That the thing was not just but expedient CHAPTER VII Of the Grecian Divination and Oracles in general MANTIKH is a general Name for all sorts of Divination and signifies the knowledge of Things obscure or future which cannot be attain'd by any Ordinary or Natural Means It is divided by Plato who is follow'd herein by Aristotle Plutarch and Cicero into two Species one of which is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and naturalis i. e. unartificial or natural Divination as not being attain'd by any Rules Precepts or Observations but inspired into the Diviner without his taking any farther Care or Trouble about it than to purifie and prepare himself to receive the Divine Afflatus With this sort were all those endued that deliver'd Oracles and fore-told future Events by Inspiration without observing any external Signs or Accidents such were the Sybils and other Enthusiasts Some there are that reduce Divination by Dreams under this Species because in them Revelations were made without any Pains or Art of the Dreamers but herein lyes the mistake of this Argument that not the Dreamers but the Interpreters of Dreams were the Diviners and that their skill was the effect of Art and Observation is evident from the many Books written upon that Subject and the various Signs deliver'd in them to make Conjectures by in like manner it was not so much the business of an Augur to see the Birds of Divination which might casually happen to any rude and unskilful Fellow but after he had seen them to interpret what was portended by them These therefore with others of the like Nature are to be referr'd to the second Species of Divination call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Artificial because it was not obtain'd by immediate Inspiration but was the effect of long Experience and Observation as Sooth-saying or depended chiefly upon humane Art Invention or Imposition which nevertheless was not suppos'd to be altogether destitute of divine Direction and Concurrence such was Divination by Lots I shall begin with the first sort of Divination as having a more immediate dependance on the Gods and first with the noblest part of it I mean Oracles which are call'd in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Interpreters or Revealers of Oracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Consulters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Places in which they were deliver'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Tho' I am not ignorant that some of these Names were sometimes applied to other sorts of Divination Of all the sorts of Divination Oracles had always the greatest Repute as being thought to proceed in a more immediate manner from the Gods whereas others were deliver'd by Men and had a greater dependance on them who might either out of Ignorance mistake or out of Fear Hopes or other unlawful and base Ends conceal or betray the Truth whereas they thought the Gods who were neither obnoxious to the Anger nor stood in need of the Rewards nor car'd for the Promises of Mortals could not sure be prevail'd upon to do either of them Upon this account Oracles obtain'd so great Credit and Esteem that in all Doubts and Disputes their Determinations were held sacred and inviolable whence as Strabo reports vast numbers flock'd to them to be resolv'd in all manner of Doubts and ask Counsel about the management of their Affairs insomuch that no Business of great Consequence and Moment was undertaken scarce any Peace concluded any War wag'd any new Form of Government instituted or new Laws enacted without the advice and approbation of an Oracle Croesus before he durst venture to declare War against the Persians consulted not only all the most famous Oracles in Greece but sent Embassadors as far as Libya to ask advice of Iupiter Hammon Minos the Cretan Law-giver convers'd with Iupiter and receiv'd instructions from him how he might new model his Government Lycurgus also made frequent Visits to the Delphian Apollo and receiv'd from him that Plat-form which afterwards he communicated to the Lacedaemonians Nor does it matter whether these things were really true or not since 't is certain they were believ'd to be so for hence appears what great Esteem Oracles were in at least amongst the Vulgar sort when Law-givers and Men of the greatest Authority were forc'd to make use of these Methods to win them into Compliance My Author goes yet higher and tells us that inspired Persons were thought worthy of the greatest Honours and Trusts insomuch that sometimes we find them advanc'd to the Throne and invested with Regal Power for that being admitted to the Counsels of the Gods they were best able to provide for the Safety and Welfare of Mankind This reputation stood the Priests that had their dependance on the Oracles in no small stead for finding their Credit thus throughly establish'd they allow'd no Man to consult the Gods before he had offer'd costly Sacrifices and made rich Presents to them whereby it came to pass that none but great and wealthy Men were admitted to ask their Advice they alone being able to defray the charges required on that account which contributed very much to raise the esteem of Oracles among the common People Men generally being apt to admire the things they are kept at some distance from and on the other hand to contemn what they are familiarly acquainted with Wherefore to keep up their Esteem with the Better sort even they were only admitted upon a few stated Days at other times neither the greatest Prince