ECHO, a daughter of the Air and Tellus, who chiefly resided in the vicinity of the Cephissus. She was once one of Juno's attendants; but, having offended that goddess by her deception, she was deprived, in a great measure, by her, of the power of speech. Juno declared, that in future she should have but little use of her tongue; and immediately she lost all power of doing any more than repeat the sounds which she heard. Echo happening to see the beautiful youth Narcissus, became deeply enamoured of him. But, her love be-issues from the Lake of Ostrovo, represents this aning slighted, she pined away till nothing remained of her but her voice and bones. The former still exists, the latter were converted into stone. (Ovid, Met., 3, 341, seqq.) ECTENES, a people who, according to Pausanias, first inhabited the territory of Thebes, in Boeotia. Ogyges is said to have been their first king. They were exterminated by a plague, and succeeded by the Hyantes. (Compare Strabo, 401.-Pausan., 9, 5.Lycophr., v. 433.) opened the royal tombs in hopes of finding treasure It was here that Philip was assassinated by Pausanias while celebrating the marriage of his daughter Cleopatra with Alexander, king of Epirus. (Diod. Sic., 16, 92.) It is uncertain which of the two appellations is the more ancient, Ege or Edessa; the latter form is always used by later writers. (Hierocl., Synecd., p. 638.) It is generally agreed that the town. called Vodina, situate on the river Vistritza, which cient city; but it may be observed, that the name of Bodena appears to be as old as the Byzantine historians. (Cedrenus, vol. 2, p. 705.-Glycas, p. 309.) Dr. Clarke, in his travels (Greece, Egypt, &c., vol. 7, p. 434, seqq.), quotes a letter from Mr. Fiolt of Cambridge, who had visited Vodina, and which leaves no doubt as to its identity with Edessa. He says, "it is a delightful spot. There are sepulchres cut in the rock, which the superstitious inhabitants have never plundered, because they are afraid to go near them. I went into two, and saw the bodies in perfect repose, with some kinds of ornaments, and clothes, and vases. EDETANI, a people of Spain, south of the Iberus. They occupied what corresponds with the northern half of Valencia, and the southwestern corner of Aragon. (Mannert, Geogr., vol. 1, p. 426.- Ukert, vol. 2, p. 413, seqq.) EDESSA, I. a city of Mesopotamia, in the district of Osroene, on the banks of a small river called Scirtus. It lay northeast of Zeugma, and southeast of Samosa-There is a beautiful inscription in the town. The fall ta, and, according to the Itin. Ant., nine geographical of waters is magnificent." (Cramer's Ancient Greece, miles from the Euphrates and Zeugma (ed. Wesseling, vol. 1, p. 226, seqq.) p. 185). Procopius (Pers., 2, 12) places it a day's journey from Batnæ; and an Arabian writer cited by Wesseling (ad Itin. Ant., l. c.), about six parasangs or four miles. Edessa is said to have been one of those numerous cities which were built by Seleucus Nicator, and was probably called after the city of the same EDONI or EDONES, a people of Thrace, on the left name in Macedonia. It was once a place of great ce- bank of the Strymon. It appears from Thucydides lebrity, and famous for a temple of the Syrian goddess, (2, 99), that this Thracian clan once held possession which was one of the richest in the world. During of the right bank of the Strymon as far as Mygdonia, the intestine broils which greatly weakened the king- but that they were ejected by the Macedonians. The dom of Syria, Augurus or Abgarus seized on this city name of this tribe is often used by the poets to express and its adjacent territory, which he erected into a the whole of the nation of which they formed a part. kingdom, and transmitted the royal title to his poster-(Soph., Ant., 955.-Eur., Hec., 1153.) ity. We learn from St. Austin that our Saviour. romised Abgarus that the city should be impregnable; and Euagrius (Hist. Eccles., 4, 27) observes, that although this circumstance was not mentioned in our Lord's letter, still it was the common belief; which was much confirmed when Chosroes, king of Persia, after having set down before it, was obliged to raise the siege. This is all, however, a pious fable.