OF WORSHIP PAID AT CAVERNS; AND OF THE ADORATION OF FIRE IN THE FIRST AGES. As soon as religion began to lose its purity, it degenerated very fast; and, instead of a reverential awe and pleasing sense of duty, there succeeded a fearful gloom and unnatural horror, which were continually augmented as superstition increased. Men repaired in the first ages either to the lonely summits of mountains, or else to caverns in the rocks, and hollows in the bosom of the earth; which they thought were the residence of their Gods. At the entrance of these they raised their altars and performed their vows, Porphyry takes notice how much this mode of worship prevailed among the first nations upon the earth : ' Σπηλαια τοινυν και αντρα των παλαιοτατών, πριν και ναες επινοησαι, θεοις αφοσιεντων και εν Κρητη μεν Κερητων Διι, εν Αρκαδία δε Σεληνη, και Πανι εν Λυκείῳ και εν Ναξῳ Διονυσῳ. When in process of time they began to erect temples, they were still determined in their situation by the vicinity of these objects, which they comprehended within the limits of the sacred inclosure. These melancholy recesses were esteemed the places of the highest sanctity: and so greatly did this notion prevail, that, in aftertimes, when this practice had ceased, still the innermost part of the temple was denominated the cavern. Hence the Scholiast upon Lycophron interprets the words παρ αντρα in the poet, Τις 2 Porphyry de Antro Nympharum. p. 262. Edit. Cantab. 1655. He speaks of Zoroaster: Αυτοφυές σπηλαιον εν τοις πλησιον ορεσι της Περσίδος ανθηρον, και πηγας εχον, ανιερώσαντος εις τιμην τω παντων ποιητές, και πατρος Μιθρα. p. 254. Clemens Alexandrinus mentions, Βαραθων τοματα τερατείας εμε πλεα. Cohortatio ad Gentes. Αντρα μεν δη δικαίως οι παλαιοι, και σπηλαια, τῷ κόσμῳ καθιερων. Porphyry de Antro Nymph. p. 252. There was oftentimes an olive-tree planted near these caverns, as in the Acropolis at Athens, and in Ithaca. Αυταρ επι κρατος λιμενος τανύφυλλος Ελαια, Homer de Antro Ithacensi. Odyss. l. g. v.346, ξ. 2 * Lycophron. v. 208. Scholia. εσώτατες τοπες το ναό. The cavern is the innermost place of the temple. Pausanias, speaking of a τιμας. cavern in Phocis, says, that it was particularly sacred to Aphrodite. Αφροδίτη δ' έχει εν σπηλαίῳ In this cavern divine honours were paid to Aphrodite. Parnassus was rendered holy for nothing more than for these unpromising circumstances. Ιεροπρεπης ὁ Παρνασσος, έχων αντρα τε και αλλά χωριά τιμωμενα τε, και, αγιςευομενας. The mountain of Parnassus is a place of great reverence; having many caverns, and other detached spots, highly honoured and sanctified. At Tænarus was a temple with a fearful aperture, through which it was fabled that Hercules dragged to light the dog of hell. The cave itself seems to have been the temple; for it is said, En auga Naos eixas“ Επι τη εικασ μενος σπηλαίῳ. Upon the top of the promontory stands a temple, in appearance like a cavern. The situation of Delphi seems to have been determined 4 Pausanias. 1. x. p. 898. I imagine that the word caverna, a cavern, was denominated originally Ca-Ouran, Domus Caelestis, vel Domus Dei, from the supposed sanctity of such places. Strabo. 1. 9. p. 638. Ενθα παρθένα Στυγνον Σιβύλλης εσιν οικητήριον Γρωνῳ Βέρεθρῳ συγκατηρεφες σε γης. Lycophron of the Sibyl's cavern, near the promontory Zosterion. v. 1278. 6 Pausanias. 1, S. p. 5. 275. on account of a mighty chasm in the hill, oproS χάσμαίος εν τω τοπῳ : and Apollo is said to have chosen it for an oracular shrine, on account of the effluvia which from thence proceeded. Ut vidit Pæan vastos telluris hiatus Here also was the temple of the Muses, which stood close upon a reeking stream. But, what rendered Delphi more remarkable, and more reverenced, was the Corycian cave, which lay between that hill and Parnassus. It went under ground a great way: and Pausanias, who made it his particular business to visit places of this nature, says, that it was the most extraordinary of any which he ever beheld. Αντρον Κωρύκιον σπης There were many λαίων, ὧν ειδόν, θεας άξιον μαλιςα. 10 caves styled Corycian: one in Cilicia, mentioned by Stephanus Byzantinus from Parthenius, who "Scholia upon Aristophanes: Plutus. v. 9. and Euripides in the Orestes. v. 164, ខ Lucan. 1. 5. v. 82. 9 Μέσων γαρ ην Ιερον ενταυθα περί την αναπνοήν τε ναματος. tarch de Pyth. Oracul, vol. 1. p. 402. 10 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 877 Plu |