could purchase nor Persons of the greatest Quality any ways obtain an Answer Alexander himself was peremptorily denied by the Pythia till she was by down-right force compell'd to ascend the Tripus when finding her self unable to resist any longer she cry'd out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art invincible which words were thought a very lucky Omen and accepted instead of any further Oracle As to the causes of Oracles it has been disputed whether they were the revelations of Daemons or only the delusions of crafty Priests Van Dale a Dutch Wit has taken pains to write a large Treatise in defence of the later Opinion but his Arguments I think are not of such force but that they might without difficulty be refuted if either my Design required or Time permitted me to answer them However that be it was the common Opinion that Iupiter was the first Cause of this and all other sorts of Divination 't was He that had the Books of Fate and out of them reveal'd either more or less as he pleas'd to inferiour Daemons for which reason he was sirnam'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eustathius tells us in his Comment upon this verse of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then at he holy Fane To mighty Iove was the glad Victim slain To Iove from whom all Divination comes And inspir'd Oracles unridle future Dooms Mr. Hutchin Of the other Gods Apollo was reputed to have the greatest skill in
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after their Freedom was granted them they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being like the former a part of their Master's Estate but only oblig'd to some grateful Acknowledgements and small Services such as were requir'd of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom they were in some few things inferiour but seldom perhaps never arriv'd to the Dignity of Citizens especially if they had receiv'd their Freedom from a private Person and not upon a Publick Account for such as were advanc'd for Publick Services seem to have liv'd in greater Repute and enjoy'd a larger share of Liberty than others that had only merited their Freedom by the Obligations they had laid upon particular Persons A Tribute of twelve Drachms was exacted of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the same with an addition of Three Oboli was required of the Free'd-men Also they were oblig'd to choose a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was to be no other than the Master out of whose Service they had been releas'd upon him they attended almost in the same manner with the Roman Liberti and Clientes but in Case they behav'd themselves Stubbornly and Ungratefully towards him he had power to Arrest them and carry them before a Judge by whom if they were found Guilty they were depriv'd of their Liberty and reduc'd to their former miserable Condition this Suit was call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which name was also given to the complaints made by Servants and Free'd-men against their Masters and Patrons which both of them were allow'd to Prefer if they were not treated with all the Humanity that was thought due to their respective Conditions but because all the Free'd-men's publick Business like that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was to be manag'd chiefly by Proxies at their restauration to Liberty both of them had the Privilege of choosing an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Curator who in case his Client receiv'd any Injury from his Patron was to Defend him to Appeal for him and plead his Cause before the Judges who out of respect to the Patron were appointed out of his own Tribe This was the Condition of Slaves in Athens which tho' in it self deplorable enough yet if compar'd with that of their Fellow-sufferers in other Cities seems very easie at least tolerable and not to be repin'd at I might here give you an account of the various Conditions of Slaves in the several Countries of Greece such as the Penestae in Thessaly the Clarotae and Mnoïtae in Crete the Corynephori at Sicyon the Gymnitae at Argos and many others but I shall only at present lay before you the State of the Helotae in Sparta which because of the frequent mention made of them in Authors must not be omitted and from their Treatment tho' they were a more Gentile sort of Slaves and enjoy'd more Privileges than the rest will appear the Truth of what Plutarch tells us was commonly said of Sparta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That in Sparta he that was Free was most so and he that was a Slave was the greatest Slave in the World The Helotae were so call'd from Helos a Laconian Town Conquer'd by the Spartans who made all the Inhabitants Prisoners of War and reduc'd them into the condition of Slaves The Free-men of Sparta were forbidden the Exercise of any mean or Mechanical Employment and therefore the whole Care of supplying the City with Necessaries was devolv'd upon the Helots the Ground was till'd and all sorts of Trades manag'd by them whilst their Masters Gentlemen like spent all their time in Dancing and Feasting in their Exercises Hunting matches and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or places where good Company us'd to meet But the being Condemn'd to such Drudgeries all their Lives had been at least supportable had they not been also treated in the most Barbarous manner abus'd beyond the patience of Man and often Murder'd without committing any Fault and without any shew of Justice And of