DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5674#0125
(n8)
The animals that were looked upon as sacred to Bac-
chus, were at the same time regarded as the most agreea-
ble offerings that could be made to him . Different cus-
toms determined the use that was to be made of the skins
of those victims. At Sparta, they were the king's property.
In the worship of certain divinities , the skin and the feet
were given to the subaltern priests, called Prospoli. Very
often those skins were dedicated to the same God, to whom
the sacrifice had been offered w, it is this a&ion that is
represented in this plate. The priestess after having finished
the ceremony of the sacrifice, offers the skin of the vi6tim
to Bacchus, represented as the trunk of a fig tree, which
tree was consecrated to that God . It is well known, that
there were trees as well as woods consecrated to the Gods,
and that the same respe6t was paid to both, as to the
altars, and that they enjoyed the same privileges (6)The
Faun with the tyrsus and the lustral water seems only to
be a spestator. The Priestess appears to have on her head-
dress what the Romans called apex virgufa ofeagim.
This plate shews also, that the paintings on these sort
of vases were often copyed from pi&ures of the most cele-
brated masters of antiquity . This was the work of Aiki-
machus*, his name is written between the two figures*, Pliny
places him in the rank of masters that were primis proxi-
mi (c).
Plate 38.) Father Petau, after many learned researches
relative to the Mysteries of Eleusis, has left us some ideas
upon this subjest, which appear to be well founded, and
of which the following is an extrast.
Those,
(a) Stuckii Sacrorum Sacrisiciorumque gentilium de- Nam Veneror, seu slipes habet desertus in agr*s>
scriptio p. 183. Seu vetus in trivio ssorea serta lapis.
(b) Pott. Archceolog. & Tibullus . L. 1. Eleg. 1. (c) Lib. XXXV. ch. IX.
v. 15. & 16.
The animals that were looked upon as sacred to Bac-
chus, were at the same time regarded as the most agreea-
ble offerings that could be made to him . Different cus-
toms determined the use that was to be made of the skins
of those victims. At Sparta, they were the king's property.
In the worship of certain divinities , the skin and the feet
were given to the subaltern priests, called Prospoli. Very
often those skins were dedicated to the same God, to whom
the sacrifice had been offered w, it is this a&ion that is
represented in this plate. The priestess after having finished
the ceremony of the sacrifice, offers the skin of the vi6tim
to Bacchus, represented as the trunk of a fig tree, which
tree was consecrated to that God . It is well known, that
there were trees as well as woods consecrated to the Gods,
and that the same respe6t was paid to both, as to the
altars, and that they enjoyed the same privileges (6)The
Faun with the tyrsus and the lustral water seems only to
be a spestator. The Priestess appears to have on her head-
dress what the Romans called apex virgufa ofeagim.
This plate shews also, that the paintings on these sort
of vases were often copyed from pi&ures of the most cele-
brated masters of antiquity . This was the work of Aiki-
machus*, his name is written between the two figures*, Pliny
places him in the rank of masters that were primis proxi-
mi (c).
Plate 38.) Father Petau, after many learned researches
relative to the Mysteries of Eleusis, has left us some ideas
upon this subjest, which appear to be well founded, and
of which the following is an extrast.
Those,
(a) Stuckii Sacrorum Sacrisiciorumque gentilium de- Nam Veneror, seu slipes habet desertus in agr*s>
scriptio p. 183. Seu vetus in trivio ssorea serta lapis.
(b) Pott. Archceolog. & Tibullus . L. 1. Eleg. 1. (c) Lib. XXXV. ch. IX.
v. 15. & 16.