P. 141. Demonology as explanation of the oracles: see van Dale, _De oraculis_, p. 430 (Amsterd. 1700); he quotes numerous treatises from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I have glanced at Moebius, _De oraculorum ethnicorum origine_, etc. (Leipzig, 1656).—Caelius Rhodiginus: _Lectionum antiq._ (Leyden, 1516), lib. ii. cap. 12; comp. Gruppe, § 15.—Caelius Calcagninus: _Oraculorum liber_ (in his _Opera_, Basle, 1544, p. 640). The little dialogue is not very easy to understand; it is evidently a satire on contemporary credulity; but that Caelius completely rejected divination seems to be assumed also by G. I. Voss, _Theol. Gent._ i. 6.—Machiavelli: _Discorsi_, i. 56.—Van Dale: _De oraculis gentilium_ (1st ed. Amsterd. 1683); _De idololatria_ (Amsterd. 1696). Difficulties with the biblical accounts of demons: _De idol._, dedication.—Fontenelle: _Histoire des oracles_ (Paris, 1687). The little book has an amusing preface, in which Fontenelle with naïve complacency (and with a sharp eye for van Dale’s deficiencies of style) gives an account of his popularisation of the learned work. On Fontenelle and the answer by the Jesuit, Balthus, see for further details Banier, _La mythologie et les fables expliquées par l’histoire_ (Paris, 1738), bk. iii. ch. 1. Van Dale’s book itself had called forth an answer by Moebius (included in the edition of 1690 of his work, _de orac. ethn. orig._).—On the influence exercised by van Dale and Fontenelle on the succeeding mythologists, see Gruppe, § 34.—Banier: see Gruppe, § 35. P. 143. Vico: _Scienza nuova_ (Milan, 1853), p. 168 (bk. ii. in the section, Della metafisica poetica); political allegories, _e.g._ p. 309 (in the Canone mitologico). Comp. Gruppe, § 44.—Banier: in the work indicated above, bk. i. ch. 5. P. 144. On the mythological theories of the eighteenth century, comp. Gruppe, § 36 foll.; on Bryant, § 40; on Dupuis, § 41.—Polemic against Euhemerism from the standpoint of nature-symbolism: de la Barre, _Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire de la religion en Grèce_, in _Mém. de l’Acad. des Inscr._ xxiv. (1749; the treatise had already been communicated in 1737 and 1738); a posthumous continuation in _Mém._ xxix. (1770) gives an idea of de la Barre’s own point of view, which was not a little in advance of his time. Comp. Gruppe, § 37. P. 145. A good survey of modern investigations in the field of the history of ancient religion is given by Sam Wide in the _Einleit. in die Altertumswissensch._ ii.; here also remarks on the mythology of older times. The later part of Gruppe’s work contains a very full treatment of the subject. INDEX Absolute definitions of the divine, 16, 19, 68, 69, 82, 88. Academics, 149. Academy, later, 108, 114. Acosta, 137, 139, 141. Aelian, 121. Aeneid (mediaeval), 136. Aeschines, 93. Aeschylus, 54, 55. Aetolians, 97, 98. Alchemistic explanation of Paganism, 140. Alcibiades, 60. Alexander the Great, 93, 112.