sciant fieri, ut olim fuere Epimenides et Orpheus et Pytha goras et Osthanes. E dein similiter suspecta Empedoclis καθαρμοί, Socratis Damonion, Platonis τὸ ἀγαθὸν.”

Though the popular voice was raised against false magic, and though general opinion was averse to free philosophical speculation, yet religious culture was still more opposed to it. The government rested upon the native religious culture, and with all its attention to foreign affairs it was obliged to regard internal arrangements first. The introduction of foreign goods and of new customs, contrary to the established ones, or in any way destructive of them, was therefore unlawful and punishable. The priests might, perhaps, with just indignation, have held the abuse of magic and the arts of sorcery in abhorrence, and self-interest naturally weighed down the scale. For every priesthood of every age has maintained its rights and privileges jealously. The philosophers must therefore have guarded themselves from saying anything openly against the worship of the native gods: Digoras was banished as a denier of God, and Socrates accused of having introduced new gods. Accord ing to Demosthenes, a Samian sorceress, Theoris was burned in Athens (In Arist. i.) Even Plato declared against sorcery, and wished to imprison those who practised it (De leg. 6). Magic and sorcery were, therefore, for a long time only practised in secret. But with the increase of internal confusion, and a more intimate connection with foreign countries, especially with A sia, after Alexander's invasions, watchfulness no longer availed; the patriotic separation of the various Greek states declined, and magic gained greater freedom from restraint in the degree of its decline and corruption.

Those beautiful institutions of the mysteries from which the physician, as well as the priest and statesman, might have learned much, like the history of the infancy of mankind lose themselves in obscurity: the sacred groves have disappeared; the temples of Hellas lie prostrate in the dust, and solitary travellers pass by, or robber hordes infest, the sacred spots where the gods lived among men, and imparted to them counsel and assistance for the relief of their afflictions. But we find that sufficient still remains, partly in direct accounts, partly in the songs of poets, who only uttered

THE HEALING ART CONNECTED WITH PRISETHOOD. 357

he belief current among the people, and partly in the indirect ints of mythology, to furnish us with conclusions upon the principal constitution of magic and the inward services of the emples. We may now say a little specially concerning this subject.

In Greece, from the earliest ages, we find the healing art in the hands of a few men, or families, and practised in a perfectly magnetic manner by the priests in the temples. Veiled by consecrated secrets, physic appears to us under a remarkably simple guise. Soothsaying and prophetic dreams were everywhere, as well as in the sacred temples, much more frequent here than among other nations. The earliest men who had made themselves acquainted with the constitution of man were accustomed to pay particular attention to soothsaying, and to cure diseases by its aid. Having by this means become so useful to their fellow mortals, they were during life honoured as almost superhuman, and after death had temples consecrated to their memory; for people were firmly convinced that being so far elevated in all things above all other men they could not at once cease to exist, but rather that there must be something divine in their nature. The belief, therefore, became firmly fixed, that such a man had only returned to the god by whose aid he had performed such miraculous deeds, or that he had now become divine, though invisible to men.

Temples were, therefore, erected at those spots where these benefactors had existed in human form; priests were consecrated who practised religion associated with the healing art; pilgrimages were made to these places, to return thanks and offer sacrifices for benefits received, or to seek the still continuing activity and aid of the invisible being in those holy places, where partly the excellent arrangements of the priests, partly the journey and change of thought, brought about their cure, united with their unbounded faith and firm conviction, which here as everywhere else must have had beneficial consequences.

According to the evidence of Herodotus (lib. ii. c. 50) the Greeks learned these sacred services of the temple from the Egyptians; for the principal temples were consecrated to Egyptian divinities. According to Herodotus the oldest temple of Venus, Urania, stood at Ascalon in Syria; and for

the purpose of informing himself thoroughly regarding the ancient myths of Hercules, he journeyed to Tyre. Isis had a magnificent temple at Pithorea in Phocis, and Serapis one at Messene; also at Athens. But Egyptian gods were not alone worshipped; they also had divinities of their own, who were renowned for their healing powers. They had, for instance, Jupiter, Juno, and Apollo; even Hercules had, according to the testimony of Pausanias (in Boot. c. 24), a temple of health. They also for a long time venerated the tomb of the celebrated seer Calchas, to whom sick persons sacrificed a ram, upon the skin of which they slept to receive prophetic dreams.

One of the most celebrated and oldest gods of medicine was Apollo, who was also called Paan (Haar), the physician of the gods. The name Pæan is especially given to Apollo in the Orphean hymns (Orph. hymn. in Apoll. p. 224, edit. Gesneri). Pindar also (Pindar. Pyth. V. v. 85) ascribes three occupations to Apollo, namely, physic, music, and soothsaying. As such extraordinary effects were seen to be produced in the cure of disease by music, music had been associated with physic in the attributes of this God, or vice versa. In later poets and historians Apollo is almost always spoken of as a physician and soothsayer. And from the oath of Hippocrates it is clear that he also regarded Apollo as the patron of medicine.