this the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or secret Law is a sufficient proof It was an Ordinance these are Plutarch's own Words by which those who had the care of the Young-men dispatch'd privately some of the ablest of them into the Countrey from time to time Arm'd only with Daggers and taking a little necessary Provision with them these in the Day-time hid themselves in the Thickets and Clifts and there lay close but in the Night issu'd out into the High-ways and Murder'd all the Helots they could light upon sometimes they set upon them by Day as they were at work in the Fields and kill'd them in cold Blood as Thucydides reports in his History of the Peloponnesian War The same Author tells us saith Plutarch that a good number of them being crown'd by Proclamation which was a token of their being set Free enfranchis'd for their good Services and led about to all the Temples in token of Honour disappear'd all of a sudden being about the number of Two-thousand and no Man either then or since could give any Account how they came by their Deaths Aristotle adds that the Ephori so soon as they were entred into their Office us'd to declare War against them that they might be Massacred with a pretence of Law It is confess'd on all hands proceeds my Author that the Spartans dealt with them very hardly for it was a thing common to force them to drink to Excess and to lead them in that Condition into their Publick Halls that their Children might see What a contemptible and beastly sight a drunken man is They made them to Dance uncomely Dances and Sing ridiculous Songs forbidding them expresly to use any that was Serious and Manly because they Would not have them Prophan'd by their Mouths For this reason when the Thebans made an Incursion into Laconia and took a great number of the Helots Prisoners they could by no means perswade them to Sing the Odes of Terpander Alcman or Spendon Poets in repute at Lacedaemon For said they they are our Master's Songs we dare not Sing them Having given you a Survey of the usage Slaves generally met with amongst the Ancients it remains that I give you an account how they came to fall into this deplorable Condition from that Liberty which all Men are by Nature made Masters of And it seems to have happen'd these Three ways First from Poverty whereby Men being unable to subsist of themselves and perhaps deeply in Debt were â—orc'd to part with their Freedom and yield themselves Slaves to such as were able to maintain them or Sell their Bodies to their Creditors and pay them in Service what they were not able to do in Money Secondly Vast numbers were reduc'd to Slavery by the chance of War by which the Conquered became wholly at the disposal of their Conquerors Thirdly By the perfidiouâ—ness of those that Traded in Slaves who would often Steal Perâ—ons
their Quarrel should be referr'd to the Areopagites and both Parties stand to their Determination It is reported that this Court was the first that sate upon Life and Death and in later Ages a great many capital Causes came under it's Cognizance before it were brought all Incendiaries all such as Deserted their Countrey against whom they proceeded with no less Severity than was us'd to those that were convicted of Treason for both were alike punish'd with Death such also as had laid wait for any Person 's Life whether their wicked Contrivances were Successful or no for the very designing to murder any Man was thought to deserve no less than Capital Punishment others are of Opinion that such Causes were try'd at the Tribunâ—l of the Palladium However that be it is certain that all Wounds given out of Malice all wilful Murders and particularly such as were effected by Poyson came under the Cognizance of this Court Some say that there was no appeal from the Areopagites to the People but others amongst whom is Meursius are of a contrary Opinion aâ—d assure us that not only their Determinations might be call'd in Question and if need was retracted by an Assembly of the People but that themselves too if they exceeded the due Bounds of Moderation in inflicting Punishments were liable to Account for it to the Logistae The same Author tells us afterwards that this Court had power to cancel the Sentence of an Assembly if the People had acquitted any Criminal that deserv'd punishment and to rescue out of their hands such innocent Persons as were by prejudice or mis-information condemn'd by them Perhaps in both these Opinions there is something of Truth if you understand the former of the Areopagus in it's primitive State and the other when it 's Power was retrâ—nch'd by Pericles Their Power in the Common-wealth was very great for by Solon's Constitution the Inspection and Custody of the Laws were committed to them the publick Fund was dispos'd of and manag'd according to their Discretion the Care of all Young-men in the City belong'd to them and it was their Business to appoint them Tutors and Governours and see that they were educated suitably to their several Qualities Nor did they only superintend over the Youth but their Power was extended to Persons of all Ages and Sexes such as liv'd disorderly or were guilty of any Impiety or Immorality they punish'd according to the merit of their Offences and such as were eminent for a vertuous course of Life they had Power to reward To this End they went about with the Gynaeconomi to all publick Meetings such as were Marriages and solemn Sacrifices which were usually concluded with a Banquet to see that all things were carried on with