DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0209
OS' THE RELIGION OF GREECE.
187
call Hotfoot* psy&Xci, the great income, and is by Aristophanes (1) put
for the great sacrifices, which, as the scholiast tells us, were so called be*
cause their charges were defrayed by these public revenues. The pub-
lic storehouse, where they kept these first fruits, was called YlagaGi-
tiov(2). Diodorus the Sinopensian in Athenseus tells us, that in every
village of the Athenians they maintained at the pubhc charge certain
parasiti in honour of Hercules ; but afterwards, to ease the common-
wealth of this burden, the magistrates obliged some of the wealthier
sort to take them to their own tables and entertain them at their own
cost ; wl ence this word seems in later ages to have signified a trencher-
friend, a flatterer, or one that for the sake of a dinner, conforms him-
self to every man's humour. Thus indeed Casaubon interprets that pas-
sage; but the meaning of it seems rather to be this : that, whereas, in
former times, Hercules had his parasiti, the rich men of later ages, in
imitation of that hero, chose likewise their parasiti, though not yx^iia-
rei, such as Hercules used to have, but tx; xoXaxsvuv <5t/vajxg>#;, such as
would flatter them most.
The Kvgvxet also, or public criers, assisted at sacrifices, and seem to
have had the same office with the poua? and victimarii among the Latins;
for in Athenseus (3), one Clidemnus tells us. they were instead of ixayei-
goi and f3n8vTxi, cooks and butchers; and adds, that a long time the crier's
office was to kill the off-ring, prepare thing* necessary foi the sacrifices,
and to serve instead of a cup bearer at the feast: he also tells us, that
the ministering at sacrifices did of old belong to the criers. The same
is confirmed by Eustathius on this verse of Homer (4):
K«gyjis? cf *W arc 3"s*v Ufm iy.'XTifxCnv
Hyov.-
Along, the street the sacred hecatomb
The criers dragg'd —-—
Phavorinus and Coelius Rhodiginus give this reason for their being call-
ed Aiog u.yytfa\ by Homer, viz. because they assisted at the sacrifices of
the gods, and (as the former adds r«s eo^tcs; twv $-s£m yyys'hov, gave pub-
lic notice of the times wherein the festivals were to be celebrated. To
this purpose I might bring many instances out of the ancient poets, and
- especially Homer. These Kygvxsg, indeed, were a kind of public ser-
vants employed on all occasions ; they were instead of ambassadors, cooks,
and criers ; and, in short, there was scarce any office, except such as
were servile and base, they were not put to ; but their name was given
them dtfo rov x£ciTTavD<i, saith Athenaius, from the best and most proper
part of their office, which was to >c/i^tt?iv, to proclaim, which they did as
well in time of divine service, as in civil affairs ; for at the beginning of
the holy rites, they commanded silence and attention in these, or such
like words, EdQt^ehi, triyfi ircts Mag- when the religious mysteries
were ended, they dismissed the congregation with these words. Axwv
uQetftS, of which more afterwards. At Athens there w-is a family named
KvgvKsg from K^u^, the son of Mercury and Pandrosia, which was ac-
counted sacred ; when Suidas (5) calls them yhoc. isg«», *, S-eoQiXav, a holy
family, beloved by the gods ; such also were the Eumolpidae, who enjoy*
(1) Avibus.
(2) In Emx\ngq.
f^ Lib. x, et xn-.
(4) Odyss- u.
(5) Euuo\7ri'5<jr.
187
call Hotfoot* psy&Xci, the great income, and is by Aristophanes (1) put
for the great sacrifices, which, as the scholiast tells us, were so called be*
cause their charges were defrayed by these public revenues. The pub-
lic storehouse, where they kept these first fruits, was called YlagaGi-
tiov(2). Diodorus the Sinopensian in Athenseus tells us, that in every
village of the Athenians they maintained at the pubhc charge certain
parasiti in honour of Hercules ; but afterwards, to ease the common-
wealth of this burden, the magistrates obliged some of the wealthier
sort to take them to their own tables and entertain them at their own
cost ; wl ence this word seems in later ages to have signified a trencher-
friend, a flatterer, or one that for the sake of a dinner, conforms him-
self to every man's humour. Thus indeed Casaubon interprets that pas-
sage; but the meaning of it seems rather to be this : that, whereas, in
former times, Hercules had his parasiti, the rich men of later ages, in
imitation of that hero, chose likewise their parasiti, though not yx^iia-
rei, such as Hercules used to have, but tx; xoXaxsvuv <5t/vajxg>#;, such as
would flatter them most.
The Kvgvxet also, or public criers, assisted at sacrifices, and seem to
have had the same office with the poua? and victimarii among the Latins;
for in Athenseus (3), one Clidemnus tells us. they were instead of ixayei-
goi and f3n8vTxi, cooks and butchers; and adds, that a long time the crier's
office was to kill the off-ring, prepare thing* necessary foi the sacrifices,
and to serve instead of a cup bearer at the feast: he also tells us, that
the ministering at sacrifices did of old belong to the criers. The same
is confirmed by Eustathius on this verse of Homer (4):
K«gyjis? cf *W arc 3"s*v Ufm iy.'XTifxCnv
Hyov.-
Along, the street the sacred hecatomb
The criers dragg'd —-—
Phavorinus and Coelius Rhodiginus give this reason for their being call-
ed Aiog u.yytfa\ by Homer, viz. because they assisted at the sacrifices of
the gods, and (as the former adds r«s eo^tcs; twv $-s£m yyys'hov, gave pub-
lic notice of the times wherein the festivals were to be celebrated. To
this purpose I might bring many instances out of the ancient poets, and
- especially Homer. These Kygvxsg, indeed, were a kind of public ser-
vants employed on all occasions ; they were instead of ambassadors, cooks,
and criers ; and, in short, there was scarce any office, except such as
were servile and base, they were not put to ; but their name was given
them dtfo rov x£ciTTavD<i, saith Athenaius, from the best and most proper
part of their office, which was to >c/i^tt?iv, to proclaim, which they did as
well in time of divine service, as in civil affairs ; for at the beginning of
the holy rites, they commanded silence and attention in these, or such
like words, EdQt^ehi, triyfi ircts Mag- when the religious mysteries
were ended, they dismissed the congregation with these words. Axwv
uQetftS, of which more afterwards. At Athens there w-is a family named
KvgvKsg from K^u^, the son of Mercury and Pandrosia, which was ac-
counted sacred ; when Suidas (5) calls them yhoc. isg«», *, S-eoQiXav, a holy
family, beloved by the gods ; such also were the Eumolpidae, who enjoy*
(1) Avibus.
(2) In Emx\ngq.
f^ Lib. x, et xn-.
(4) Odyss- u.
(5) Euuo\7ri'5<jr.