to Bacchus from whence came the Name of Tragedy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hircus signifying a He goat TRAJANUS Trajan a Spaniard by Birth and the first Emperor of a Stranger that mounted the Throne of Rome His Head was like a Mallet broad at Top and with very considerable Eminences before and behind his Forehead broad and Neck thick which was an infallible Sign of a prudent vigorous Man and one that was steady in his Designs rather than of a lively and brisk Wit and so indeed he performed great Things having extended the Bounds of the Roman Empire much beyond any of his Predecessors Armenia and Mesopotamia being fallen under the Yoke of the Roman Power He had a Fit of an Apoplexy which turned into a Palsie in some Part of his Body but he died of a Dropsie aged 64 when he had reigned full 20 Years and most justly acquired the Title of an excellent Prince TRIBUNI PLEBIS Tribunes of the People being Magistrates taken from among the People and chosen of the People themselves to withstand whatever the Senate might attempt against their Liberty and Sovereignty insomuch that no other Power could do any thing if they opposed it The Occasion of creating them was this The People finding themselves opprest by the great Ones by the Instigation of Sicinius withdrew to a Mountain Three Miles off from Rome which afterwards was called Mons Sacer and would not return to Rome but by the Perswasion of Menenius Agrippa and being allowed two Tribunes to protect them against the Oppressions of the great Ones and this happened in the Year 266 and the two Tribunes were Sicinius Bellutus and L. Junius The Law for creating them was called Sacred and the same declared the Tribunes to be sacred and inviolable Persons who must not be injured upon Pain of Death and the Mountain whither the People had retired was called Mons Sacer because of the Oath which the Deputies of the Senate made to the People for allowing this Magistrate to them These two Tribunes took in three more and their Number increased to ten They had a Right to withstand the Deliberations of the Senate and the Orders of the very Consuls there being nothing to be concluded on without their Consent which they exprest by putting a T under the Order and if the same did not please them they hindred it to be put in Execution by subscribing the Word Veto without giving any Reason for it They wore a Purple Robe and they were the only Persons whose Office did not cease upon the nominating of a Dictator They could banish or imprison such as they thought criminal They summoned a Consul and a Dictator to be tried before the People when they were out of their Offices and they could not tarry above one Day out of the City The Doors of their Houses were open Night and Day that so the People might have Recourse to them at all times they had no Curule Chair nor a Seat at first in the Senate but their Seats were at the Door where they examined the Deliberations of that Body They had no Lictors to walk before them but only one Usher By the Atinian Law they were admitted into the Senate and had a Right to give their Advice there but their Authority was much lessened by the Cornelian Law in point of publishing of Laws and haranging the People and the same also supprest Appeals to the People but afterwards the Consuls Q. Aurelius Cotta and L. Octavius in the Year of Rome 678 admitted them to the Exercise of the highest Offices in the Republick and allowed them the Honour of having the Fasces carried before them and the same was confirmed to them by Pompey The Office of Tribune became yet more considerable and illustrious under the Emperors who took the Quality of Tribunes upon themselves Augustus began it and held the Power of Tribune for 57 Years A Quality says Tacitus that was invented for preserving of the Sovereign Authority above the other Magistrates without taking that of King or Dictator upon them Tiberius also held this Office for Five Years and so did all the succeeding Emperors to Constantine the Great It 's true they annually created Tribunes of the People but this was only nominal the Emperors carried all the Power from them Vlpian places the Tribunes among those who administred Justice at Rome