-Edessa was called Callirhoë, from a fountain contained within it. (Plin., 5, 24.) The sources of this fountain still remain, and the inhabitants have a tradition that this is the place where Abraham offered up his prayer pre-man History, vol. 1, p. 202, Cambr. transl.) WagTous to his intended sacrifice of Isaac. (Compare Niebuhr, vol. 2, p. 407.-Tavernier, lib. 2, c. 4.) In later times it was termed Roha, or, with the article of the Arabs, Orrhoa, and by abbreviation Orrha. This appellation would seem to have arisen from the circumstance of Edessa having been the capital of the district Osroene, or, as it was more probably called, Orrhoene. The modern name is Orrhoa or Orfa. (Chron. Edess. in Assemanni Bibl. Orient., vol. 1, p. 388) The Arabians revere the spot as the seat of learned men and of the purest Arabic. (Abulpharag, Hist. Dynast., p. 16, ed. Wesseling, ad loc.)-II. A city of Macedonia, called also Edessa and Egæ, situate on the Via Egnatia, thirty miles west of Pella. According to Justin (7, 1) it was the city occupied by Caranus on his arrival in the country, and it continued apparently to be the capital of Macedonia, until the seat of government was transferred to Pella. Even after this event it remained the place of sepulture for the royal family, since we are told that Philip and Eurydice, the king and queen of Macedon, who had been put to death by Olympias, were buried here by Cassander. (Athen., 4, 41.) Pausanias (1, 6) states, that Alexander was to have been interred here; and when Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, had taken and plundered the town, he left there a body of Gauls, who EETION, the father of Andromache, and king of Hypoplacian Thebe in Troas. (Hom., Il., 6, 396.)—II. The commander of the Athenian fleet, conquered by the Macedonians under Clitus, near the Echinades, (Diod. Sic., 18, 15.) EGERIA, a nymph of Aricia in Italy, the spouse and instructress of Numa. (Vid. Numa.) Some regard ed her as one of the Camœnæ. According to the old legend, when Numa died, Egeria melted away in tears into a fountain. Niebuhr places the grove of Egeria below S. Balbina, near the baths of Caracalla. (Ro ner, in a dissertation on this subject, is in favour of the valley of Caffarella, some few miles from the present gate of Saint Sebastian. (Wagner, commentatio de Egeria fonte, et specu ejusque situ.—Marbourg, 1824.) EGESTA. Vid. Ægesta. EGNATIA, a town of Apulia, on the coast, below Barium. It communicated its name to the consular way that followed the coast from Canusium to Brundisium. (Strabo, 282.) Its ruins are still apparent near the Torre d'Agnazzo and the town of Monopoli. (Pratilli, Via Appia, lib. 4, c. 16.-Romanelli, vol. 2, p. 143.) Pliny states (2, 107), that a certain stone was shown at Egnatia, which was said to possess the property of setting fire to wood that was placed upon it. It was this prodigy, seemingly, which afforded sc much amusement to Horace (Sat., 1, 5, 98), and from the expression limine sacro employed by the poet, the stone in question would appear to have been placed in the entrance of a temple, serving for an altar. Wha Horace, however, regarded as a mere trick, has beer thought to have had more of reality about it than the poet supposed. Some commentators imagine that th stone was placed over a naphtha spring, with an aper. ture in it for the flame to pass through; a simple cotrivance which the priests would not fail to turn o good account. So La Lande found in Italy, on a hill | Athenians. The alarm and consternation produced at near Pietra Mala, not far from Firenzuola, flames Athens by his approach is finely described by Demosthe breaking forth from the ground, the vapour from which nes in his Oration de Corona (p. 284.-Compare Es resembled petroleum in smell. (Voyage d'un Fran- chin. in Ctes., p. 73.—Strab., 424). Some years after, çois en Italie, vol. 2, p. 134.-1765.) Compare also Elatea made a successful defence against the arms of the remarks of Salmasius on the account given by So- Cassander. It was, however, reduced by Philip, son inus of a volcanic hill near Agrigentum in Sicily. of Demetrius, who bribed the principal inhabitants. Solin, c. 5.-Salmas., ad loc., p. 89, seqq.) (Pausan, l. c.) During the Macedonian war, this EION, a port at the mouth of the Strymon, twenty-town was besieged by the Roman consul, T. Flami five stadia from Amphipolis, of which, according to ninus, and taken by assault. (Liv., 32, 18, segg.--Thucydides (4, 102), it formed the harbour. This Polyb., 5, 26.