This story has furnished the subject of a very beautiful group of statuary, in which Niobe is represented as vainly endeavoring to shelter, beneath her mantle, the youngest and last of her children.
_Ques._ Where was the most celebrated temple of Diana?
_Ans._ At Ephesus in Asia Minor; it was so beautiful that it was counted among the seven wonders of the world. Two hundred and twenty years were spent in the building, although an incredible number of workmen were employed. The entire length of the temple was 425 feet, and the breadth 220; the whole was supported by 127 superb columns, each the gift of a king. The statue of the G.o.ddess was of ebony, and the most skillful painters and sculptors were employed in the decorations of the edifice.
A man named Erostratus, who was anxious to make himself famous, by whatever means, set fire to this magnificent building. This event took place on the very day on which Alexander the Great was born.
The temple was but partially destroyed, and was soon afterwards restored to its former splendor. The inhabitants of Ephesus seem to have been particularly attached to the worship of Diana. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that when they began to make converts in that city, the people were very indignant; in their zeal for their G.o.ddess they ran about the streets for the s.p.a.ce of about two hours, crying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"
This temple was despoiled by Nero, who removed many costly offerings and images, together with a large quant.i.ty of silver and gold. It was afterwards plundered by the Goths in the reign of Gallienus; and the materials of the building have been since used in the construction of other edifices. The great dome of Santa Sophia, in Constantinople, rests upon pillars of green jasper which were removed from the temple of Diana by order of Justinian.
Two pillars of the great church of Pisa were also taken from this temple, which has been so completely destroyed that the exact site is not known.
NYMPHS.
_Ques._ Who were the Nymphs?
_Ans._ They were graceful young women who attended on Diana and the greater G.o.ddesses. Some, also, had charge of certain fountains and rivers, and were called Naiades; the nymphs of Ocean were Nereides and Oceanides. The Oreades were mountain nymphs, and others presided over groves and even single trees.
_Ques._ What were the woodland nymphs called?
_Ans._ Those who watched over the forests, and always lived among the trees, were called Dryades, from a Greek word which means an oak; the Hamadryades were so called because they were attached, each to some particular oak. The Hamadryad was born with the tree, flourished and died with it. This belief lingered for a long time amid the German forests, as also the superst.i.tion about water spirits.
_Ques._ What was the story of Arethusa?
_Ans._ This nymph was the daughter of Ocea.n.u.s, and an attendant of Diana. She was admired by the G.o.d of the river Alpheus, but refused to listen to his addresses. As she fled from his presence, he pursued.
The terrified nymph had sped through all Arcadia; the shades of evening were gathering, and Alpheus pressed close upon her fainting steps. In this extremity, Arethusa prayed to Diana for relief, and was immediately dissolved into a fountain. Alpheus resumed his watery form, and sought to mingle his current with hers, but Diana opened for her a pa.s.sage under the sea, and she rose in the island of Ortygia, in Sicily, still followed by the stream of the Alpheus. In proof of this fable, and of the Grecian origin of this famous fount, it was a.s.serted that a cup which fell into the river Alpheus in Greece, rose in the fountain of Arethusa, and that its clear waters were reddened with the blood of the victims slain at the Olympic games.
_Ques._ Who was Echo?
_Ans._ Echo was a nymph, the daughter of Air and Tellus; she was one of Juno"s attendants, but offended that G.o.ddess by her talkativeness.
She was so far deprived of speech, that she could only repeat the last words of every sentence which she heard. Echo loved the youth Narcissus, and seeing that he despised her affection, she pined away till nothing remained of her but her voice and bones. The latter were changed into stones, but the voice is still heard among rocks and in solitary places, repeating always the last words that are spoken.
_Ques._ What was the fate of Narcissus?
_Ans._ One legend is that he saw his image reflected in a fountain, and, not perceiving that it was but his own shadow, gazed at it, lost in admiration, until he was changed into the flower that bears his name. According to another version, Narcissus had a twin-sister who resembled him closely in form and feature, and was his constant companion. This sister died young, and Narcissus, deeply lamenting her death, used to go to a neighboring fountain, and try to recall the image of his sister by gazing at his own reflection in the waters.
_Ques._ Were there many rural divinities?
_Ans._ Yes, a great number; but only a few were well known. Among those we may mention Pomona, the G.o.ddess of orchards, and Flora, the G.o.ddess of flowers. Pales was the G.o.ddess of shepherds and pastures.
The Romans celebrated feasts, called Pallia, in her honor. They offered milk, and cakes of millet, that she might drive away the wolves, and prevent diseases among the cattle.
CHAPTER XXII.
G.o.ds of the Sea.
NEPTUNE--POSEIDON.
_Ques._ Who was Neptune?
_Ans._ He was the son of Saturn and Ops, and was worshipped as the G.o.d of the sea, and the father of rivers and fountains.
_Ques._ How is he represented?
_Ans._ As standing upright in a chariot made of a sea-sh.e.l.l; for a sceptre, he holds a trident, that is, a fork with three barbed tines; he is arrayed in a blue mantle, and is generally accompanied by his queen Amphitrite. Neptune"s chariot is drawn by sea-horses, and his attendants, who swim on either side, are human only to the waist, the body terminating like that of a fish. Whenever Neptune"s chariot moved upon the waters, the sea grew calm, and tempests were appeased.
_Ques._ What were the offices of Neptune?
_Ans._ He conducted ships safely to port, and presided over horse-races.
_Ques._ Why was he supposed to preside over horses?
_Ans._ In memory of his contest with Minerva, when he produced a horse by striking on the ground with his trident. Neptune was obliged by Jupiter to aid Apollo in building the walls of Troy.
_Ques._ How was Neptune worshipped?
_Ans._ Neptune had an altar in the Circus at Rome where sacrifices were offered, and plays were acted, representing the carrying off of the Sabine women. The solemn games in honor of this G.o.d were called Consualia, and were celebrated in the month of March. While these lasted, horses were released from work, and mules were adorned with garlands.
_Ques._ Who were the most remarkable of Neptune"s children?
_Ans._ Triton, and Phorcus or Proteus.
_Ques._ What is told of Phorcus?
_Ans._ He was vanquished by Atlas, and drowned in the sea; after which the people worshipped him as a G.o.d. There was another Phorcus who had three daughters, concerning whom a remarkable circ.u.mstance is related.
The sisters had but one eye for their common use; each one wore it in turn, in the middle of her forehead. They were the guardians of the Gorgons, of whom Medusa was one. The hero Perseus, when about to attack Medusa, visited them, and, watching his opportunity, while one of the sisters was handing the eye to the other, he s.n.a.t.c.hed it from her, and left all three in darkness.
_Ques._ For what was Proteus remarkable?
_Ans._ For his power of transforming himself instantaneously into any shape he wished.
_Ques._ Who was Triton?
_Ans._ He was the son of Neptune and Amphitrite, and was his father"s companion and trumpeter. The upper half of his body was like that of a man, but below the waist he resembled a fish; his tail was cleft and crooked, and his hair resembled wild parsley.
_Ques._ What other sea-monsters were celebrated?
_Ans._ The Sirens, also Scylla, and Charybdis.
_Ques._ Who were the Sirens?
_Ans._ They were monsters who had the faces of women, but the bodies of flying-fish; they dwelt near the promontory of Peloris, or in islands called Sirenus, south of Italy. By the magical sweetness of their singing, they allured all who sailed by those coasts; and after they had lulled them into a trance, drowned them in the sea.
_Ques._ What was there remarkable in the songs of the Sirens?