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| Chapter II.—The Greek theogony exposed.
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Chapter II.—The Greek theogony
exposed.
But since, next to Homer, Hesiod
wrote his Works and Days, who will believe his drivelling
theogony? For they say that Chronos, the son of Ouranos,2497
| 2497 Or, Saturn son of Heaven. | in
the beginning slew his father, and possessed himself of his rule; and
that, being seized with a panic lest he should himself suffer in the same
way, he preferred devouring his children; but that, by the craft of the
Curetes, Jupiter was conveyed away and kept in secret, and afterwards
bound his father with chains, and divided the empire; Jupiter receiving,
as the story goes, the air, and Neptune the deep, and Pluto the portion
of Hades. But Pluto ravished Proserpine; and Ceres sought her child
wandering through the deserts. And this myth was celebrated in the
Eleusinian fire.2498
| 2498 In the
mysteries of Eleusis, the return of Proserpine from the lower world was
celebrated. | Again, Neptune ravished Melanippe when she was
drawing water, besides abusing a host of Nereids not a few, whose names,
were we to recount them, would cost us a multitude of words. And as for
Jupiter, he was a various adulterer, with Antiope as a satyr, with Danaë
as gold, and with Europa as a bull; with Leda, moreover, he assumed
wings. For the love of Semele proved both his unchastity and the jealousy
of Semele. And they say that he carried off the Phrygian Ganymede to be
his cup-bearer. These, then, are the exploits of the sons of Saturn. And
your illustrious son of Latona [Apollo], who professed soothsaying,
convicted himself of lying. He pursued Daphne, but did not gain
possession of her; and to Hyacinthus,2499
| 2499 Apollo accidentally killed Hyacinthus by striking him on
the head with a quoit. | who loved him, he did not foretell his
death. And I say nothing of the masculine character of Minerva, nor of
the feminine nature of Bacchus, nor of the fornicating disposition of
Venus. Read to Jupiter, ye Greeks, the law against parricides, and the
penalty of adultery, and the ignominy of pæderasty. Teach Minerva and
Diana the works of women, and Bacchus the works of men. What seemliness
is
there in a woman’s girding herself with armour, or
in a man’s decorating himself with cymbals, and garlands, and
female attire, and accompanied by a herd of bacchanalian women?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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