Ordinances contrary to one another but at last the Dictator Sylla chang'd or abolish'd the former to establish his own However they were not lasting tho' in great number for soon after the People were in motion by the turbulent Laws of Lepidus Since that time there was nothing established but new regulations concerning every Crime and the Commonwealth being corrupted the number of Laws became infinite In fine Pompey being chosen the reformer of Manners after he had found out Remedies worse than the Evils saw his Laws perish with himself And afterwards during 25 years of Civil Wars there was neither Laws nor Customs observ'd But Augustus being elected Consul the sixth time abolished the Laws which he had made during his unlawful Authority and establish'd others to live in peace And amongst other Laws he made a Law concerning Marriage The Romans had some Laws under their Kings and some other in the time of their Commonwealth Romulus was the first Law-giver of the Romans according to the testimony of Livy Plutarch and Tully There remain but some fragments of Romulus's Laws related by Varro and Festus the first whereof is here inserted SEI PATRONOS CLIENTEI FRAUDEM FAXSIT SACER ESTOD If a Patron defraud his Client let him be cursed Servius quotes the fragment of this Law as being taken out of the Laws of the twelve Tables nevertheless Romulus is doubtless the Author thereof for 't is thus expressed in Servius's Manuscript Ex lege Romuli XII Tabularum Si Patroxus Clienti Frandem Faxit Sacer Esto 'T is yet true according to the testimony of Dionysius Halicarnasseus and Livy that Romulus had settled the rights of Clients and Patrons and Scaliger and Cujacius report that the Decemviri who had compiled the Laws of the twelve Tables and inserted therein the Laws made by the Kings Ex his non dubium est leges Regias in XII Tabulas à Decemviris conjectas fuisse primâ secundâ tertiâ tabulâ leges Regias contineri quia etiam leges Regias de patriâ potestate in quartam tabulam relatas autor est Dionysius Whereby it doth appear that the Laws made by the Kings were inserted by the Decemvirs in the Law of the twelve Tables and that the first second and third Table contained the Laws of the Kings as also the Law concerning the power of Fathers over their Children is copied out of the fourth Table as Dionysius Halicarnasseus tells us Sei instead of Si. The Ancients in their Writings express thus the long i by the Dipthong ei as it appears by Ancient Inscriptions and by this which is yet seen at Rome Quod ejus Agrei locei publicum populei Romanei erit Patronos instead of Patronus The Ancients often made use of the o instead of the u. Clientei instead of Clienti by the same reason of Sei instead of Si. Faxsit instead of Faxit because of the harshness of the x. The Ancients added a Letter before or after the x to make the pronunciation softer as we see in the ancient Marbles vicxit juncxit c. Sacer Estod instead of Esto The Ancients joined very often the letter d after o at the end of a word as it appears by the Column of Duellius pugnandod I have explained the meaning of this Law under the word Clientela where the right of Patrons and Clients is expounded for Romulus allowed the people to chuse for themselves Patrons out of the body of the Nobles and put themselves under their protection and settled the reciprocal Rights of the Patron towards his Clients and Clients towards their Patrons and if they fail'd in the observation thereof they devoted them to the Devil and any Man might kill them without being punished by the Law This is the meaning of these words Sacer Estod The second Law of Romulus was expressed in these terms SEI NOROS PARENTEM VERBERIT AST OLE PLORASIT SACRA DIVEIS PARENTUM ESTOD If a Daughter-in-law strikes her Father and he complains of it let her be cursed and puxished by the Gods of the Fathers and Mothers Besides these two Laws the express terms whereof were kept till our time there are still many others the words whereof were lost by the misfortune of time but the meaning thereof is recorded by Latin Writers There are sixteen mentioned by Dionysius Halicarnasseus Livy and Plutarch some concerning the Law of the Gods and some others concerning the Civil Law Here follows the first Law of the six which concerns the Gods related by Dionysius Halicarnasseus I. NE QUID DEORUM FABULIS IN QUIBUS PROBRA EORUM ET CRIMINA COMMEMORARENTUR ADHIBERETUR FIDEI SED OMNES SANCTE RELIGIOSE CASTEQUE DE DIIS IMMORTALIBUS SENTIRENT ET LOQUERENTUR NIHIL QUOD BEATIS NATURIS INDECORUM AFFINGENTES Not to believe what the Fable says of the Gods concerning