662 Sparta conquers Messenia, seizes the 362 Battle of Mantinea.-Death of Epami

country, and reduces the people to
slavery.

594 Solon reforms the law at Athens.

560 Pisistratus usurps the government of

nondas.--Decline of Thebes.

357 First Sacred War.

350 General corruption of manners, and decline of Grecian power.

Athens, and places in abeyance the 344 Macedonia, by the genius of Philip,

laws of Solon.

obtains the ascendency.

527 Hipparchus and Hippias reign at 333 Alexander conquers Persia, and reigns Athens.

supreme.

510 The Pisistratidæ expelled from Athens. 323 Death of Alexander.-Athens 497 Death of Pythagoras.

490 The Persians defeated at Marathon.

480 Invasion of Xerxes-his defeat at

Salamis.

479 The Greeks victors at Plataea and Mycale.

con

tinues the chief maritime power. 322 Athens makes a vigorous effort to throw off Macedonian supremacy.

301 Democracy again established at Athens.

478 Athens rebuilt and fortified by The- 244 Agis III. attempts the reformation of

CHAPTER X.

THE RELIGION OF GREECE.

THE earliest Religion of this People appears to have been a strange Compound of the Adoration of the material Elements and Powers of Nature; united with a sacred Regard for Mythic Legends, which had been traditionally preserved-Expansion of this Scheme after the Return of the Heracleids, and the Establishment of the Dorian Power-Outline of Grecian Theology and Cosmogony-The Grecian Deities-ZeusHera-Apollon-Artemis-Hermes-Hephaistos-Aphrodite-Ares-Eros, and other minor Divinities-The Greek Triad-Evident Connexion of the whole Scheme with Scriptural Tradition-The Temples-Priests-Worship-Divination-Oracles and Mysteries-The Influence of Philosophy examined-THALES-His Doctrines, and the Ionic School-PYTHAGORAS-His System-Failure in Greece, and wonderful Success in Sicily -The Character of his Teaching-SOCRATES-His Mode of Instruction-Doctrines-He claims a Divine Mission-The important Character and Influence of his TeachingPLATO-General View of his Object-His Doctrines-Grand Intellectual Development evinced in his Philosophy-But his Efforts unfavourable to Morals and ReligionARISTOTLE-His brilliant Intellectual Efforts-Inefficient in respect of Religion-ZENO and the Stoics-Physical and Moral Doctrines-Unsatisfactory Result―EPICURUS— His System-Its pernicious Effects-General View of Grecian Faith-Importance of Divine Influence, and a recognition of its Power-The Effect of these four Schools of Philosophy fatal to the Religion of Greece-Utter Failure of every Influence to correct the Effects of a vitiated Theology.

THE inquiring mind can scarcely have presented to it a more interesting or important subject for investigation than the religion of Greece. Limited as was the national territory occupied by this people, their numbers, energy, cultivation, wonderful attainments in all the polite and elegant arts, as well as their amazing prowess in war, and range of conquest, bring them before the mind as the aristocracy of the world's intellect and art. When we add to these considerations the important fact, that the elevation and empire of this people were the subjects of some of the grandest predictions ever uttered by the sacred prophets in holy writ,—and that their language was the medium through which the truths of the Old Testament revelation were first conveyed to the world, and the tongue in which the New Testament was originally given to mankind,-it cannot but be a matter of interest and importance to obtain answers to these questions: What were the theological doctrines and worship of this remarkable people? What was the religious condition of the Grecian communities?

In entering on this subject, it will be necessary first to glance at

it in an historical aspect, in order to point out the prominent changes which were made in the religion of the country during the progress of its history.

As far as any information has come down to us respecting the religion of the first occupants of Greece in the traditions of the ancient Pelasgi, it appears that their system of faith, if such it can be called, was very similar to that ascribed to the earliest era of the world by the Phenician Sanchoniathon. It being generally believed that the intercourse between these countries, so early as 1300 B. C., was such as to introduce the Phenician alphabet into Greece, we cannot feel surprised at an apparent uniformity of religion. The foundation-principle of this system seems to have been, a superstitious reverence of the productive and destroying powers of nature, as being replete with a spiritual life and energy, which was supposed to pervade the universe. Thus the earth (Gaia) was worshipped as a goddess, from whose womb sprung the fruits engendered by the creative power of the atmosphere (Zeus); and in volcanic regions people, on the same account, paid divine honours to the fire which desolated their fields.

The idea generally entertained by the ancients, and evidently arising out of the traditions respecting creation, and the action of the Holy Spirit on the chaotic mass,-that the whole material world was pervaded by a divine spirit, imparted a religious character to all the fanciful imaginations put forth with respect to these supposititious beings, and at the same time gave a personal identity to all the phenomena of nature and the vicissitudes of human life. With these elements of early error at the foundation of their faith, it appears to be now an admitted fact that the ancient Pelasgi held the doctrines, and celebrated among them the mysteries, of the Cabiri; which, as Mr. Faber has conclusively shown, mainly consisted in superstitious reverence for the eight persons preserved in the ark.