Decency and Sobriety Idleness was a Crime that came more especially under their Cognizance and which seems to have been an Institution peculiar to Solon they were impower'd and commanded to enquire strictly after every Man's course of Life and to examin by what means he maintain'd himself in the Station he was in that so there might be no Room for such as liv'd by unlawful Arts by Cheating and Cozenage or Theft and Rapine Beside this matters of Religion Blasphemy against the Gods Contempt of the Holy Mysteries and all sorts of Impiety the Consecration also of new Gods erection of Temples and Altars and introduction of new Ceremonies into Divine Worship were referr'd to the Judgment of this Court therefore Plato having been instructed in the knowledge of one God in Aegypt was forc'd to dissemble or conceal his Opinion for fear of being call'd to an Account for it by the Areopagites and Saint Paul was arraign'd before them as a setter forth of strange Gods whâ—n he preach'd unto thâ—m Iesus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Resurrection These were the chief Businesses that this Senate was employ'd about for they seldom intermedled in the Management of publick Affairs except in cases of great and imminent Danger and in these the Common-wealth usually had recourse to them as their last aâ—d surest Refuge They had three Meetings in the Areopagus every Month upon the Twenty-seventh Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Days But if any Business happen'd that required dispatch it was usual for them to assemble in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Royal Portico which they encompass'd with a Rope to prevent the Multitude from thronging in upon them as was usual also in other Courts of Justice Two things are very remarkable in their Judgments First that they sat in the open Air a Custom practis'd in all the Courts of Justice that had Cognizance of Murder partly because it was unlawful for the Accuser and Criminal in such Cases to be under the same Roof and partly that the Judges whose Persons were esteem'd Sacred might contract no Pollution from conversing with Men prophane and unhallowed for such they were accounted that had been guilty of so black and heinous a Crime Secondly they heard and determin'd all Causes at Night and in the Dark to the End that having neither seen the Plaintiff nor Defendant they might lye under no Temptation of being byassed or influenced by either of them Actions about Murder were usher'd into the Areopagus by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who was allow'd to sit as Judge amongst them laying aside his Crown which was one of the Badges of his Office The common Method they proceeded in was this The Court being met and the People excluded they divided themselves into several Committees each of which had their Causes assign'd to be heard and determin'd by them severally if the multitude of business was so great that the whole Senate could not take Cognizance of them singly Both these designations were perform'd by Lots to the End that every Man coming into the Court before it was determined what Causes would fall to his Share none of them might lye under any Temptation of having his Honesty corrupted with Bribes Before the Tryal began the Plaintiff and Defendant took solemn Oaths upon the Testicles of a Goat a Ram and a Bull by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Furies The Plaintiff in case of Murder swore that he was related to the deceased Person for none but near Relations at the farthest a Cousin were permitted to prosecute the Murderer and that the Prisoner was the cause of his Death The Prisoner swore that he was innocent of the Crime laid to his charge Both of them confirm'd their Oaths with direful Imprecations wishing That if they swore falsly Themselves their Houses and their whole Families might be utterly destroy'd and extirpated by the Divine Vengeance which they look'd upon to be so dreadful and certain that the Law inflicted no Penalty upon those that at such a Time were guilty of Perjury remitting them as it were to be punish'd
as some say was one of the Daughters of Atlas and had by Iupiter a Son call'd Ammon Others are of opinion it was Cassandra the Daughter of King Priamus who dying in this place was call'd Pasiphae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from revealing Oracles Others will have it that this was Daphne the Daughter of Amyclas who flying from Apollo was transformed into a Lawrel and honour'd by that God with the Gift of Prophesy This Oracle when Agis King of Sparta endeavour'd to reduce the Spartans to their ancient manner of Living and put in force Lycurgus's old Laws very much countenanced and encouraged his Undertaking commanding the People to return to their former State of Equality Again when Cleomenes made the like Attempt it gave the same Advice in this manner as my Author relates the Story About that time saith he one of the Ephori sleeping in Pasiphae's Temple dream'd a very surprizing Dream for he thought he saw the four Chairs remov'd where the Ephori us'd to sit and hear Causes and one only plac'd there and whilst he wonder'd he heard a Voice out of the Temple saying This is best for Sparta Upon the top of Cithaeron a Mountain in Boeotia was a Cave call'd Sphragidium where many of the Inhabitants of that Countrey were inspir'd by the Nymphs call'd Sphragitides and thence nam'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. inspir'd by the Nymphs Ulysses had an Oracle amongst the Eurytanes a Nation