Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

List of Illustrations. 257PAGE.73. MUSICAL CONFERENCE (EPITHALAMIUM) 228S. Bartoli, Admiranda, pi. 62.Written music was evidently used, for one of the company iswriting as if correcting the score, and writing with the lefthand.74. VENUS RISING FROM THE SEA. Ovid. Naso, Verburg. 229This goddess was called Venus Anadyomene, for the poets saidthe morning sunlight on the foam ofshe rose from the seathe sea on the shore of the island Cythera, or Cyprus, orwherever the poet may choose as the favored place for themanifestation of the generative power of nature, and whereverflowers show her footprints. The loves bear aloft her magicgirdle, which Juno borrowed as a means of winning backJupiter s affection. The rose and the myrtle were sacred toher. Her worship was the motive for building temples in Cythera and in Cyprus at Amathus, Idalium, Golgoi, and in manyother places. (See engravings 22, 39, and 49, and page 230. )75. JUPITER DISGUISED AS DIANA, AND CALISTO . . .234Ovid. Naso, Neder.The gods were said to have the power, and to practice assuming the form of any other of their train, or of any animal.In these disguises they are supposed to play tricks on eachother as here. Diana is the queen of the night sky, Calisto isone of her attendants, and many white clouds float over theblue ether (Jupiter), and are chased by the winds (as dogs).76. HERCULES, DEIANEIRA, AND NESSUS .. 234Ovid. Naso, Neder.The sun nears the end of the day s journey he is; aged andweary dark clouds obscure his face and obstruct his way, but;still Hercules loves beautiful things, and Deianeira, thefair daughter of the king of ^Stolia, retires with him into exile.At a ford the hero entrusts his bride to Nessus the Centaur, tocarry across the river. The ferryman made love to the lady,and Hercules resented the indiscretion, and wounded him byan arrow. Dying Nessus tells Deianeira to keep his blood as alove charm in case her husband should love another woman.Hercules did love another, named lole, and Deianeira dippedhis shirt in the blood of Nessus the crimson and scarletclouds of a splendid sunset are made glorious by the blood ofNessus, and Hercules is burnt on the funeral pyre of scarletand crimson sunset clouds.