"By the comforter in sickness, Apollo, and by Esculapius, (thus begins his oath,) by Hygea and Panacea, I strengthen it with an oath, that I, as far as my force and power of reason will suffice, will keep that perfectly and conscientiously which I now swear and write, to honour my instructor as well as my parents," &c. (The Genuine Medical Writings of Hippocrates, by Gruithuisen, Munich, 1814, xx.).

Plato even endeavoured to trace his four principal occupations, as medicine, soothsaying, hunting, and music, to the word Apollo (Sprengel, History of Medicine, i. p. 132.) Later evidence-particularly of Diodorus Sicculus, of Philo, Galen, and Lucian-proves undoubtedly that at a latter period Apollo was regarded as the God of medicine, if not as the founder of the science.

In Greek mythology Apollo is universally called the inventor of medicine, music, and poetry; on which account

The art of

he was considered as the patron of the muses. soothsaying is said to have been taught by him. Through these benefits he bound mankind so firmly to him that he was placed among the gods. "Inventum medicina meum est, opiferque per orbem dicor, et herbarum est subjecta potentia nobis" (Ovid. Metam. i.)

Orpheus, who gained his wisdom among the Egyptian priests, is also regarded by many as the founder of all religious services, and the secrets of medicine and poetry in Greece. According to Socrates, Plato, Euripides, and Herodotus, Orpheus gained immortal fame by his music and poetry; having instructed the Greeks in religion, the knowledge of nature, medicine, magical charms, social customs, agriculture, and navigation. Soothsaying is said to have been hereditary in his family. From this arise the contradictory accounts of Orpheus; and it appears that not alone Orpheus but his followers spread these comprehensive teachings. Orpheus is said to have lived prior to the Trojan war, which was 1500 years before Christ. Secret remedies, magic formulæ, incantations, were long afterwards carried about upon Orphean tablets. Even the Orphean Hymns were considered as possessing healing properties. It may, therefore, proceed from this that Joseph Scaliger, according to his own account, was overcome by a certain shuddering sensation whilst translating the Hymns of Orpheus by night, from the novelty and elevation of their sentiments.

Orpheus also ascribed great power to the secret virtue of certain stones, among which, singularly, the loadstone and the siderit, a species of precious stone, are found; the latter has been called by some, including Pliny, a magnet.

Among the people of Argos, Melampus was almost equally celebrated for the sciences of medicine and soothsaying; he is said to have learned these from the serpents which licked his ears. For it was an universal belief of antiquity that serpents not only felt atmospheric changes beforehand, but also epidemic diseases; on which account they were spared and worshipped by the Argivi as the natural teachers of soothsaying.

Melampus was particularly celebrated for his cures; he used medicines, but secretly, after the manner of the Egyptians, from whom he also is said to have gained his know

ledge; he was always regarded as a chosen confidant of the gods. It is most remarkable that Melampus healed Iphiclus of his impotence by the rust of iron, according to the direc tion of Mantis, who said that an old sword sticking in a tree would remove the affliction. Mantis is said to have received this information from a hawk (Sprengel, i. p. 119). May not this Mantis have been a magnetic sleeper of Melampus? Another cure, which he performed on the Proetides, is one of the most remarkable of the old world. There were three daughters of Proetus, king of Argos, (according to others they were healed by Argos) who being mad also infected the other women of Argos, and leaving their homes wandered about in the neighbouring forests in the most improper manner. This madness is said by Hesiod to have been caused by the leprosy with which they were afflicted. To cure them, Melampus took many youths to assist him, and hunted these wild girls five leagues, with songs and inspiring dances; then he let them bathe in the fountain of Anigrus, whose power, especially in curing leprosy, had long been known. The eldest of the Proteides was healed at once; the others regained their health and reason through mysterious purifications and reconciliations with the goddess Artemis (Sprengel, i. 169.)

Another, and the most celebrated of all, was Esculapius, & son of Apollo, who conferred great benefits on the human race by his discoveries. He was therefore placed among the gods. As he raised many from death, Pluto, the god of the infernal regions, complained of him to Jupiter, who killed Esculapius as a diminisher of the kingdom of Pluto. For this Apollo killed the Cyclops, who up to that time had forged the lightnings of Jove; and Jove in return compelled Apollo to permit his sciences to be practised for money.

The miracles which Esculapius performed during his life rmuizzed even after his death; and, as was the case with al nerves and public benefactors, several temples were dedimani e him. In these temples the practice of physic was erased in a manner which is very instructive for us, as Tests, under the guidance of Esculapius, advised the *su use remedies which were revealed to them during eye god. But Esculapius and Apollo are not the

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