Apollo and Jupiter
Apollo and Jupiter
A greatmany years ago, the people, over almost all Europe and a large part of Asia, believed in gods whom they called Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Apollo, &c. They believed in goddesses too, such as Juno, Venus, Vesta, &c.
These people built temples in honor of their gods and goddesses, many of which were very splendid. In these temples they had statues of the particular gods to whom they were dedicated. Here, also, there were priests, who offered sacrifices to the gods, such as bulls, sheep, birds, &c.
This system, having its origin in the fancy of man, was calledMythology—which means a religion of fables. It is supposed to have been commenced by the Egyptians, three or four thousand years ago, when the greater part of the world was in a state of barbarism, or perhaps, uninhabited by man.
This mythology, or religion of fables, probably began in this way. Some poet, having heard of the great deeds of some warrior, made a poem about him, and not only told things which he did, but some things which he did not. He represented him as having power above other men, and as performing deeds which man, alone, could not do.
Some other poet, afterwards, took up the story, and added other wonderful tales about this great warrior. The story thus begun, would increase very fast; for it is very easy to tell great stories, and very easy for ignorant people to believe them too. Thus, in the course of two generations, the warrior became a being quite above mankind, and therefore a god.
When once such a system was begun, it was quite natural that it should increase. Every man of lively imagination could invent a god or a goddess, and the people were likely to adopt them, as fast as they could be manufactured. The priests and poets had both an interest in carrying on this business, for they either got a living by it, or gained freedom, fame and consequence among the people.
The Greeks, for many ages after they settled their country, which took place above three thousand seven hundred years ago, held constant communication with Egypt. To this country they wentfor education and for the arts. They not only imitated their buildings, furniture and curtains, but they adopted the Egyptian religion also. The Greeks were, however, a people of a great deal of genius. Beginning with Egyptian arts and customs, they modified or changed them, by the suggestions of their own taste and fancy. Thus, in time, they soon became superior, in many things, to the Egyptians, who were their schoolmasters.
The mythology of the Egyptians was soon changed, in the hands of the lively and inventive Greeks; and, indeed, it became so different, that it got the name at last of the Grecian mythology. A large part of the poetry and literature of the Greeks was filled with the achievements of their gods and goddesses. Men of the greatest genius, such as Homer, Hesiod, Anacreon, and others, wrote splendid pieces about the fabulous deities; and the people believed them all to be true.
According to these poets, Jupiter or Jove was the greatest of the gods. He was represented in the temples, as sitting on a throne, with the eagle, the most powerful of birds, at his side, as an emblem of his superiority. In his hand, he held thunderbolts, ready to hurl them forth upon his enemies. He was supposed to reside chiefly upon Olympus, a tall mountain of Greece, where he held councils with his deities.
The early history of Jupiter, as told by the poets, is droll enough. The ancients knew very little about astronomy or geography. So they divided the universe into three great kingdoms—the heavens, the earth, and the infernal regions. Titan, a powerful king, gave Saturn the kingdom of the earth, upon condition that he should kill all his male children. Saturn married a woman by the name of Ops. They had several children, but as soon as a boy was born, Saturn always ate him up.
At last little Jupiter was born—and Ops determined to save him. Accordingly she gave Saturn a stone, and told him it was the boy. Saturn devoured it—and did not discover the cheat. This is a hard story, but the Greeks believed it, and we must not laugh at them, for we see things quite as foolish in our day. The Mormons, who live in Illinois, believe that one Joe Smith, a vile and wicked man, found certain brass plates, written over with a revelation from God, which he alone could translate; and they think this translation, which they call the Book of Mormon, is as true as the Bible. There are certain deluded people, even among us, misled by one Miller, who imagines that the world is to be speedily destroyed. These things teach us how easy it is to be deceived in religious matters, and how careful we should be not to adopt new and singular notions upon this important subject.
Jupiter, having escaped his father’s jaws, was nursed by a goat. When he was a year old, he was a prodigious fellow. By this time the Titans had imprisoned his father, Saturn. So Jupiter made war upon them; he released his father, and conquered heaven, earth and hell. The heaven and earth he reserved to himself; the sea he gave to Neptune, and the lower regions to Pluto.