their Crimes and Infamies but to have Pious and Religious thoughts of them and not to speak of them but in a chaste way ascribing nothing to them that is unbecoming blessed natures The second Law is concerning the Holiness of the Walls of a City II. UT MURI SACRO-SANCTI ESSENT NEVE QUIS NISI PER PORTAS URBEM INGREDERETUR NEVE EGREDERETUR That the Walls of a City should be Sacred and that no person should pass over them to come in or go out of the City but only through the Gates Upon this Law Plutarch in his Roman Questions Quest 27. asks Why the Ancients consecrated the walls of their Cities and not the Gates thereof It was answered he to encourage the Citizens to defend them out of respect to their holiness and consecration and therefore Romulus ordered his Brother Remus to be murthered because he had leapt over the Walls But the Gates of Cities were neither holy nor consecrated because all Provisions were brought in thereat and the Corps of the dead were carried through the Gates out of the City to be burnt Wherefore when they intended to build the Walls of a City they consulted the Augurs and then drew a Line with a Plough drawn by an Ox and a Cow yok'd together over that space of ground where the Walls were to be built but did not drive the Plough over the place designed for the Gates of the City This Ceremony is thus related by Plutarch to which may be added what Pomponius the Lawyer says Siquis violaverit muros capite puniter III. NE QUIS EX ASYLOUT SACRO TUTOQUE LOCO VI ABSTRAHATUR Let no man be drawn by vlolence out of a place of Refuge where he has sheltered himself as in a Sanctuary These Sanctuaries were always Venerable amongst the Greeks and Romans Cadmus was the first who opened a refuge at Thebes and those who retired thither either Freemen or Slaves were pardoned of the Crime they had committed The Posterity of Hercules established a Sanctuary at Athens Tacitus complains of the abuse made of places of refuge at Rome The Reader may see what is said of them after
the word Asylum IV. NE QUID IN ADMINISTRATIONE REIPUBLICAE NISI AUGURATE FIERET That nothing should be done in the Government of the Republick before the Augur was consulted to know the Will of the Gods This is confirm'd by Tully in his first Book de divinatione and by Dionysius Halicarnasseus in the 2d Book of the Roman Antiquities where he tells us that Romulus being established King by the Will of the Gods which he had consulted by taking the Auspices he ordered that this custom should be religiously observed for the time to come either in the Creation of Kings or election of Magistrates or in Affairs of great consequence wherein the Commonwealth was concerned V. UT PENES REGES SACRORUM OM NIUM ET GRAVIORUM JUDICIORUM ESSET ARBITRIUM ET POTESTAS PATRICII EADEM SACRA CUSTODIRENT ET CURARFNT MAGISTRATUS SOLI REGERENT JUSQUE DE LEVIORIBUS CAUSIS REDDERENT PLEBEII DENIQUE COLERENT AGROS PECORA ALERENT QUAESTUOSA EXERCERENT OFFICIA ET ARTES NON TAMEN SELLULARIAS ET SORDIDAS SERVIS LIBERTINIS ET ADVENIS RELINQUENDAS That Kings should have Soveraign Authority over Religious Matters as also in the administration of Affairs of the greatest consequence belonging to the Law that the Patricians should attend and take care of the Sacrifices that they only should perform the office of the Magistrates and administer Justice in cases of lesser moment that the Plebeians should cultivate the Fields feed the Cattle exercise Arts and Trades except the vilest which were preserved for Slaves Freedmen's Sons and Foreigners Kings were the Overseers of Sacrifices and joyned the power of Priesthood to the Royal Authority wherefore the Romans having expelled the Kings established a King whom they called Rex Sacrificulus as we learn of Livy Regibus exactis parta libertate rerum deinde divinarum habita cura quia quaedam publica Sacra per ipsos factitata erant nec ubi Reguns desiderium esset Regem sacrificulum creant and the Wife of the King of the Sacrifices was called Regina as Macrobius reports l. 4. c. 15. The King administred Justice in causes concerning Witchcraft publick Offences Crimes of High Treason under-hand Dealings sheltering of wicked Men and unlawful Meetings The Patricians performed the office of Inferiour Judges in cases of Murthers Fires Robberies publick Extortions removals of Land-marks and other Offences between private men At first they were the only men who performed