was subsequently seized by Philip of Macedon, who built on the same site the city of Philippi, so celebrated in after times in the history of Rome as the scene of the final struggle of the republicans under Brutus and Cassius against the triumvirs (B. C. 42). Philippi was the first spot in Europe where the gospel was preached by Saint Paul. (Acts XV1. 9.) 28. (Eriferæ...manus.) The cymbals borne by the followers of Bacchus. 29. Volucres the bees, nova hitherto unknown, tinnitibus actæ, every one knows that bees when swarming are frequently attracted and induced to alight upon a particular spot by a tinkling noise, nor does Virgil omit to notice this peculiarity, G. IV. 64. Tinnitusque cie, et Matris quate cymbala circum. 33. (Levis...senex.) "The bald old man," Silenus. See above, p. 276. 37. Residebat expresses the lazy slouching attitude of Silenus. 42. (Ora Summa) i. e. his bald head. 47. (Limumque inducere.) "To spread a coating of mud over his face." So "Inducere aurum ligno," Plin. H. N. xxxv. 1, 6. “In ducere parieti ceram liquefactam.” XXX. 1, 7. 52. (Thyrso.) See above note on Ov. Her. XIII. 23, p. 237. 53. (Hoc faciat.) We may understand libum to agree with hoc, and translate "If you ask why an old woman bakes this cake;" or, more simply, "If you ask why an old woman does this," i. e. offers her cakes to passers by. 57. (Nysiades Nymphæ.) The nymphs of Nysa; ancient writers are at variance as to the position of Nysa where Bacchus was nursed, many places bore the name and claimed the honour. The most famous was the Indian city situated at the base of Mount Meros, (see Quintius Curtius, VIII. 10.) and this is probably indicated by Apollodorus when he calls Nysa " city of Asia." There was, however, another in Arabia, another in Boeotia, another in the island of Naxos, no less than ten being enumerated by geographers. 57. (Noverca.) i. e. Juno. 59. (Restat,&c.) Ovid now proceeds to enquire why youths assumed the toga virilis on the Liberalia. He assigns four different reasons, none of which are particularly interesting. The practice itself is alluded to by Cicero, Ep. Att. VI. 1. "Quinto togam puram Liberalibus cogitabam dare: mandavit enim pater." OVID. FASTI. IV. 179. INTRODUCTION. THE poet has now arrived at the Megalesia or festival games celebrated in honour of Cybele, to whom the Greeks gave the title of μɛyáλn uning bewv, Magna Mater Deorum, Great Mother of Gods. These solemnities, according to Ovid and the old Kalendars, commenced Prid. Non. Apr. (4th April), although Livy, in a passage which we shall quote below, asserts that Prid. Id. Apr. (12th April) was the original day. The extract before us consists of two parts: first, we have a description and explanation of the extravagant and noisy ceremonies which characterised the worship of the goddess: after which the history of its introduction into Rome is circumstantially detailed. We may offer a few remarks in illustration of each portion separately. I. Cybele or Cybelle, or Cybebe was an Asiatic divinity, probably a personification of the Earth and its productive powers. The chief seat of her worship was Phrygia, whose high places were her chosen haunts, and hence the names and epithets by which she is generally distinguished are derived from the mountains of Cybele, Berecynthus, Dindymene and Ida. She was represented under the form of a matron crowned with towers, seated in a chariot drawn by yoked lions; her mutilated priests called Galli or Corybantes, were wont to roam about in disorderly array, some bearing the image on their shoulders, while others were beating drums, clashing cymbals, blowing horns and trumpets, shouting, howling and hacking themselves with knives, like some of the fraternities of dervishes in the East at this day. The rites of Cybele were brought into Greece at an early period, probably before B. C. 500,1 and from some real or fancied resemblance in attributes, she was identified with Rhea the wife of Kronus (Saturn), while the Romans in their turn confounded her with their Ops, Tellus, 1 Lobeck Aglaophamus, p. 652. Bona Dea, Vesta, &c. The explanation offered by Ovid of the noisy solemnities depend entirely upon the supposition that Cybele was the same as Rhea, and that the trumpets and drums were intended to represent the din raised by the Cretan Curetes to drown the cries of infant Zeus.2 Observe also that this commingling of legends was greatly favoured, if not caused, by Mount Ida, in Crete being the reputed birth place of Zeus, while Mount Ida in Phrygia was the abode of Cybele. II. We may now proceed to recount the events which induced the Romans to acknowledge the Phrygian mother. Most of these are strictly historical, and may be given in the words of Livy.3 We read in Book XXIX. 10, that towards the close of the second Punic War, B. C. 205. Civitatem eo tempore repens religio invaserat, invento carmine in libris Sibyllinis, propter crebrius eo anno de cœlo lapidatum inspectis, Quandoque hostis alienigena terræ Italiæ bellum intulisset, eum pelli Italia vincique posse, si mater Idæa a Pessinunte Romam advecta foret. Id carmen