-Id., 18, 26.) An attack subsequently historian affirms it to have been more ancient than made on Elatea by Taxilus, general of Mithradates, Amphipolis. It was from Eion that Xerxes sailed to was successfully repelled by the inhabitants; in cor Asia, according to Herodotus, after the battle of sequence of which exploit they were declared free by Salamis. (Herodot, 8, 118.) Boges was left in the Roman senate. (Pausan., l. c.) Strabo speaks command of the town on the retreat of the Persian ar- of its advantageous situation, which commanded the mies, and made a most gallant resistance when be- entrance into Phocis and Boeotia. Other passages sieged by the Grecian forces under Cimon. On the relative to this place will be found in Plutarch (Vit. total failure of all means of subsistence, he ordered a Syll.), Appian (Bell. Mithrad.), Theophrastus (Hist. vast pile to be raised in the centre of the town, and Plant., 8, 8, 2), and Scylax (p. 23). Its ruins are te having placed on it his wives, children, and domestics, be seen on a site called Elephta, on the left bank of he caused them to be slain; then, scattering every-the Cephissus, and at the foot of some hills which thing of value in the Strymon, he threw himself on the unite with the chains of Cnemis and Eta. Sir W. burning pile and perished in the flames. (Herodot., Gell, in his Itinerary, notices the remains of the city 7, 107.—Thucyd., 1, 98) After the capture of Am-walls, as well as those of the citadel, and the ruins of phipolis, the Spartans endeavoured to gain possession of Eion also, but in this design they were frustrated by the arrival of Thucydides with a squadron from Thasus, who repelled the attack. (Thucyd., 4, 107.) Cleon afterward occupied Eion, and thither the remains of his army retreated after their defeat before Amphipolis. (Thucyd., 5, 10.) This place is mentioned by Lycophron (v. 417). In the middle ages a Byzantine town was built on the site of Eion, which now bears the name of Contessa. (Cramer's Ancient Greece, vol. 1, p. 295, seqq.) ELEA, the port of the city of Pergamus. According to some traditions, it had been founded after the siege of Troy, by the Athenians, under the command of Mnestheus. (Strab., 622.) Elæa was distant 12 stadia from the mouth of the Caïcus, and 120 from Pergamus. (Strab., 615.) The modern name is Ialea or Lalea. Smith places the ruins of this city at no great distance from Chisiakevi, on the road from Smyrna to Berganat (Account of the Seven Churches of Asia, p. 7-Liv., 36, 43.-Pausan., 9, 5.) ELAGABALUS, I. the surname of the sun at Emesa. -II. The name of a Roman emperor. (Vid. Emesa and Heliogabalus.) ELAPHEBŎLIA, a festival in honour of Diana the Huntress. In the celebration a cake was made in the form of a deer, ¿λapos, and offered to the goddess. It owed its institution to the following circumstance. When the Phocians had been severely defeated by the Thessalians, they resolved, by the persuasion of a certain Deiphantus, to raise a pile of combustible materials, and burn their wives, children, and effects, rather than submit to the enemy. This resolution was unanimously approved of by the women, who decreed Deiphantus a crown for his magnanimity. When everything was prepared, before they fired the pile, they engaged their enemies, and fought with such desperate fury, that they totally routed them, and obtained a complete victory. Ir. commemoration of this unexpected success, this festival was instituted to Diana, and observed with the greatest solemnity. (Athen., 14, p. 646, e.-Castellanus, de Fest. Græc., p. 115.) ELATEA, the most considerable and important of the Phocian cities after Delphi, situate, according to Pausanías (10, 34), one hundred and eighty stadia from Amphicæa, on a gently rising slope, above the plain watered by the Cephissus. It was captured and burned by the army of Xerxes (Herodot, 8, 33), but, being afterward restored, it was occupied by Philip, father of Alexander, on his advance into Phocis to overawe the several temples (p. 216.-Compare Dodwell, vol. 2, p. 140). At the distance of about twenty stadia to the east was the temple of Minerva Crana-a, described by Pausanias: its remains were discovered by Sir W. Gell and Mr. Dodwell. (Cramer's Ancient Greece, vol. 2, p. 179.) ELAVER, a river of Gaul, rising in the same quar ter with the Liger, and, after pursuing a course almost parallel with it, falling into this same stream below Nevers. It is now the Allier. (Cæs., B. G., 8, 34 and 53.