Heckenbach, Joseph: De nuditate sacra sacrisque vinculis (Giessen, 1911)

8

Jos. Heokenbaoh

CAPVT PRIMVM

De nuditate sacra

Ac primum quidem nuditatis religio ad ritum sacrum
videtur pertinere in sacrificiis faciendis. Epirotae in luco
Apollini dedicato serpentes venerabantur \ quibus sacerdos
virgo nuda die festo anniversario cibum offerre debebat, qua
caerimonia velut ominis causa utebantur2. Aelian a. h. XI 2:
Bvovai 6e v.ai aXltog oi *Il7teLQCb%aL zq> 'AtioXXlovl xai avzol xai
nav ooov %cov ^evLOV ETcidrj/.i6v eo%i, v.ai %ov%co di] %f)v (.ieyio%r]v
eoQTi}v ayovOL /.uag fjiieQag %ov exovg oecivrjv %e v.ai rieyaXoTtQeTtf}.
eo%i 8e avezov %c]> d-eco aXaog, xai e%ei xfaXcp TteQtfioXov, v.ai
evdov eloi dQtxxov%eg xai %ov S-eov a&vQLia ovzoi ye. f) %oLvvv
ieQeia, yvfivfj TtaQ&evog, TtaQSioi (.loviq yiai %QOtpf]v %olg 8qcx-
xovol xo[U%ei. Xeyovzai de aQa vit' 'H7teiQco%cov enyovot %ov
ev JeXcpolg Ilv9-covog elvai. eav fiev ovv ov%oi itaQeXd-ovoav
%fjv ieQeiav TtQOOrivwg ^edacovzat xai %ag %Qorpag TtQodvcLLOg
Xdftiooiv, ev&evELav %e vicodrjXovv 6/.wXoyovv%ai vai e%og avoaov.
eav de ev.icXffeLoai /.iev avzr]v, j.if] Xdftcooi de oaa OQeyei (.iei-
Xiy/iaza, %dvav%ia %iov TCQoeLQr^ievtov ol (.iev /.iav%evov%ai; oi de
eXTtitovaiv. Eius forte similem agi rem sacram in permultis
gemmis cognoscimus, in quibus mulieres investes insculptae

1 Vide de serpentium veneratione Stephani Schlangenftittcrung in clen
orphischen Mystericn, Petersburg 1873; Dieterieh Abraxas, Lpzg. 1891, 149;
Piper Myth. d. christl. Kunst I 72 sqq.; St. Wake Serpent-worship, London
1888; Harrison Journ. hellen. slucl. XIX (1899) 225 sqq.

2 Serpentes apud antiquos saepe in oraculis habebantur, v. Bottiger
Kl. Schr. I 128; cf. Propert. IV 8, 3sqq.