DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0079
OF THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT Op ATHENS.
57
saith Aristophanes in Plutarch (1); though others, and amongst them
Plutarch himself, assign different reasons for this appellation (2). This
was the greatest mark of infamy that could be inflicted on them ; and
therefore Phocylides advises to forbear it, even in slaves ;
"Sriyua.ru ju.11 ^gct^iic tTrenifi^mv S-sgsttrcvTsi (3).
Your slaves brand not with characters of infamy.
On the contrary, in Thrace, Herodotus tells us, it was accounted a badge
of honour, and used by none but persons of credit, nor omitted but by
those of the meanest rank (4). To (xsv e?(%da,i t&yevet xUgneti, <r\ 8e «V'k-
tov dyevvss' To be stigmatized, says he, is reputed a mark of quality, to
want which is a disgrace. The same is affirmed by Claudian of the Ge-
loni, who inhabited a part of Scytbia (6) ;
Membraque quiferro gaudet pinxisse Gclonus.
And some relate that the Ancient Britons, tenellis infantibus notas. certasque
figuras animalium ardenti ferro imprimebant: imprinted upon the bodies of
their infants the figures of animals, and other marks, with hot-irons (6). The
same is likewise affirmed by Tertullian (7), who reports, that the Britons
were distinguished by such marks oi>stigmata, in the same manner as the
Garamantes by their feathers, the barbarians by their curls, and the
Athenians by their grasshoppers. And Claudian mentions the same cus-
tom (8) ;
■--Ferroque notatas
Perlegit exsangues Picto morienteJiguras.
But it must not be forgotten in this place, that slaves were not only
branded with stigmata for a punishment of their offences, but (which was
the common end of these marks), to distinguish them, in case they should
desert their masters ; for which purpose it was common to brand their
soldiers ; only with this difference, that whereas slaves were commonly
stigmatized in their forehead, and with the name or some peculiar cha-
racter belonging to their masters, soldiers were branded in the hand, and
with the name or character of their general. After the same manner, it
was likewise customary to stigmatize the worshippers and votaries of
some of the gods : whence Lucian, speaking of the votaries of the Sy-
rian goddess, affirms. They were all branded with certain marks, some in
the palms of their hands, and others in their necks : whence it became custo-
mary for all the Assyrians thus to stigmatize themselves. And Theodoret
is of opinion (9), that the Jews were forbidden to brand themselves with
stigmata, because the idolaters, by that ceremony, used to consecrate
themselves to their false deities. The marks used on these occasions
were various. Sometimes they contained the name of the god, some-
times his particular ensign ^a^ctdti^ov), such were the thunderbolt of Ju-
piter, the trident of Neptune, the ivy of Bacchus : whence Ptolemy Phi-
lopater was by some nicknamed Gallus, $tu, ro 0uXXa xio-Cs xa.7£rt%6ou, be-
cause his body was marked with the figures of ivy leaves (10). Or, lastly,
they marked themselves with some mystical number, whereby the god's
(6) Lucas &e Linda Descr. Orbie.
(7) De veland. Virgin.
(8) Dp bello Getic.
C9) Quajst. in Levit. xviii.
(10) Etym«lo<r. Ma?ni, Auctor, v. 1" iu\s
(!) Pericle.
(2) Erasm. Adag,
(3) V 212.
$ Lib. v.
'•>> Lib. i. in&ufio;
57
saith Aristophanes in Plutarch (1); though others, and amongst them
Plutarch himself, assign different reasons for this appellation (2). This
was the greatest mark of infamy that could be inflicted on them ; and
therefore Phocylides advises to forbear it, even in slaves ;
"Sriyua.ru ju.11 ^gct^iic tTrenifi^mv S-sgsttrcvTsi (3).
Your slaves brand not with characters of infamy.
On the contrary, in Thrace, Herodotus tells us, it was accounted a badge
of honour, and used by none but persons of credit, nor omitted but by
those of the meanest rank (4). To (xsv e?(%da,i t&yevet xUgneti, <r\ 8e «V'k-
tov dyevvss' To be stigmatized, says he, is reputed a mark of quality, to
want which is a disgrace. The same is affirmed by Claudian of the Ge-
loni, who inhabited a part of Scytbia (6) ;
Membraque quiferro gaudet pinxisse Gclonus.
And some relate that the Ancient Britons, tenellis infantibus notas. certasque
figuras animalium ardenti ferro imprimebant: imprinted upon the bodies of
their infants the figures of animals, and other marks, with hot-irons (6). The
same is likewise affirmed by Tertullian (7), who reports, that the Britons
were distinguished by such marks oi>stigmata, in the same manner as the
Garamantes by their feathers, the barbarians by their curls, and the
Athenians by their grasshoppers. And Claudian mentions the same cus-
tom (8) ;
■--Ferroque notatas
Perlegit exsangues Picto morienteJiguras.
But it must not be forgotten in this place, that slaves were not only
branded with stigmata for a punishment of their offences, but (which was
the common end of these marks), to distinguish them, in case they should
desert their masters ; for which purpose it was common to brand their
soldiers ; only with this difference, that whereas slaves were commonly
stigmatized in their forehead, and with the name or some peculiar cha-
racter belonging to their masters, soldiers were branded in the hand, and
with the name or character of their general. After the same manner, it
was likewise customary to stigmatize the worshippers and votaries of
some of the gods : whence Lucian, speaking of the votaries of the Sy-
rian goddess, affirms. They were all branded with certain marks, some in
the palms of their hands, and others in their necks : whence it became custo-
mary for all the Assyrians thus to stigmatize themselves. And Theodoret
is of opinion (9), that the Jews were forbidden to brand themselves with
stigmata, because the idolaters, by that ceremony, used to consecrate
themselves to their false deities. The marks used on these occasions
were various. Sometimes they contained the name of the god, some-
times his particular ensign ^a^ctdti^ov), such were the thunderbolt of Ju-
piter, the trident of Neptune, the ivy of Bacchus : whence Ptolemy Phi-
lopater was by some nicknamed Gallus, $tu, ro 0uXXa xio-Cs xa.7£rt%6ou, be-
cause his body was marked with the figures of ivy leaves (10). Or, lastly,
they marked themselves with some mystical number, whereby the god's
(6) Lucas &e Linda Descr. Orbie.
(7) De veland. Virgin.
(8) Dp bello Getic.
C9) Quajst. in Levit. xviii.
(10) Etym«lo<r. Ma?ni, Auctor, v. 1" iu\s
(!) Pericle.
(2) Erasm. Adag,
(3) V 212.
$ Lib. v.
'•>> Lib. i. in&ufio;