66 66 serpent) are said to have been founded; which were in truth only certain mysterious rites, of which gymnastic and other exercises formed a part, and wherein allusions were continually made to the expected fulfilment of that great promise, first proclaimed in paradise, after the fall of our first parents. Apollinem ipsum præ lætitia victoriæ ejus certaminis in quo Pythonem ceciderat, Pythicos ludos institu"isse-poma quædam Deo consecrata victori"bus donari solita, ut scripsit in libro de co"ronis Ister."* The rewards given to the conquerors in these games, were "certain apples "consecrated to the god." They moreover carried branches of palm in their hands, which they waved in triumph, singing pæans in honour of Apollo, and shouting "Eva! Eva!" In all this, the allusions to paradise and the primeval promise, are too plain to be mistaken. There was likewise a song called IvIKOS VOμos Pythicus Nomos, to which a dance was performed, which consisted altogether of five parts, wherein the supposed conflict between Apollo and Python was scenically represented. The first part was termed Avaкpeσis and contained "the "preparation for the fight;" the second was called Εμπειρα Οι "the first essay towards it;" * Nat. Com. lib. v. cap. 2. p. 133. the third division was the Karakeλevapos, which comprised" the action itself," and the divine hero's exhortation in soliloquy to stand out with courage to the last: the fourth consisted of the Ιαμβοι και Δακτυλοι, or “ the triumphant sar"casms of Apollo over his vanquished enemy; "while the fifth part included the Zupyyes, which "were imitations of the serpent's hissing, when " he ended his life."* The history of Hercules is equally remarkable; for he is said to have had the same father as Apollo, though his mother was a mortal; whose husband, Amphitryon, passed for his reputed parent. Even in his cradle, he is said to have engaged the "power of the serpent;" for two of those reptiles being sent to destroy him, he strangled them both in an instant.† His birth into the world was the object of deepest interest both among gods and men; and the many and varied labours, which he afterwards endured (the overthrow of the Lernean hydra or serpent amongst the rest) appear *Potter's Arch. Græc. lib. ii, 22. + Infans cum esset, dracones duas duabus manibus necavit quos Juno miserat, unde Primigenius est dictus, Hygin. p. 71. There is an inscription in Gruter, "Herculi Primigenio." p. 315. Primigenius primitivus aliunde non habens originem. Faber. Thesaur. Ælian de Animal. xii. 5. to have been designed as emblematical memorials of what the real Son of God and Saviour of the world, was expected to do and suffer for our sakes; Νουσων θελκτήρια παντα κομίζων as the Orphic hymn* speaks of Hercules. It is very extraordinary that there are exploits attributed to this mighty character, supposed to have been performed by him, even before his mother Alcmena brought him into the world! Thus he is made to assist the gods in conquering the rebellious giants,† while some ancient authors mention "an oracle or tradition in heaven, that the gods could never conquer "them without the assistance of a man.' Surely then, even the pagans had some idea, however confused, of that mysterious union of a human with a divine nature, which was to be exhibited in "the Desire of all nations, "who verily was foreordained before the foun 66 * Ver. 14. "Ipse (Hercules) creditur gigantas interemisse cum "cœlo propugnaret, quasi virtus deorum." And who these giants were, is evident from what follows:-"Horum pedes "in draconum volumina desinebant." Macrob. Saturn. i. 20. Apollodor. Bibliot. i. 20. "dation of the world, but was made manifest "in the last times." It is also told of Hercules, that he slew an enormous serpent, which guarded some celebrated apples in the sacred garden of the Hesperides. It has already been shewn that this tradition and others of a like nature, may be traced up to the primeval paradise. The forbidden fruit is clearly pointed at in this mythic legend; and the introduction of the tempter, who is here represented as "guarding them," instead of seducing others to gather them, exhibits just that kind of variation from the original and true history, which proves there was no collusion between the borrowed tradition, and the inspired account, to the truth of which, such tradition adds its correlative testimony. This tradition respecting Hercules, the serpent, and the apples of the Hesperides, is stated in a very remarkable manner by Eratosthenes,* cited by a learned living author. Speaking of the constellation of the serpent,t * Erat. Catast. sec. iii. and iv. cited by Faber in Hor. Mos. Annot. vol. i. p. 345. Hygin. Poet. Astron. pp. 361--369. + On the Farnese globe, (the only ancient one perhaps in the world) about forty of the constellations yet remain nearly perfect. The asterism Engonasis, or Ingeniculus, is one of them; and, according to Avienus, represents Hercules almost 66 he says, "This is the same as that which guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, "and was slain by Hercules. For, according "to Pherecydes, when all the gods offered pre"sents to Juno upon her nuptials with Jupiter, "the earth also brought golden apples. Juno, admiring their beauty, commanded them to "be planted in the garden of the gods; and finding that they were continually plucked by the daughters of Atlas, she appointed a "vast serpent to guard them. Hercules over"came and slew the monster. In this constel"lation accordingly, the serpent is depicted 66 66 66 rearing aloft its head, while Hercules placed "above it with one knee bent, tramples with his 'foot upon its head, and brandishes his club in “his right hand." Here we recognize again the analogy between the gods of Olympus and the paradisaic family, with the other memorials relating to Eden justly incorporated therewith. Homer likewise mentions a tradition of Hercules having overcome and mortally wounded tired with his long fight with the serpent, which kept the garden of the Hesperides: in memory of which, Jupiter placed his figure in the heavens, with his heel bruising the great serpent's head. Avien. ver. 193. Spence's Polym. Philostratus actually gives this mythic hero Hercules the title of "the "Saviour of men!" Vit. Apoll. lib. viii. 9. |