-Mannert, Geogr., vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 119) ELEA, a city of Lucania. (Vid. Velia.) ELECTRA, I. one of the Oceanides, wife of Atlas, and mother of Dardanus by Jupiter, (Ovid, Fast, 4, 31.)-II. A daughter of Atlas and Pleione, and one of the Pleiades. (Vid Pleiades.)-III. One of the daughters of Agamemnon. Upon the murder of her father, on his return from Troy, Electra rescued her brother Orestes, then quite young, from the fury of Egisthus, by despatching him to the court of her uncle Strophius, king of Phocis. There Orestes formed the well-known attachment for his cousin Pylades, which, in the end, led to the marriage of Electra with that prince. According to one account, Electra had previously been compelled, by Ægisthus, to become the wife of a Mycenean rustic, who, having regarded her merely as a sacred deposite confided to him by the gods, restored her to Orestes on the return of that prince to Mycenae, and on his accession to the throne of his ancestors. Electra became, by Pylades, the mother of two sons, Strophius and Medon. Her story has formed the basis of two plays, the one by Sopho cles, the other by Euripides. (Soph., Electr.-Eurip, Electr.) ELECTRIDES, islands fabled to have been in the Adriatic, off the mouths of the Padus or Po, and to have abounded with amber (electrum), whence their name. (Vid. Eridanus.) ELECTRYON, Son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Mycenae. He was the father of Alcmena Electryon undertook an expedition against the Teleboans in order to avenge the death of his sons, whom the sons of Taphius, king of the Teleboans, had slain in an encounter. Returning victorious, he was met by Amphitryon, and killed by an accidental blow. (Apollod., 2, 4, 6.-Vid. Alcmena.) ELEI, the people of Elis in Peloponnesus. (Vid. Elis.) ELEPHANTINE, an island of Egypt, in the Nile, with a city of the same name, about a semi-stadium distant from Syene. Pliny (5, 9) calls it Elephantis Insula It is of small size, being, according to the French [tion. Such as were guilty of murder, though against measurement, 700 toises long and 200 broad. The their will, and such as were convicted of impiety island was remarkable for its fertility, and it is there- or any heinous crime, were not admitted; and the fore easy to believe, that, in early ages, when, accord- Athenians suffered none to be initiated but those ing to Manetho, Egypt was divided into several dynas- that were members of their city. This regulation, ties, one of these had its capital on this island. The which compelled, according to the popular belief, Hercataracts of the Nile are not far distant, and hence El- cules, Castor, and Pollux to become citizens of Athephantine became the depôt for all the goods that were ens, was strictly observed in the first ages of the instidestined for the countries to the south, and that re- tution, but afterward all persons, barbarians excepted, quired land-carriage in this quarter in order to avoid were freely initiated. The festivals were divided into the falls of the river. The Nile has here a very con- the greater and less mysteries. The less were institusiderable breadth, and it is natural to suppose, that, on ted from the following circumstance: Hercules passed its entrance into Egypt, the inhabitants were desirous near Eleusis while the Athenians were celebrating the of ascertaining the rise of the stream at the period of mysteries, and desired to be initiated. As this could its annual increase. Hence we find a Nilometer here, not be done because he was a stranger, and as Eumolon the banks of the river. (Strabo, 817.) In the pus was unwilling to displease him on account of his time of the Pharaohs, the garrison stationed on the great power, and the services which he had done to frontiers against the Ethiopians had their head-quar- the Athenians, another festival was instituted without ters at Elephantine. In the Roman times, however, violating the laws. It was called μkpá, and Hercules the frontiers were pushed farther to the south. In the was solemnly admitted to the celebration, and initiated. fourth century, when all Egypt was strongly guarded, These minor mysteries were observed at Agræ near the the first Cohors Theodosiana was stationed in this isl- Ilissus. The greater were celebrated at Eleusis, from and, according to the Notitia Imperii.