of Aetolia as Aristotle is said to report by Tzetzes in his Comment upon Lycophron who hath these words concerning Ulysses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aetolian People the dead Prophet crown Several other Oracles we read of in Authors as that of Tiresiaâ— and Aegeus with others of less Repute which for that reason I shall forbear to mention CHAPTER XII Of Theomancy HAVING given you an Account of the most celebrated Oracles in Greece which make the first and noblest Species of Natural Divination I come now to the second call'd in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a compound word consisting of two parts by which it is distinguish'd from all other sorts of Divination by the former viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is distinguish'd from Artificial Divination which tho' it may be said to be given by the Gods yet does not immediately proceed from them being the effect of Experience and Observation By the latter viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is oppos'd to Oracular Divination for tho' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a general Name and sometimes signifie any sort of Divination yet it is also us'd in a more strict and limited Sence to denote those Predictions that are made by Men and in this acceptation it is oppos'd to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Scholiast upon Sophocles has observ'd Thus much for the Name As to the Thing it is distinguish'd from Oracular Divination I mean that which was deliver'd by Interpreters as at Delphi for in others the Difference is more evident because that was confin'd usually to a fixed and stated Time and always to a certain Place for the Pythia could not be inspired in any other place but Apollo's Temple and upon the sacred Tripous whereas the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were free and unconfin'd being able after the offering of Sacrifices and the performance of the other usual Rites to prophesie at any Time or in any Part of the World As to the Manner of Receiving the Divine Inspiration that was not always different for not only the Pythia but the Sibyls also with many others were possess'd with Divine fury swelling with rage like Persons distracted and beside themselves Virgil describes the Sibyll in this hideous posture Cui talia fanti Ante fores subito non vultus non color unus Non comtae mansére comae sed pectus anhelum Et rabie fera corda tument majorque videri Nec mortale sonans afflata est numine quandâ— Iam propiore Dei Thus at the Entrance spake the sacred Maid And now no settl'd Air or Feature staid Thro' the whole symmetry of her alter'd Face For fleeting Colours seiz'd each other's place But when the head-strong God not yet appeas'd With holy Phrensy had the Sibyl seiz'd Terror froze up her grizly Hair her Breast Throbbing with holy Fury still exprest A greater horrour and She bigger seems Swoln with th' Afflatus whilst in Holy screams Sh' unfolds the hidden mysteries of Fate Mr. Hutchin Few that pretended to Inspiration but raged after this manner foaming and yelling and making a strange terrible noise sometimes gnashing with their Teeth shivering and trembling with a thousand other antick Motions and therefore some will have their Name viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. from being mad Other Customs also they had common to them with the Pythia I shall only mention those about the Laurel which was sacred to Apollo the God of Divination ever since the Death and Metamorphosis of his Beloved Daphne and thought to conduce very much to Inspiration and therefore call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophetick Plant whence Claudian saith of it Venturi praescia Laurus The Laurel skill'd in Events With this therefore they us'd to crown their Heads as Euripides saith of Cassandra And Aeschylus also agrees with him herein when he saith of her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her Hand a Laurel-scepter grasp'd her Neck The same Prophetick Plant with Garlands grac'd Where by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means a Staff of Laurel which Prophets usually carried in their Hands it was call'd in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we learn from Hesychius Farther it was usual for them to eat the Leaves of this Tree and therefore Lycophron saith of Cassandra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mouth with Lauril-morsels often blefs'd In Mystick words unriddl'd future Truths And the Sibyll in Tibullus speaks of it as one of her greatest Privileges placing it in the same rank with that of Virginity a thing held by her very sacred tho' not always observ'd by other Prophets for Cassandra was Agamâ—mnon's Concubine and tho' the condition of a Captive might lay some force upon her yet 't is agree'd by all that Helenus married Andromache and nothing is more commonly known than that Blind Tiresias was led up and down by his Daughter Maâ—â— But to return to the Sibyll Her words in Tibullus are these Sic usque sacras innoxia Laurus Veâ—â—ar aeternum sit mihi Virginitas With holy Laurel may I e're be fed And live and die an unpolluted Maid Thus much of these Prophets in general I shall only add that they as also other Diviners were maintain'd at Athens at the publick Charge having their Diet allow'd in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Common Hall as the Scholiast upon Aristophanes observes Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were three sorts among the Graecians