the office of Priesthood but afterwards in the time of the Common-wealth the offices of Religion were bestowed upon Plebeians for in the year ccccli after the foundation of Rome during the Consulat of Q. Apuleius Pansa and Marcus Valerius Co vinus five Augures were created out of the body of the people And in series of time they raised themselves to the High Priesthood The Patricians only had a right to the Magistracy but sixteen years after the Kings were banished Rome it was conferred on the people for in the year cccxli after the foundation of Rome Quaestors were chosen out of the people as also Tribunes out of the Soldiers in the year cccliii Some years after Consuls in the year ccclxxxviii and other Magistrates called Aediles Curules in the year ccclxxxix Dictators in the year ccciic Censors in the year ccciv and in fine Praetors in the ccccxvii but the interregnum only was left to the Patricians VI. UT POPULUS ACCEDENTE SENATUS AUCTORITATE MAGISTRATUS CREARET LEGES JUBERET BELLA DECERNERET That the People with the Authority of the Senate should choose Magistrates make Laws and make the War And this was done in the Assemblies of the people either by Parishes Tribes or Hundreds VII UT REGI MAGISTRATUIQUE AUGUSTIOR SEMPER IN PUBLICO ESSET HABITUS SUAQUE INSIGNIA That the King and Magistrates should wear Habits of Distinction and Badges of Honour The Kings Emperors and Consuls were cloathed with a Robe of State called Trabea the painted Gown and the Robe called Praetexta mentioned in this Book in their order VIII UT SENATUS PUBLICUM ESSET ET COMMUNE CIVITATIS CONSILIUM ET IN EUM PATRICIIS TANTUM PATERET ADITUS That the Senate should be the common Council of the City of Rome and the Empire and that the Patricians only should be admitted into it Romulus at first instituted one hundred Senators to whom he added the like number eight years after because of the Peace concluded with the Sabins Tarquinius Priscus increased that number to an hundred more Since during the Triumvirat their number was augmented to nine hundred and afterwards to a thousand but Caesar Augustus reduced that number IX UT COLONI ROMANI MITTERENTUR IN OPPIDA BELLO CAPTA VEL SALTEM HOSTES VICTI FRANGENDIS ILLORUM VIRIBUS AGRI MULTARENTUR PARTE That the Romans should send Roman Colonies into the Conquered Cities or at least that the Enemies should forfeit one part of their Lands Tacitus speaks thus of this custom in the 11th Book of his Annals c. 12. Do we repent to have been seeking for the Family of the Balbi in Spain or others no less illustrious in Gallia Narbonensis Their Posterity flourishes still amongst us and bear an equal love with us for their Country What is the cause of the ruin of Sparta and Athens tho very flourishing Cities but using the vanquished like Slaves and refusing them entrance into their Common-wealths Romulus was much wiser in making Citizens of his Enemies in one day X. ANNUS ROMANUS DECEM ESSET MENSIUM That the Roman year should contain ten months This year began with March Numa added two Months to it viz. January and February and ordered that the year should begin with January See what is said under the word Annus XI UT MULIER QUE VIRO JUXTA SACRATAS LEGES NUPSIT ILLI SACRORUM FORTUNARUM QUE ESSET SOCIA NEVE EAM DESERERET ET QUEMADMODOM ILLE FAMILIAE DOMINUS ITA HAEC FORET DOMINA NEQUE DEFUNCTO VIRO NON SECUS AC FILLIA PATRI HERES ESSET IN PORTIONEM QUIDEM AEQUAM SI LIBERI EXTARENT EX ASSE VERO SI MINUS That a Woman who had married a Man according to the Sacred Laws should participate of the Sacrifices and Wealth with her Husband that she should be Mistress of the Family as he was himself the Master thereof that she should inherit his Estate in an equal portion like one of his Children if there was any born during their Marriage otherwise she should inherit all By the Sacred Laws in Marriages it must be understood either the Marriages solemnized with a Ceremony called Confarreatio which was performed with a Cake of Wheat in presence of ten Witnesses and with Sacrifices and Forms of Prayers And the Children born of this Marriage were called confarreatis Parentibus geniti or the Marriages made ex coemptione by a mutual bargain from whence the Wives were called Matres Familias Mothers of Families These two kinds of Marriages are called by ancient Lawyers Justae nuptiae to