-It is surpri- which place Ceres has been called Eleusinia. In later sing that merely the Greek name for this island has times the smaller festivals were preparatory to the come down to us, since Herodotus was here during greater, and no person could be initiated at Eleusis the Persian sway, when Grecian influence could by without a previous purification at Agræ. This purifino means have been strong enough to supplant the cation they performed by keeping themselves pure, original name by one which is evidently a mere trans- chaste, and unpolluted during nine days, after which lation of it. The modern name of Elephantine is they came and offered sacrifices and prayers, wearing Gezyret Assuan, “the Island of Syene." There are garlands of flowers, called toμepa or iuepa, and havsome ruins of great beauty remaining, and, in particu- ing under their feet Aids kúdiov, Jupiter's skin, which lar, a superb gate of granite, which formed the entrance was the skin of a victim offered to that god. The perof one of the porticoes of the temple of Cnepht. son who assisted was called vdpavós, from bdwp, wa (Mannert, Geogr., vol. 10, pt. 1, p. 323, seqq.) ter, which was used at the purification; and they them. ELEPHANTIS, an impure poetess. Consult Martial selves were called μvorai, the initiated. A year after (Ep., 12, 43, 4), Suetonius (Vit. Tib., 43), and the the initiation at the less mysteries they sacrificed a remarks of the commentators on each of these places. sow to Ceres, and were admitted into the greater, and ELEPHANTOPHAGI, a people of Ethiopia. (Consult the secrets of the festivals were solemnly revealed to remarks under the article Ethiopia, page 72, col. 1.) them, from which they were called έφοροι and επόπ ELEUSINIA, a great festival observed every fourth rat, inspectors. The institution was performed in the year by the Celeans, Phliasians, as also by the Pheneatæ, following manner; the candidates, crowned with myrLacedæmonians, Parrhasians, and Cretans; but more tle, were admitted by night into a place called μvori particularly by the people of Athens every fifth year, Kòç oŋkós, the mystical temple, a vast and stupendous at Eleusis in Attica, where it was said to have been building. As they entered the temple, they purified introduced by Eumolpus, B.C. 1356. It was the most themselves by washing their hands in holy water, and celebrated of all the religious ceremonies of Greece, received for admonition that they were to come with whence it is often called, by way of eininence, uvo- a mind pure and undefiled, without which the cleanliTipia, the mysteries. It was so superstitiously ob-ness of the body would be unacceptable. After this served, that if any one ever revealed it, it was sup- the holy mysteries were read to them from a large posed that he had called divine vengeance upon his book called πéтрwμa, because made of two stones, bead, and it was unsafe to live in the same house with TÉTρai, fitly cemented together; and then the priest, him. Such a wretch was publicly put to an ignomin- called iɛpopúvrns, proposed to them certain questions, ous death. This festival was sacred to Ceres and to which they readily answered. After this, strange Proserpina; everything contained a mystery; and and fearful objects presented themselves to their sight; Ceres herself was known only by the name of ux- the place often seemed to quake, and to appear sudia, from the sorrow (axos) which she suffered for denly resplendent with fire, and immediately covered the loss of her daughter. This mysterious secrecy with gloomy darkness and horror. Sometimes flashes was solemnly observed, and enjoined on all the vota- of lightning appeared on every side. At other times nes of the goddess; and if any one ever appeared at thunder, hideous noises, and howlings were heard, and the celebration, either intentionally or through igno- the trembling spectators were alarmed by sudden and fance, without proper introduction, he was immediately dreadful apparitions. This was called avropía, intui punished with death. Persons of both sexes and all tion. When these ceremonies were ended, the word ages were initiated at this solemnity, and it was looked kóy was uttered by the officiating priest, which imupon as so heinous a crime to neglect this sacred part plied that all was ended, and that those present might of religion, that