ab decemviris inventum eo magis Patres movit, quod et legati, qui donum Delphos portaverant, referebant et sacrificantes ipsos Pythio Apollini litavisse, et responsum oraculo editum, maiorem multo victoriam, quam cuius ex spoliis dona portarent, adesse populo Romano. In eiusdem spei summam conferebant P. Scipionis velut præsagientem animum de fine belli, quod depoposcisset provinciam Africam. Itaque quo maturius fatis, ominibus, oraculisque portendentis sese victoria compotes fierent, id cogitare, quæ ratio transportandæ Romam Deæ esset. Nullasdum in Asia civitates socias habebat populus Romanus. tamen memores, Esculapium quoque ex Græcia quondam, haud dum ullo fœdere sociata, valetudinis populi causa arcessitum, et iam cum Attalo rege, propter commune adversus Phillippum bellum, cœptam amicitiam esse, facturum eum quæ possit populi Romani caussa, legatos ad eum decernunt, M. Valerium Lævinum, qui bis consul fuerat, ac res in Græcia gesserat, M. Cæcilium Metellum prætorium, Ser. Sulpicium Galbam ædilitium, duos quæstorios, Cn. Tremellium Flaccum, et M. Valerium Faltonem. His quinque naves quinqueremes, ut ex dignitate populi Romani adirent eas terras, ad quas concilianda maiestas nomini Romano esset decernunt. Legati Asiam petentes protinus Delphos quum escendissent, oraculum adierunt, consulentes, ad quod negotium domo missi essent, perficiendi eius, quam sibi spem popu 1 See Introduction to extract from Fast. V1. 419. p. 397. 3 Consult also Cic. de harusp. resp. XIII. Plin. VII. 35. Herodian, I. 11. Dion. Cass. Ammian. Marcell. XXII. VI. VII. Silius Italicus. XVII. 1. 22. 2 See note, p. 194. Appian. B. H. LVI. Arnob. adv. gent. loque Romano portenderet. Responsum esse ferunt, Per Attalum regem compotes eius fore, quod peterent, quum Romam Deam devexissent, tum curarent, ut eam, qui vir optimus Roma esset, hospitio exciperet. Pergamum ad regem venerunt, Is legatos comiter acceptos Pessinuntem in Phrygiam deduxit: sacrumque iis lapidem quam Matrem Deum esse incolæ dicebant, tradidit, ac deportare Roman iussit. Præmissus ab legatis M. Valerius Falto nunciavit, Deam adportari. quærendum virum optimum in civitate esse, qui eam rite hospitio exciperet. Again in chapter 14, Eo accessit consultatio de matre Idæa accipienda, quam præterquam quod M. Valerius, unus ex legatis prægressus, actutum in Italia fore nunciaverat, recens nuncius aderat Tarracinæ iam esse. Haud parvæ rei iudicium senatum tenebat, qui vir optimus in civitate esset. Veram certe victoriam eius rei sibi quisque mallet, quam ulla imperia honoresve, suffragio seu Patrum seu plebis delatos. P. Scipionem, Cn. filium, eius qui in Hispania ceciderat, adolescentem nondum quæstorium, iudicaverunt in tota civitate virum bonorum optimum esse id quibus virtutibus inducti ita iudicarint, sicut proditum a proximis memoriæ temporum illorum scriptoribus libens posteris traderem, ita meas opiniones, coniectando rem vetustate obrutam, non interponam. P. Cornelius cum omnibus matronis Ostiam ire iussus obviam Deæ, isque eam de nave accipere, et in terram elatam tradere ferendam matronis. Postquam navis ad ostium amnis Tiberini accessit, sicut erat iussus, in salum nave evectus, ab sacerdotibus Deam accepit, extulitque in terram. Matronæ primores civitatis, inter quas unius Claudia Quintæ insigne est nomen, accepere: cui dubia (ut traditur) antea fama clariorem ad posteros tam religioso ministerio pudicitiam fecit. Eæ per manus, succedentes deinceps aliæ aliis, omni effusa civitate obviam, thuribulis aute ianuas positis qua præferebatur, atque accenso thure, precantibus, ut volens propitiaque urbem Romanam iniret, in ædem Victoriæ, quæ est in Palatio, pertulere Deam pridie Idus Aprilis; isque dies festus fuit, populus frequens dona Deæ in Palatium tulit, lectisterniumque, et ludi fuere, Megalesia adpellata. Theatrical entertainments formed part of the amusements of the Megalesia from an early period, thus in B. C. 193, we find from Livy, (XXXIV. 54.) Megalesia, ludos scenicos, C. Atilius Serranus, L. Scribonius Libo ædiles curules primi fecerunt. Horum ædilium ludos Romanos primum senatus a populo secretus spectavit." Again we find in B. C. 191. (Liv. XXXVI. 36. "Per idem fere tempus ædes Matris Magnæ Idææ dedicata est, quam deam P. Cornelius advectam ex Asia, P. Cornelio Scipione, cui post Africano fuit cognomen, P. Licinio consulibus, in Palatium a mari detulerat. Locaverant ædem faciendam ex senatus consulto M. Livius, C. Claudius censores, M. Cornelio, P. Sempronio consulibus; tredecim annis postquam locata erat, dedicavit eam M. Iunius Brutus, ludique ob dedicationem eius facti, quos primos scenicos fuisse Antias Valerius est auctor, Megalesia appellatos." In later times, if not from the beginning, Circensian games formed a part of the shows, Iuv. XI. 191. Interea Megalesiacæ spectacula mappæ Totam hodie Romam Circus capit et fragor aurem We shall conclude by quoting one or two remarkable passages. Lucretius has some splendid lines descriptive of the worship of the Magna Mater, whom he supposes to be a personification of the Earth. Qnare magna deum mater, materque ferarum, |