Memorials of Human Superstition: being a paraphrase and commentary on the Historia Flagellantium of the Abbé Boileau, Doctor of the SorbonneLolme, Jean Louis de
History
Memorials of Human Superstition: being a paraphrase and commentary on the Historia Flagellantium of the Abbé Boileau, Doctor of the Sorbonne
Lolme, Jean Louis de
Boileau, Jacques, 1635-1716. Historia flagellantium; Flagellants
[32] “_Itaque ut Tutela navis expiaretur, placuit quadragenas utrique
plagas imponi. Nulla ergo fit mora; aggrediuntur nos furentes nautæ
cum funibus, tentantque vilissimo sanguine Tutelam placare; & ego
quidem tres plagas Spartanâ nobilitate concoxi._”--Pet. Arb. Sat.
L. II.----The Story, as it is to be found in Petronius, is this.
_Encolpus_ and _Giton_ had embarked, unawares, on the ship of one
_Lycas_, to whom Encolpus had formerly given offence; and on board
the same ship was also a Lady named _Tryphena_, who owed a grudge
to Giton, by whom she thought she had on a former occasion been
slighted. Encolpus and Giton no sooner discovered in whose ship
they were, than they were afraid of being ill-used, and attempted
to disguise themselves in the dress of Slaves, and for that purpose
cut off their hair; a thing which (though they did not know it) was
the worst of omens during a voyage, as it never was done but in a
storm, in order to make offerings to the incensed Deities of the sea.
Somebody spied Encolpus and Giton while they were performing the
above operation; the rumour of such a nefarious act, in fair weather,
soon spread about the ship, and the crew thereupon used our two
passengers in the manner above related. Encolpus (as himself says)
bore the three first blows with great magnanimity; but Giton, who
was of a more tender frame, screamed so loud at the first blow, that
Tryphena heard him, knew his voice, ran upon the deck, and instead of
being moved by the sight of his nakedness, insisted upon the whole
number of blows being given him: other passengers then took the part
of the two culprits; which brought on a battle between them and the
crew: at last the affair was compromised, and Encolpus and Giton were
released. As for the latter, a Maid slave found means afterwards
to fit him with a wig, and paste false eyebrows to his forehead,
which made him appear as charming as ever, and Tryphena’s favour was
restored to him.
[33] “_Hic exultantes Salios nudosque Lupercos._” Æn. Lib. III.
[34] “_Nec prodest agili palmas præbere Luperco._” Juv. Sat. II.
[35] “_Steriles mulieres februantibus Lupercis se offerebant, &
ferulâ verberabantur._”
[36] From the above sentiments delivered by Prudentius, we might be
induced to think that only persons of low condition, in Rome, or even
Slaves alone, used to _run_, in the festival of the Lupercalia; yet
this does not seem to have been the case, and the lines of Prudentius
appear to have contained more declamation than real truth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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