it was one of the heaviest accusations retire. In the common text of Hesychius, the words which contributed to the condemnation of Socrates. κóys outras are said to have been uttered on this ocThe initiated were under the more particular care of casion (Κόγξ, ὄμπαξ· ἐπιφώνημα τετελεσμένοις), and the deities, and therefore their lives were supposed to various explanations have been attempted to be given. be attended with more happiness and real security than Wilford, for example, makes the words in question to those of other men. This benefit was not only granted have been Kóys, 'Oμ, Пlús, and maintains that they are during life, but it extended beyond the grave, and they pure Sanscrit, and used this day by the Brahmins, at were honoured with the first places in the Elysian the conclusion of sacred rites! (Asiatic Researches, fields, while others were left to wallow in perpetual vol. 5, p. 297.) Münter, Creuzer, Ouvaroff, and othfilth and ignominy. As the benefits of expiation were ers, have adopted the opinion of Wilford. (Münter, 10 extensive, particular care was taken in examining Erklärung einer griech. Inschrift., p. 18-Creuzer, the character of those who were presented for initia- Symbu ik, vol. 4, p. 573.- Ouvaroff, Essai sur les Myst. d'Eleusis, p. 26, seqq. Schelling, über die The speculations of all these writers, as well as the opinion of Von Hammer, who derives the word 'Ounas from the Persian Cambaksch, which denotes, according to him, "voti sui compos," have been very unceremoniously put to flight by Lobeck. This able and judicious critic has emended the text of Hesychius so as to read as follows: Κόγξ, ὁμοίως πάξ, ἐπιφώνημα τετελεσμένοις, and thus both kоy and ά are nothing more than mere terms of dismission. The former of these is borrowed from the language of the Athenian assemblies for voting. The pebble or ballot was dropped into the uru through a long conical tube; and as this tube was probably of some length, and the urn itself of considerable size, in order to enable several hundred persons to vote, the stone striking against the metal bottom made a sharp, loud noise. This sound the Athenians imitated by the monosyllable κóys. Hence the term koys came to denote that all was ended, that the termination of an affair was reached; and hence Hesychius assimilates it to the form nás, which appears to have had the same force as the Latin interjection pax. (Lobeck, Aglaophamus, p. 776, seqq.Philol. Museum, No. 2, p. 425, not.)-But to return to the mysteries: the garments in which the new-comers were initiated were held sacred, and of no less efficacy to avert evils than charms and incantations. From this circumstance, therefore, they were never left off before they were totally unfit for wear, after which they were appropriated for children, or dedicated to the goddess. The chief person that attended at the initiation was called iɛpopavrns, the revealer of sacred things. He was a citizen of Athens, and held his office during life, though, among the Celeans and Phliasians, it was limited to the period of four years. He was obliged to devote himself totally to the service of the deities; and his life was to be chaste and single. The Hierophant had three attendants; the first was called dadouxos, torch-bearer, and was permitted to marry; the second was called Kipus, a crier; the third administered at the altar, and was called ó ènì ßwu. There were, besides these, other inferior officers, who took particular care that everything was performed according to custom. The first of these, called Baoiλevç, was one of the archons; he offered prayers and sacrifices, and took care that there was no indecency or irregularity during the celebration. Besides him there were four others, called έrueλñrat, curators, elected by the people. One of them was chosen from the sacred family of the Eumolpida, the other was one of the Ceryces, and the rest were from among the citizens. There were also ten persons who assisted at this and every other festival, called iɛpoñоlоí, because they offered sacrifices.--This festival was observed in the month Boedromion or September, and continued nine days, from the 15th till the 23d. During that time it was unlawful to arrest any man, or present any petition, on pain of forfeiting a thousand drachmas, or, according to others, on pain of death. It was also unlawful for those who were initiated to sit upon the cover of a well, to eat beans, mullets, or weazels. If any woman rode to Eleusis in a chariot, she was obliged, by an edict of Lycurgus, to pay 6000 drachmas. The design of this law was to destroy all distinction between the richer and poorer sort of citizens.