the Daughter of Cadmus King of Thebes with whom Jupiter was in Love Juno being jealous perswaded Semele whom Jupiter loved to lie with him in all his Glory insomuch that the Fire of his Thunderbolt catching hold on the Wainscot of her Chamber burnt her All that could be done upon this Occasion was to save the Child for she was big and to take him hot out of his Mother's Womb and put him in Jupiter's Thigh where he staid his time and was called Bacchus SEMENTINAE FERIAE Feasts instituted in Seed-time in order to pray unto the Gods to vouchsafe them a plentiful Harvest SEMONES Demi-Gods Fulgentius in his Treatise of ancient Words says that the Ancients would have the Semones to be the certain Gods who were not of the Number of the Coelestial Deities but such as were Demi-Gods quasi semi-homines SENACULA they were Places where the Senate of Rome met of which there were Three SENATOR a Senator Romulus instituted the first Hundred Senators at Rome which made up the King's Council In order to be a Senator a Man must be a Citizen of Rome or of one of the Municipal Cities that had the same Privileges or Freedom Respect was had to their Manners Birth and Estate for a Senator ought to have a Revenue of 4000 Pounds for the Maintenance of his Dignity but Augustus required he should have 300000 Crowns Senatorum censum ampliavit says Suetonius ac pro octingintorum millium summâ duodecies H. S. taxavit supplevitque non habentibus He was to be at least Thirty Years old before he was made a Senator We are not without Instances of Children affranchized and of Persons yet of a meaner Condition and even Strangers who have arrived at the Dignity of Senators but this was brought about either by Intreague or the Emperor's Authority The Choice of Senators belonged at first to the Kings the Consuls afterwards were invested with this Power and lastly the Censors being obliged every five Years to take an Account of them substituted others in the room of those that were dead or had been degraded But in the decaying Time of the Republick the Emperors arrogated this Power to themselves and made as many Senators and of what Quality they pleased The Number of Senators varied according to various Times Romulus at first created a Hundred of them which he called Patres and after the Alliance made with the Sabines increased their Number to a Hundred more Tarquinius Priscus according to Livy or as others will have it King Servius added also an Hundred which he named Patres minorum gentium because they were not of so noble an Extract as the former This Number of 300 Senators continued to the Time of C. Gracchus Tribune of the People who opposing the Nobles made the People add 300 Roman Knights to the rest in order to counterballance the Number of the 300 Senators Thus the Number of 600 Senators lasted to the Time of Julius Caesar who being willing to gratifie a great many brave Men who had faithfully served him in his Wars against Pompey increased the Number to 1000 of all sorts of People without distinction But Augustus to purge this Body that was in an ill habit reduced it to the former Number of 600 and expelled such as were most unfit for the Dignity and this he did with so much Moderation that in order to make those easie whom he thus reduced he granted them to wear the Laticlavium and allowed them the Priviledge to assist at the Plays with other Senators in the Orchestra as also at publick Feasts which were solemnized with Plays and Triumphs And so of the 300 Senators the 200 created by Romulus were called Patritii majorum geniium and the other 100 Adlecti or Conscripti a Name which afterwards continued to be given to the whole Senate Among these Senators there was some who had a decisive Vote and spoke their Sentiments in the Matters that were proposed and others who did no more than follow those Sentiments which to them appear'd most reasonable and this made them be called Pediarii Senatores who did not declare their own Opinions but sided with those whose Opinions they approved of Qui sententiam in Senatu non verbis dicerent sed in alienam sententiam pedibus irent Aulus Gellius rejects this Interpretation and seems to follow that of Q. Bassus who says in his Commentaries that those of the Senators who had never bore the Office of Curule-Magistrate went a foot to the Senate and for that Reason were called Pedarii Senatores But Varro pretends that the Advice of such Senators as were last admitted was not asked and that they were obliged