24.04.2013 Views

The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

dia_ pollw~n de\ o( Qeo&frastoj e0k tw~n par' e9ka&stoij patri/wn e0pidei/caj,<br />

o3ti to_ palaio_n tw~n qusiw~n dia_ tw~n karpw~n h}n e1t' ei0pw_n pro&teron th~j po&aj<br />

lambanome/nhj, kai\ ta_ tw~n spondw~n e0chgei=tai tou~ton to_n tro&pon.<br />

ta_ me\n a)rxai=a tw~n i9erw~n nhfa&lia para_ polloi=j h}n, nhfa&lia d' e0sti\n ta_<br />

u(dro&sponda, ta_ de\ meta_ tau~ta meli/sponda: tou~ton ga_r e3toimon para_ melittw~n<br />

prw~ton e0la&bomen to_n u(gro_n karpo&n: ei]t' e0laio&sponda: te/loj d' e0pi\ pa~s<strong>in</strong> ta_<br />

u3steron gegono&ta oi0no&sponda.<br />

marturei=tai de\ tau~ta ou) mo&non u(po_ tw~n ku&rbewn, ai4 tw~n Krh&thqe/n ei0si<br />

Korubantikw~n i9erw~n oi[on a)nti/grafa a1tta pro_j a)lh&qeian, a)lla_ kai\ par'<br />

0Empedokle/ouj, o4j peri\ th~j qeogoni/aj dieciw_n kai\ peri\ tw~n quma&twn<br />

paremfai/nei le/gwn:<br />

ou)de/ tij h}n kei/nois<strong>in</strong> 1Arhj qeo_j ou)de\ Kudoimo_j<br />

ou)de\ Zeu_j basileu_j ou)d' o( Kro&noj ou)d' o( Poseidw~n,<br />

a)lla_ Ku&prij basi/leia,<br />

h3 e0st<strong>in</strong> h( fili/a:<br />

th_n oi3 g' eu)sebe/ess<strong>in</strong> a)ga&lmas<strong>in</strong> i9la&skonto<br />

graptoi=j te zw|&oisi mu&roisi/ te daidaleo&smoij<br />

smu&rnhj t' a)kra&tou qusi/aij liba&nou te quw&douj<br />

couqw~n te sponda_j melittw~n r(iptou~ntej e0j ou}daj,<br />

a3per kai\ nu~n e1ti sw|&zetai par' e0ni/oij oi[on i1xnh t<strong>in</strong>a_ th~j a)lhqei/aj o1nta,<br />

tau&rwn d' a)kri/toisi fo&noij ou) deu&eto bwmo&j.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ophrastus uses examples from many ancestral customs <strong>of</strong> different peoples to<br />

show that the ancient form <strong>of</strong> sacrifice was <strong>of</strong> crops; he says too that even earlier grass<br />

was collected. He also expla<strong>in</strong>s libations, as follows.<br />

For most people, ancient rites were sober: libations <strong>of</strong> water are sober, <strong>and</strong> so are<br />

the libations <strong>of</strong> honey which came after them (for this was the first liquid crop we had to<br />

h<strong>and</strong>, taken from the bees). <strong>The</strong>n there were libations <strong>of</strong> oil, <strong>and</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ally, last <strong>of</strong> all, came<br />

libations <strong>of</strong> w<strong>in</strong>e.<br />

Evidence for this comes not only from the kubreis, which are really a k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong><br />

transcription <strong>of</strong> the Corybantic rites from Crete, but also from Empedocles, who<br />

comments on sacrifices <strong>in</strong> expound<strong>in</strong>g his theory:<br />

No Ares was to them a god, no Battle-noise,<br />

No Zeus was k<strong>in</strong>g, no Kronos, no Poseidon:<br />

Kypris was queen—<br />

that is Friendship.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y made her k<strong>in</strong>d with pious images<br />

With <strong>and</strong> with subtle scents,<br />

With sacrifice <strong>of</strong> purest myrrh <strong>of</strong> frank<strong>in</strong>cense<br />

409

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!