-The first day of the celebration was called ȧyvpuóc, assembly, as it might be said that the worshippers first met together. The second day was called hade μvora, to the sea, you that are initiated, because they were commanded to purify themselves by bathing in the sea. On the third day sacrifices, and chiefly a mullet, were offered; as also barley from a field of Eleusis. These oblations were called Oúa, and held so sacred that the priests themselves were not, as in other sacrifices, permitted to partake of them. On the fourth day they made a solemn procession, in which the kahúzov, holy of Eleusis and Athens were long independent of each and ceremonies which took place in the Eleusinian other. (Aglaoph. p. 214, 1351.-Müller, Dorians, mysteries. The stranger, dazzled and awed by his vol. 1, p. 201.) The worship of Ceres and Proser- own conception of the sacredness and importance of pina was the national and secret religion of the Eleu- all he beheld, conceived that nothing there could be sinians, from which the Athenians were of course ex-without some mysterious meaning. What this might cluded, as well as all other Greeks. But when Eleusis be he inquired of the officiating ministers, who, as variwas conquered, and the two states coalesced, the Athe-ous passages in Herodotus and Pausanias show, were nians became participators in the worship of these seldom without a legend or Sacred Account (iepòs deities; which, however, remained so long confined to λóyoç), as it was called, to explain the dress or cerethem, as to have given rise to a proverb ('ATTIKOì Tù mony, which owed, perhaps, its true origin to the ca'Elevoivia), applied to those who met together in se- price or sportive humour of a ruder period. Or if the cret for the performance of any matter. (Aglaoph., initiated person was himself endowed with inventive p. 271.) Gradually, with the advance of knowledge, power, he explained the appearances according, in genand the decline of superstition and national illiberality, eral, to the system of philosophy which he himself had admission to witness the solemn rites celebrated each embraced. (Aglaoph, p. 180, scq.) It was thus that year at Eleusis was extended to all Greeks of either Porphyry conceived the Hierophant to represent the sex and of every rank, provided they came at the prop- Platonic Demiurgus or creator of the world; the torcher time, had committed no inexpiable offence, had per-bearer (dadouxos) the sun; the altar-man (ó ènì ẞwμw) formed the requisite previous ceremonies, and were the moon; the herald (κñpv§) Hermes; and the other introduced by an Athenian citizen. (Aglaoph., p. 14, ministers the inferior stars. These fancies of priests 28, 31.) These mysteries, as they were termed, were and philosophers have been formed by modern writers performed with a considerable degree of splendour, at into a complete system, and Saint-Croix in particular the charge of the state, and under the superintendence describes the Eleusinian mysteries with as much miof the magistrates; whence it follows, as a necessary nuteness as if he had been actually himself initiated. consequence, that the rites could have contained no- (Compare Warburton's Div. Legation.-Saint-Croix, thing that was grossly immoral or indecent. (Agla- Recherches sur les Mystères, &c.)—It is to be ob oph, p. 116.) There does not appear to be any valid served, in conclusion, with respect to the charges of reason for supposing, as many do, that a public dis- impiety and immorality brought against the Eleusinian course on the origin of things and that of the gods, mysteries by some Fathers of the Church, that this and on other high and important matters, was de- arose from their confounding them with the Bacchic, livered by the Hierophant, whose name would rather Isiac, Mithraic, and other private mysteries, mostly imseem to be derived from his exhibiting the sacred ported from Asia, which were undoubtedly liable to things, ancient statues probably of the goddesses, that imputation. It must always be remembered, that which were kept carefully covered up, and only shown those of Eleusis were public, and celebrated by the on these solemn occasions. The delivery of a public state. (Aglaoph., p. 116, 197, 202, 1263.