Apart from this isolated statement the Eleusinian Mysteries have not been charged, as many other ancient rites were, with promoting and encouraging immorality. In his account of the doings of the false prophet Alexander of Abountichos, Lucian describes how the impostor instituted rites which were a close parody of those celebrated at Eleusis, and he narrates the details of the travesty. Among the mimetic performances were not only the epiphany and birth of a god but the enactment of a sacred marriage. All preliminaries were gone through, and Lucian says that but for the abundance of lighted torches the marriage would actually have been consummated. The part of the hierophant was taken by the false prophet himself. From the travesty it is evident that in the genuine Mysteries, in silence, in darkness, and in perfect chastity the sacred marriage was symbolized and that immediately afterwards the hierophant came forward and standing in a blaze of torchlight made the announcement to the initiates. The name _Brimo_, expressed at full length _Obrimo,_ seems to be a variation of the compound term _Ob-Rimon_, "the lofty serpent goddess." The birth of Brimo; and the mighty deeds Of the Titanic hosts; the servitude Of Jove; and the mysterious mountain rites Of Cybelè, when with distracted pace she sought Through the wide world the beauteous Proserpine; The far-fam'd labours of the Machian Hercules; Th' Idèan orgies; and the giant force Of the dread Corybantes; and the wanderings Of Ceres, and the woes of Prosperpine: With these I sung the gifts of the Cabiri; The Mysteries of Bacchus; and the praise Of Lemnos, Samothrace, and lofty Cyprus, Fair Adonean Venus; and the rites Of dread Ogygian Praxidicè; Arinian Minerva's nightly festival; And Egypt's sorrow for the lost Osiris. _Orphic Hymn._ Dr. Jevons maintains that this ear of corn was the totem of Eleusis, and this view has been adopted by M. Reinach, who says: "We find in the texts a certain trace not only of the cult but of the adoration and the exaltation (in the Christian meaning of the word) of the ear of corn." But he has omitted to quote the texts on which he relies for this assertion. It would be interesting to know why, among all the plants which die and revive in the course of a year, wheat was chosen for preference, why the ear more than the grain, why it should be emphasized that it was gathered, for what reason the spectacle was reserved for the epoptæ, and in what manner it secured or ensured for the individual a blissful existence after death. The demonstration presupposes that the preceding rites were leading up to this supreme display.