Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

Bacchic Mysteries. 55lapse of the soul, as we shall see more fullyhereafter, was one of the important truthswhich these Mysteries were intended to reveal. And the howling dogs are symbolsof material * demons, who are thus denominated by the Magian Oracles of Zoroaster,on account of their ferocious and malevolentdispositions, ever baneful to the felicity ofthe human soul. And hence Matter herselfis represented by Synesius in his first Hymn,with great propriety and beauty, as barkingat the soul with devouring rage: for thus hesings, addressing himself to the Deity :Maxap 6c T:(3opov 6Xa<;Which may be thus paraphrased :Blessed ! thrice blessed !who, with winged speed,From Hyle s t dread voracious barking flies,* Material demons are a lower grade of spiritual essences thatare capable of assuming forms which make them perceptible bythe physical senses. A. W.\Hyle or Matter. All evil incident to human life, as is hereshown, was supposed to originate from the connection of the soulto material substance, the latter being regarded as the receptacle