DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9184#0395
372
New Chapters in Greek History. [Chap. XIL
sacred snake. His toe was in pain from the bite of a wild
beast: he was carried outside by day by the temple
servants, and was sitting on a seat, when he fell asleep:
and while he was asleep, a snake issued from the hall*
and cured his toe with its tongue, after which it returned
to the hall. He awaking cured said he had seen in a
vision a beauteous youth pouring medicine on his toe."
But not all the cures wrought by the god were of
wounds and grievous sicknesses; he condescended in
some cases to cure indispositions which we are accus-
tomed to bear with philosophy; and others in which
imagination seems to have had no small share.
Line 122. " Case of Heraeeus of Mytilene. He had no
hair on his head, but a good crop on his chin: being
ashamed of being a laughing-stock to his companions he
came to sleep in the hall: and the god anointed his head
with salve, and made the hair come."
Line 98. " Case of the Toronaean who was cured of
leeches. He slept in the hall and saw a vision; he
thought the god cut open his chest with a knife, and
taking out the leeches gave them into his hands, and
sewed up his chest again. When day broke he departed
carrying the creatures in his hands, and was cured. He
had swallowed them in consequence of a step-mother's
trick, who had put them into a potion which he
swallowed."
Line 3. " Case of Cleo, who went with child five years.
She in the fifth year of pregnancy came to seek the aid
of the god and went to sleep in the hall: and no sooner
did she come forth from it and pass outside the precinctt
than she gave birth to a son, who directly after birth
* afiaxov, here rendered hall, was not the temple of the god, but the
chamber where suppliants slept: Upov is the sacred precinct, contain-
ing this hall, the temple, vaos, and the dedicated tablets.
t Of course a delivery within the precinct would have polluted it.
New Chapters in Greek History. [Chap. XIL
sacred snake. His toe was in pain from the bite of a wild
beast: he was carried outside by day by the temple
servants, and was sitting on a seat, when he fell asleep:
and while he was asleep, a snake issued from the hall*
and cured his toe with its tongue, after which it returned
to the hall. He awaking cured said he had seen in a
vision a beauteous youth pouring medicine on his toe."
But not all the cures wrought by the god were of
wounds and grievous sicknesses; he condescended in
some cases to cure indispositions which we are accus-
tomed to bear with philosophy; and others in which
imagination seems to have had no small share.
Line 122. " Case of Heraeeus of Mytilene. He had no
hair on his head, but a good crop on his chin: being
ashamed of being a laughing-stock to his companions he
came to sleep in the hall: and the god anointed his head
with salve, and made the hair come."
Line 98. " Case of the Toronaean who was cured of
leeches. He slept in the hall and saw a vision; he
thought the god cut open his chest with a knife, and
taking out the leeches gave them into his hands, and
sewed up his chest again. When day broke he departed
carrying the creatures in his hands, and was cured. He
had swallowed them in consequence of a step-mother's
trick, who had put them into a potion which he
swallowed."
Line 3. " Case of Cleo, who went with child five years.
She in the fifth year of pregnancy came to seek the aid
of the god and went to sleep in the hall: and no sooner
did she come forth from it and pass outside the precinctt
than she gave birth to a son, who directly after birth
* afiaxov, here rendered hall, was not the temple of the god, but the
chamber where suppliants slept: Upov is the sacred precinct, contain-
ing this hall, the temple, vaos, and the dedicated tablets.
t Of course a delivery within the precinct would have polluted it.