to espouse some others Opinion Et qui in postremis scripti erant he speaks of the List of Censors non rogabantur sententias sed quas principes duxer ant in eas descendebant For which reason Laberius says that a Pedarian Senator's Vote was a Head without a Tongue Caput sine linguâ pedaria sententia est Hence it is that when the Consuls would have the Senate meet they must say Senatores quibusque in Senatu sententiam dicere licet and this shews the Difference between sententiam verbis dicere and sententiam pedibus ferre or dicere which appertained to none but the Senatores Pedarii The Senators wore a very large Purple Tunick with broad Edges called Lati-clavium from which the Senators were called Lati-clavii they had a Right to sit or be carried in the Curule-Chair to assist at Plays and Shews in the Orchestra and likewise at Feasts and the Banquet consecrated to Jupiter in the Capitol The Censors took an Account of them every five Years calling them with a loud Voice and those whom they passed over were degraded from the Order of Senators which was called Praeterire But if the Person who was passed over was minded to oblige the Censor to tell the Reason of it he was under an Obligation to do it says Lipsius and then he was degraded with the greater Ignominy and Shame this being called ejicere Senatu He who was thus degraded had the Remedy of appealing to the People who in spight of the Censor did many times re-establish him SENATUS the Senate a Body consisting of Councellors of State commonly called Senators constituted to give Advice to those who had the Sovereign Authority vested in them they called them Senators that is Old Men wherein the Romans imitated the Greeks who called their Senate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is An Assembly of Old Men So when the Athenians assembled the People to consult about the Affairs of the Publick the Officers summoned none but such as were Fifty Years old The Egyptians and Persians followed the same Example after the Hebrews The Lacedamonians and Carthaginians received none but such as were Sixty Years of Age. The Senate's Authority in the Republick of Rome was very considerable they decided concerning what was to be done in Matters of Peace and War without
ordine quo Natura dederit te sequemur USURA CENTESIMIS Usury Interest at One per Cent. They paid Interest by the Month and not by the Year as we do and so this implies the Hundredth Part of the Sum every Month and consequently Twelve per Cent. per Ann. This sort of Usury was looked upon as exorbitant and therefore the Law of the Twelve Tables confirmed long after by the Tribunes regulated Usury to One per Cent. per Ann. and this was called Vnciarium foenus nay and the same was regulated one Time at one Half less Tacitus L. 5. Ann. speaks of Usurers thus For says he they had publickly acted contrary to the Law which Caesar had enacted for regulating the Interest of Money and Matters relating to the Estates that were possest in Italy and the Advantage of particular Persons made the Publick Good to be neglected Usury doubtless is one of the oldest Evils of the Republick and the most usual Cause of Seditions and that is the Reason why so many Laws have been made to restrain it even in a Time when Mens Manners were not so corrupt for first it was forbid by the Laws of the Twelve Tables to lend Money at an higher Interest than the Eighth Denarius whereas before all kinds of Interests were allowed of Afterwards it was at the Desire of the Tribunes reduced to Sixteen Denarii and some time after forbidden altogether The People afterwards made several Orders for the Prevention of the Cheats practised in this Respect but notwithstanding any Regulations that they could make the Covetousness of Men always found out new Ways to elude them VULCANUS Vulcan whom they commonly make to be the Son of Juno of whom she conceived without the Help of Jupiter her Husband she threw him down from Heaven and he fell into the Isle of Lemnos where he had broke his Neck says Lucian had not the Inhabitants of the Country received him in their Arms as he tumbled through the Air and prevented him from running the Fate of Astianax however this could not prevent his having his Leg broke which made him always go lame The same Lucian says in his Dialogue of the Gods where he introduces Jupiter and Vulcan speaking that after the latter had cleft the others Head