DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0205
OF the religion of greece,
183
Why boast we, Glaucus ! our extended reign.
Where Xanthus' streams enrich the Lycian plain,
Our numerous herds that range the fruitful field,
And hills where vines their purple harvest yield ? pope,
CHAP. III.
of the grecian priests, and their offices.
It has been the custom of all nations to pay a peculiar honour to their
priest; which was partly done out of respect to the gods, whom they re-
presented ; and partly (as Plutarch in his morals tells us), because they
did not pray for a blessing on themselves, their own families and friends
only, but on whole communities, on the whole state of mankind. They
were accounted mediators between gods and men, being obliged to offer
the sacrifices and prayers of the people to their gods, as will farther ap-
pear in the following chapter ; and on the other side i^r\vsvra.i iruga S-sup
<«v3-£<yVoi£, deputed by the gods to be their interpreters to men, to instruct
them how to pray for themselves, what it was most expedient to ask,
what sacrifices, what vows, what gifts, would be most acceptable to the
gods ; and, in short, to teach them all the ceremonies used in the divine
worship, as Plato informs us (1). On this account, the priests were
honoured with the next places to their kings and chief magistrates, and in
many places wore the same habit. In most of the Grecian cities, and
particularly at Athens, as we are informed by Plato (2), and several oth-
ers, the care of divine worship was committed to the chief magistrates :
and these were often consecrated to the priesthood. Thus Anius in Vir-
gil was king of Delos, and priest of Apollo (3) :
Rex Anius, rex idem hominum, Plmbique sacerdos.
In Egypt the kings were all priests ; and if any one who was not of the
royal family, usurped the kingdom, he was obliged to be consecrated to
the priesthood before he was permitted to govern (4). In some places
of Greece avT^gotfov s?v to ryg isgcjtfuvTjg ijji'w/xa to rifg .{Badthziag- the
dignity of priests was equal to that of kings, as we are assured by Plu-
tarch (5). At Sparta, the kings, immediately after their promotion, took
upon them the two priesthoods of the heavenly and the Lacedaemonian
Jupiter (6), which was rather esteemed an accession to their honour,
than any diminution of it. And all the public sacrifices for the safety of
the commonwealth were offered by them only ; it being the common
opinion, that the gods were more ready to hear the prayers of them than
other men. Neither was this a privilege peculiar to royal priests, but
common to all others, even in the most ancient times ; they being all ac-
counted the immediate ministers of the gods, and by them commissioned
to dispense their favours to mankind. Hence, though at other times it
was not unlawful for other men to offer sacrifices, yet when any public
(1) Politico, p. 550. edit. Franc. Conf. idem. (5) Quest. Roman, sub finem.
Convivio, p. 1194. (6) Alex, ab Alexandre, Gen. Dier. lib. iii.
<2) Loco citato. (3) iftneid. iii. v. 80; cap. 7. Nic. Cragius de Rep. Laced, lib. ii.
(4) Plato, loco citato. rap. 2.'
183
Why boast we, Glaucus ! our extended reign.
Where Xanthus' streams enrich the Lycian plain,
Our numerous herds that range the fruitful field,
And hills where vines their purple harvest yield ? pope,
CHAP. III.
of the grecian priests, and their offices.
It has been the custom of all nations to pay a peculiar honour to their
priest; which was partly done out of respect to the gods, whom they re-
presented ; and partly (as Plutarch in his morals tells us), because they
did not pray for a blessing on themselves, their own families and friends
only, but on whole communities, on the whole state of mankind. They
were accounted mediators between gods and men, being obliged to offer
the sacrifices and prayers of the people to their gods, as will farther ap-
pear in the following chapter ; and on the other side i^r\vsvra.i iruga S-sup
<«v3-£<yVoi£, deputed by the gods to be their interpreters to men, to instruct
them how to pray for themselves, what it was most expedient to ask,
what sacrifices, what vows, what gifts, would be most acceptable to the
gods ; and, in short, to teach them all the ceremonies used in the divine
worship, as Plato informs us (1). On this account, the priests were
honoured with the next places to their kings and chief magistrates, and in
many places wore the same habit. In most of the Grecian cities, and
particularly at Athens, as we are informed by Plato (2), and several oth-
ers, the care of divine worship was committed to the chief magistrates :
and these were often consecrated to the priesthood. Thus Anius in Vir-
gil was king of Delos, and priest of Apollo (3) :
Rex Anius, rex idem hominum, Plmbique sacerdos.
In Egypt the kings were all priests ; and if any one who was not of the
royal family, usurped the kingdom, he was obliged to be consecrated to
the priesthood before he was permitted to govern (4). In some places
of Greece avT^gotfov s?v to ryg isgcjtfuvTjg ijji'w/xa to rifg .{Badthziag- the
dignity of priests was equal to that of kings, as we are assured by Plu-
tarch (5). At Sparta, the kings, immediately after their promotion, took
upon them the two priesthoods of the heavenly and the Lacedaemonian
Jupiter (6), which was rather esteemed an accession to their honour,
than any diminution of it. And all the public sacrifices for the safety of
the commonwealth were offered by them only ; it being the common
opinion, that the gods were more ready to hear the prayers of them than
other men. Neither was this a privilege peculiar to royal priests, but
common to all others, even in the most ancient times ; they being all ac-
counted the immediate ministers of the gods, and by them commissioned
to dispense their favours to mankind. Hence, though at other times it
was not unlawful for other men to offer sacrifices, yet when any public
(1) Politico, p. 550. edit. Franc. Conf. idem. (5) Quest. Roman, sub finem.
Convivio, p. 1194. (6) Alex, ab Alexandre, Gen. Dier. lib. iii.
<2) Loco citato. (3) iftneid. iii. v. 80; cap. 7. Nic. Cragius de Rep. Laced, lib. ii.
(4) Plato, loco citato. rap. 2.'