Jupiter was supposed to be immortal, and of boundless power; but he yet had the passions of a man. Many of his actions, as detailed by the Grecian poets, would be regarded by us as very base, selfish and wicked, and worthy of being punished by confinement in the penitentiary. Such is the character of the chief god, in a system of man’s invention. Does not this show us that the religion of the Bible, which reveals to us a God pure, holy, just and good, is of divine origin? Does it not also show us the danger of taking anything for religion, such as Mormonism and Millerism,and all other mythologies which come from man?
Apollo was the name of several gods, and this has led to some confusion. The great Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona. Jupiter’s regular wife was Juno, a fierce, proud goddess, who hated Latona, and sent a prodigious serpent, called Python, to torment her. In order to protect her, Jupiter raised up a beautiful island, called Delos, in the sea, to which Latona retired. Here Apollo was born, and when he grew up he became the god of the fine arts, music, poetry, painting, &c. His adventures, as detailed by the ancient Greek poets, are quite interesting.
Vulcan and Pluto
Vulcan was the god of blacksmiths and all who wrought by fire in iron. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and appears to have been so hideous that his mother was ashamed of him. However, he seems to have loved his mother—for on one occasion, she having behaved ill, Jupiter tied her up. Vulcan, however, let her loose; for this he paid dearly, for his father, being greatly incensed, gave him a tremendous kick, which sent him out of heaven. He was no less than nine days and nights in tumbling down to earth; it is no wonder, then, that he broke his leg in falling upon the island of Lemnos, where he alighted. He was lame ever after.
Pluto was the king of hell, or the regions which lay beneath the earth. Here he reigned over his dark, dismal, and gloomy regions, peopled by the souls of departed men. Such was his savage character, and the horrid gloom of his dominions, that nobody would marry him. Still, as he wanted a wife, he determined to have one by hook or by crook. So one day, as he was driving along in his chariot, in the island of Sicily, he saw a beautiful goddess, named Proserpine, surrounded by her nymphs. Pluto drove up, seized the lovely deity, and carried her off. With his trident he opened a passage in the earth, down which he drove headlong, and having arrived at home, Proserpine became queen of hell.
Mercury was the messenger of the gods, especially of Jupiter. He was also the patron of travellers and shepherds, and had a kindness, I am sorry to say it, for thieves, pickpockets, and rogues of all kinds. It would seem that such a god could hardly be respectable; yet Ibelieve that he was rather a favorite with the Greeks.
Mars and Mercury
Mars was the god of war—a fierce and terrible god, indeed. Yet, strange to say, Venus, a handsome goddess, and wife of the old limping blacksmith, Vulcan, liked his company very well. Vulcan made a net of iron links, in which he caught Mars and Venus, and then called in all the gods to look at them! This seems to have made a great deal of fun.
Hercules and Neptune
Hercules was a famous hero, who performed wonderful exploits, by his bodily strength alone.
Neptune was the god of the sea. His father, Saturn, ate him up, when a baby—but he was afterwards brought to life, and received his empire from his brother Jupiter.
Minerva was the goddess of wisdom. She was said to be born of Jupiter’s brain. A famous temple was erected to this goddess at Athens, by Pericles, about four hundred and fifty years before Christ. The chief circumstances of her history were beautifully represented in sculpture around this temple. The edifice still remains, though in ruins, a splendid monument of the genius of the ancient Greeks.
ParthenonRUINS OF THE PARTHENON AT ATHENS.
RUINS OF THE PARTHENON AT ATHENS.
This is a very brief sketch of some of the deities belonging to the ancient Grecianmythology. For nearly two thousand years this prevailed in Greece, and it was afterwards adopted by the Romans, who added many gods to suit themselves. It became the Roman religion, and was inculcated through that vast empire. It was not till about three hundred and twenty years after Christ, that the Christian religion was adopted, as the religion of the Roman government.