The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism [1911] - Get a Free Blog

248 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS.
that this strange practice is a modified utilitarian form of an
ancient exogamy. Besides it had certain favorable results,
since it protected the girl against the brutality of her kindred
until she was of marriageable age, and this fact must have
insured its persistence; but the idea that inspired it at first
was different. "La premiere union sexuelle impliquant une
effusion de sang, a ete interdite,
d une fille du clan verse par le
lorsque ce sang etait celui
fait d un homme du clan"
(Salomon Reinach, Mythes, cultes, I, 1905, p. 79. Cf. Lang,
The Secret of the Totem, London, 1905.) Thence rose the
obligation on virgins to yield to a stranger first. Only then
were they permitted to marry a man of their own race.
Furthermore, various means were resorted to in order to save
the husband from the defilement which might result from that
act (see for inst, Reinach, Mythes, cultes, I, p. 118). The
opinion expressed in this note was attacked, almost imme
diately after its publication, by Frazer (Adonis, Attis, Osiris,
1907, pp. 50 ff.) who preferred to see in the sacred prostitu
tions a relic of primitive communism. But at least one of
the arguments which he uses against our views is incorrect.
Not the women, but the men, received presents in Acilisena
(Strabo, he. cit.) and the communistic theory does not seem
to account for the details of the custom prevailing
in the
temple of Thebes. There the horror of blood clearly appears.
On the discovery of a skull (having served at a rite of con
secration) in the temple of the Janiculum, see the article cited
above, Dea Syria," in Diet, des antiquites.
42. Porphyry, De Abstin., II, 56; Tertull., Apol , 9. Cf. La-
grange, op. cit., p. 445.
43. Even in the regions where the cities developed, the
Baal and the Baalat always remained the divinities iroXiovxoi,
the protectors of the city which they were supposed to have
founded.
44. Le Bas-Waddington, 2196. Suidas, s. v. QvXapx ns (II,
2, col. 1568, Bernhardy). Cf. Marquardt, Staatsverwaltung,
I, p. 405, 409.
45. Hippolytus, Adv. Haeres., V, IT, 7: Ao-o-uptW reXerai;
18 : Acr<n>piW (jLvvrripia (pp. 145, 148, ed. by Cruice). Cf. Ori-
gen, Contra Celsum, I, 12. Pognon (Inscrip. semitiques,