This mixture of natural powers and mythic legends was, however, found too narrow a basis for a system of religion adapted to the taste of an energetic community, rising, by means of civilization, agriculture, and commerce, into prominence and power. An expansion and adaptation of the elements of this early faith are therefore perceived to be in gradual operation. For instance: Demeter was originally Gaia, the divine mother Earth; but was afterward regarded as the patroness of settled habitations, marriage, and jurisprudence. This change was gradual in its progress, and was not completed until the ascendency of the Dorians had been fully established in Peloponnesus. Prior to this, Greece can hardly be said to

have been devoted to idolatry; for actual idolatry, as denoting the worship of visible objects, was unknown. Prayers were addressed as to invisible deities; and sacrifices-the only decidedly religious duty which was recognised-were offered upon altars in the open air. A few heinous crimes were sometimes denounced, as exposing the guilty party to the vengeance of the gods; but morality during this period derived very slender support from religion.. Soothsayers, who pretended to foretell future events, were numerous; but local oracles had not attained any great celebrity. It is important to add, that the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, and a future state of rewards and punishments, were taught in those days; but the ridiculous absurdities with which these were accompanied, tended, when men had learned to despise the fables, to throw discredit also upon the momentous truths which they had veiled.

After the close of the Heracleid war, under the ascendency of Dorian power, the new and enlarged system of Grecian idolatry was established throughout Greece: and it is a curious fact, that the principal agents in its introduction have been also the means of perpetuating a knowledge of the system to the present day. For, at the time that the old and new systems were struggling for the mastery over the public mind, Homer arose, and by his unrivalled invention and brilliant genius so used, exhibited, and adorned the new scheme, that it thenceforth triumphed over all opposition. (B. C. 1000.) Hesiod followed, about one hundred years later, and still further illustrated its principles, and strengthened its hold on the Grecian mind. Herodotus, the highest possible authority on the subject, assures us that the Greeks were indebted for their gods to Homer and Hesiod. We, may, therefore, look to the productions of these poets for an exhibition of the theology of Greece during the principal period of her history; and, indeed, until the teaching of philosophers shed an influence over the religious opinions of the people.

When we bear in mind that the subject under discussion is, the theological doctrines of the most intellectual, energetic, and enlightened of the ancient nations, it becomes a matter of painful interest to perceive one startling fact at the very threshold of our inquiry,— namely, that the Greeks had no idea whatever of the eternity of the deities they worshipped. On the contrary, they believed that the supreme power was held by other divine beings, long before these whom they now worshipped were called into existence. Although it does not come within the plan of this work to give any extended list of divinities, with their mythological extraction and history, it seems necessary to furnish a brief account of the origin of the gods, the world, and mankind, according to the principles of this religious system.

According to Hesiod, in the beginning was Chaos, then Gaia, (the Earth,) Tartarus, (the subterranean Abyss,) and Eros (Love). Gaia brings forth Uranus, (the Heavens,) the Mountains, and Pontus, (the Sea). Gaia and Uranus are the parents of the Titans, Oceanus, Cous, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Rheia, (or Rhea,) Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Cronos; also the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires, (“hundred-handed" giants,) Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes. Ouranos, or Uranus, however, hated his offspring, and prevented them from coming forth into the light of day. Indignant at this unnatural behaviour, Gaia persuaded his son Cronos to mutilate his father, and usurp his throne. Cronos and Rhea then became the parents of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. To prevent any of his children deposing him, as he had deposed his father, Cronos swallowed them immediately after their birth. As soon as Zeus was born, Rhea presented to the father a stone, which he swallowed instead of his child. Zeus was concealed in Crete, where he remained until he was full-grown, when he sallied forth, deposed his father, and, aided by the arts of Gaia or Metis, compelled him to disgorge the children whom he had swallowed, and whose bodies, on account of their divine nature, were imperishable. The stone which he had swallowed last of all, was the first object discharged from his stomach. This was set up by Zeus in the glori ous Pytho, (Delphi,) as a sign and a wonder for mortal men.

Zeus now, in conjunction with his brothers and sisters, makes war on Cronos and the Titans. By the advice of Gaia, he releases the Cyclopes, who had been imprisoned in the bowels of the earth, and receives from their hands the thunder and the deadly lightning. He also releases the Hecatoncheires, and brings them back to the upper world. The battle had already raged ten years between the Titans and the Olympic gods, when these giants appeared to aid the Olympians. Earth trembled to its centre, and even Tartarus shook, as these combatants fought, while huge rocks were hurled on either side, and Zeus with flaming thunderbolts mingled in the war. The Titans were at length defeated, loaded with chains, and thrown into the depths of Tartarus, where, being closely imprisoned, they were carefully guarded by the mighty Hecatoncheires. But even this victory did not establish the throne of Zeus. Gaia brings forth another monster, of immense size and power, who is at length struck, down, by the thunderbolts of Zeus, into the lowest depths of Tartarus. By this last success Zeus and his brethren and sisters became rulers of the universe.*

I am considerably indebted for this summary to ARNOLD'S Translation of STOLL'S "Handbook of the Religion and Mythology of the Greeks,”—an able and excellent work.