DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0704
676
OF THE MISCELLANY CUSTOMS OF GREECE.
as the gods were thought to delight in, as we learn from Athenaeus (I).
And in later ages, upon the public festival of any god, they seem to have
used the particular herb or flower which was sacred to him ; but at other
times all sorts were made use of, as the season would allow, or they were
thought most conducive to pleasure, refreshment (2), or health. Some
were very curious in the choice of their garlands, thinking them to have
a very great influence upon men's bodies ; whence Mnestheus and Calli-
machus, two Greek physicians, wrote book* concerning garlands, as we
are informed by Pliny (3). I shall add nothing farther upon this head,
only that the rose being dedicated by Cupid to Harpocrates, the god of
silence, to engage him to conceal the lewd action? of Venus, was an em-
blem of silence ; whence to present it or hold it up to any person in dis-
course, served instead of an admonition, that it was time for him to hold
his peace ; and in entertaining rooms it was customary to place a rose
above the table, to signify that was there spoken should be kept private.
This practice is described in the following epigram :
Est rosa Jlos Veneris, cujus quo facta laterent,
Harj>ocrati, Matris dona, dicavit Amor.
Inde rosam mtnsis hospcs suspendit amicis;
Conviva ut sub ea dicta tacenda sciat.
From the garlands, let us proceed to ointments and perfumes. The
ancient Greeks, as Athenaeus hath observed (4) anointed their heads with
some common and ordinary sort of ointment, thinking, by that means, to
keep themselves cool and temperate, and to prevent fevers and other
mischievous consequences of the too plentiful use of wine ; but after-
wards, as it is usual for men to improve the things which are used out of
mere necessity, by the addition of others which serve for pleasure and
luxury, they came to use precious ointments and perfumes. These, as
also the distribution of garlands, and second courses at entertainments,
with all the arts of luxury and effeminacy, were first introduced into
Greece by the lonians, who, by conversing with the Asiatics, were taught
to lay aside the primitive plainness of their manners, sooner than any of
the Greeks ; whence lonicus risus and Ionicus moius became proverbial
expressions for profuse laughter and unseemly motions (5). The chief
parts to which ointments were applied, was the head ; but other parts of
the body had sometimes their share both of ointments and garlands, and
particularly kscpaviro tck Zy8r), 5 t^og&v, o<n airifo y, xagSta, the breast was
adorned with garlands, and anomted, as being the seat of the heart, which
they thought was refreshed by these applications, as well as the brain (6).
And the room wherein the entertainment was made, was sometimes
perfumed by burning myrrh or frankincense, or with other odours.
These customs are briefly described in the following verse of Arches-
tratus in AtheDaeus (7) :
A?S<cfs rS<f>*V0/!T/ Http* Wtff* (PsMT/ TTVUa^H
navToiT*Ts(c, oU av yzicts 7reS'-.v ok&ov tfvfier
Kal raKToHtTt pupate dyx-Qois %xtr»t S-tpttvevi'
Ksti o-fjtvpvw, AtCavov ts vvpo; /ucaKuKm tvi tftpftav
HdAKe 7rnv>ifxipto(, Ivptm tvmftn x,af>7roy.
(7) Lib. v. cap 4, (5) Valerius Maximus, lib. ii. initio cap. 6".
(2) Conf. Athenaeus, lib. iii. cap. 21. lib. xv. (6) Conf. Athenaeus, lib. xv. cap. 5.
cap. 5. (3) Lib. xxi. cap 2. (7) Lib. iii. cap. 22.
(41) Lib. xv. cap. 13. ex Mvronidae libro de coronis et unguentis.
OF THE MISCELLANY CUSTOMS OF GREECE.
as the gods were thought to delight in, as we learn from Athenaeus (I).
And in later ages, upon the public festival of any god, they seem to have
used the particular herb or flower which was sacred to him ; but at other
times all sorts were made use of, as the season would allow, or they were
thought most conducive to pleasure, refreshment (2), or health. Some
were very curious in the choice of their garlands, thinking them to have
a very great influence upon men's bodies ; whence Mnestheus and Calli-
machus, two Greek physicians, wrote book* concerning garlands, as we
are informed by Pliny (3). I shall add nothing farther upon this head,
only that the rose being dedicated by Cupid to Harpocrates, the god of
silence, to engage him to conceal the lewd action? of Venus, was an em-
blem of silence ; whence to present it or hold it up to any person in dis-
course, served instead of an admonition, that it was time for him to hold
his peace ; and in entertaining rooms it was customary to place a rose
above the table, to signify that was there spoken should be kept private.
This practice is described in the following epigram :
Est rosa Jlos Veneris, cujus quo facta laterent,
Harj>ocrati, Matris dona, dicavit Amor.
Inde rosam mtnsis hospcs suspendit amicis;
Conviva ut sub ea dicta tacenda sciat.
From the garlands, let us proceed to ointments and perfumes. The
ancient Greeks, as Athenaeus hath observed (4) anointed their heads with
some common and ordinary sort of ointment, thinking, by that means, to
keep themselves cool and temperate, and to prevent fevers and other
mischievous consequences of the too plentiful use of wine ; but after-
wards, as it is usual for men to improve the things which are used out of
mere necessity, by the addition of others which serve for pleasure and
luxury, they came to use precious ointments and perfumes. These, as
also the distribution of garlands, and second courses at entertainments,
with all the arts of luxury and effeminacy, were first introduced into
Greece by the lonians, who, by conversing with the Asiatics, were taught
to lay aside the primitive plainness of their manners, sooner than any of
the Greeks ; whence lonicus risus and Ionicus moius became proverbial
expressions for profuse laughter and unseemly motions (5). The chief
parts to which ointments were applied, was the head ; but other parts of
the body had sometimes their share both of ointments and garlands, and
particularly kscpaviro tck Zy8r), 5 t^og&v, o<n airifo y, xagSta, the breast was
adorned with garlands, and anomted, as being the seat of the heart, which
they thought was refreshed by these applications, as well as the brain (6).
And the room wherein the entertainment was made, was sometimes
perfumed by burning myrrh or frankincense, or with other odours.
These customs are briefly described in the following verse of Arches-
tratus in AtheDaeus (7) :
A?S<cfs rS<f>*V0/!T/ Http* Wtff* (PsMT/ TTVUa^H
navToiT*Ts(c, oU av yzicts 7reS'-.v ok&ov tfvfier
Kal raKToHtTt pupate dyx-Qois %xtr»t S-tpttvevi'
Ksti o-fjtvpvw, AtCavov ts vvpo; /ucaKuKm tvi tftpftav
HdAKe 7rnv>ifxipto(, Ivptm tvmftn x,af>7roy.
(7) Lib. v. cap 4, (5) Valerius Maximus, lib. ii. initio cap. 6".
(2) Conf. Athenaeus, lib. iii. cap. 21. lib. xv. (6) Conf. Athenaeus, lib. xv. cap. 5.
cap. 5. (3) Lib. xxi. cap 2. (7) Lib. iii. cap. 22.
(41) Lib. xv. cap. 13. ex Mvronidae libro de coronis et unguentis.