-Müller, discourse would, in fact, have been quite repugnant to Proleg., p. 248, seq.-Keightley's Mythology, p. 181, the usages of the Greeks in their worship of the gods; seqq.) and the evidence offered in support of this supposition ÉLEUSIS OF ELEUSIN, I. an ancient city of Boeotia, s extremely feeble. But the singing of sacred hymns, which stood, according to tradition, near Cope and n honour of the goddess, always formed a part of the the Lake Copaïs, and was, together with another anservice. (Aglaoph., p. 63, 193.-Müller, Prolegom., cient city, named Athenæ, muundated by the waters of p. 250, seq.) The ancient writers are full of the prais- that lake. (Strab., 407.) Stephanus of Byzantium rees of the Eleusinian mysteries, of the advantage of ports, that when Crates drained the waters which had being initiated, i. e., admitted to participate in them, overspread the plains, the city of Athena became visiand of the favour of the gods in life, and the cheerful ble (s. v. 'A0ñvai). Compare Müller, Gesch. Hellenhopes in death, which were the consequence of it. isch. Stämme und Städte, vol. 1, p. 57, seqq.-II. A Hence occasion has been taken to assert, that a sys-city of Attica, equidistant from Megara and the Pitem of religion little inferior to pure Christianity was ræus, and famed for the celebration of the mysteries taught in them. But these hopes, and this tranquillity of Ceres. According to some writers, it derived its of mind and favour of heaven, are easy to be accounted name from a hero, whom some affirmed to be the son for without having recourse to so absurd a supposition. of Mercury, but others of Ogyges. (Pausan., 1, 38.Every act performed in obedience to the will of Heaven Compare Aristid., Rhet. Eleus., vol. 1, p. 257.) Its is believed to draw down its favour on the performer. origin is certainly of the highest antiquity, as The Mussulman makes his pilgrimage to the Kaaba at pears to have already existed in the time of Cecrops Mecca, the Catholic to Loretto, Compostella, or else- (Strabo, 387), but we are not informed by whom, or where; and each is persuaded that, by having done at what period, the worship of Ceres was introduced so, he has secured the divine favour. (Aglaoph., p. there. Eusebius places the building of the first tem70, seq.) So the Greek who was initiated at Eleusis ple in the reign of Pandion (Chron., 2, p. 66); but, (the mysteries of which place, owing to the fame in according to other authors, it is more ancient. (Clem which Athens stood, and the splendour and magnifi- Alex., Strom., 1, p. 381.-Tatian, ad Græc., c. 61.) ceace with which they were performed, eclipsed all Celeus is said to have been king of Eleusis when others) retained ever after a lively sense of the hap- Ceres first arrived there. (Hom., Hymn. in Cer., 96. press which he had enjoyed, when admitted to view—Id. ibid., 356.-Id. ibid., 474.) Some etymologists the interior of the illuminated temple, and the sacred relics which it contained, when, to his excited imagination, the very gods themselves seemed visibly to descend from their Olympian abodes, amid the solemn hymns of the officiating priests. Hence there naturally arose a persuasion, that the benign regards of the gods were bent upon him through after life; and, as man can never divest himself of the belief of his continued existence after death, a vivid hope of enjoying bliss in the life to come. It was evidently the principle already stated, of seeking to discover the causes of remarkable appearances, which gave origin to most of the ideas respecting the recondite sense of the actions ap suppose that Eleusis was so called, because Ceres, after traversing the whole world in pursuit of her daughter, came here (λev0w, venio), and ended her search. Diodorus Siculus (5, 69) makes the name Eleusis to have been given this city, as a monument to posterity, that corn and the art of cultivating it were brought from abroad into Attica; or, to use the words of the historian, "because the person who brought thither the seed of corn came from foreign parts." At one period Eleusis was powerful enough to contend with Athens for the sovereignty of Attica. This was in the time of Eumolpus. The controversy was ended by a treaty, wherein it was stipulated that Eleusis |