with an Ax there came an Amazon forth who was Pallas armed with a Lance and Shield and he as his Reward for so happily delivering him desired he might have her to Wife Jupiter agreed to it but he could not perswade her to marry him because she was resolved to live a Virgin all her Life-time So he married Venus who proved false to his Bed prostituting her self to God Mars which being suspected by Vulcan he watched an Opportunity to surprize them for which end he beset his Bed with invisible Nets and then went to his Forge The Gallant laying hold on the Opportunity of the Husband's Absence went to enjoy his Mistress but the Sun discovered them and informed Vulcan of it who took them both in the Fact and wrapped them up in his Nets Then he called all the Gods to be Witnesses of his Disgrace They made him to be the Smith of the Gods and gave him the Islands of Lesbos and Lipara for his forging Places in the Company of the Cyclops The Poets tell us that Vulcan had once a Contest with Neptune and Minerva about the Excellency of their Arts Neptune as his Master-piece made a Bull Minerva a House and Vulcan a Man when they came before Momus whom they chose for Judge he blamed Vulcan because he had not made a Window in the Man's Heart to see if his Words agreed with his Thoughts So much concerning the Fable of Vulcan now we come to the History and so Vulcan is found to be the first in the Dynasties of the Egyptian Kings who were Gods as they have been transmitted down to us by Syncellus He is also called the Father of the Gods in the proud Inscriptions of the Kings of Egypt Et Vulcanus Deorum pater Herodotus speaks of a magnificent Temple of Vulcan's whose Porch on the North-side was built by Moeris King of Egypt and Ramsinitus erected that to the West It 's said it was King Menes who built that stately and magnificent Temple of Vulcan's at Thebes from whom the Priefts reckoned 360 Kings in Egypt he speaks in another Place of a Colossus of Vulcan's which was 75 Foot high and stood before his Temple Sanchuniathon does also place Vulcan among the Phoenician Gods and calls him Chrysor and gives him a far greater Extent of Power than that attributed to Vulcan by the Greeks Diodorus Siculus also assures us the Egyptian Priests reckoned Vulcan among the Kings of Egypt and said he was the first of them all lastly they attributed the Invention of Fire to him for a Thunder-bolt happening to fall upon a Tree and setting it on Fire he brought more Wood to it and so preserved the Use of Fire They attributed the Lightning to Vulcan which gave Men occasion to say he made Jupiter's Thunder-bolts so they did those fiery Irruptions in Mountains which vomit out Flames because they supposed that the Cyclops or Smiths wrought there according to Vulcan's Directions or lastly they attributed to him the Fire made use of for all Arts and especially for Smithing for Vulcan being the Tubal-cain of the Pagans he presided over all those Arts that concerned the Working of Mettals The Poets made Vulcan to be the Son of Juno alone however Homer gives him also Jupiter for his Father Now Jupiter who is the Coelestial Fire might very well give Being to the Terrestrial and Juno who is the Air might also all alone work that Agitation in the Clouds that forms Thunder Lastly if Juno be the Earth it 's also not to be doubted but that she alone forces out of her Bosom those Fires which some Mountains send forth and which they call Vulcanoes Servius says something like this In Lemnum insulam decidit Vulcanus à Junone propter deformitatem dejectus quam aërem esse constat ex quo fulmina procreantur Ideò autem Vulcanus de femore Junonis fingitur natus quòd fulmina de imo aëre nascuntur One might in my Opinion says Father Thomassin from hence draw a Proof that could give some Weight to the Physiological Meaning of Fables and shew that Fable upon some Occasions has been invented only for the vailing of natural Truths and thereby giving them a new Grace wherefore after they had made Juno to be the Sister and only Wife of Jupiter and Queen of all the World why should she have no other Son but Vulcan only or when Vulcan is made to be her Son why should he have such and such Functions and Qualifications But the Thunder-bolts being as it were Productions of the Air which is Juno or of the Air which is Jupiter and of Juno that is the Earth the Fable must have been accommodated to the Nature of those