The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 03 : $b Greece to the Peloponnesian War
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 03 : $b Greece to the Peloponnesian War
World history
On the other hand, the religion of the northern races (who as being of
Hellenic descent are put in contrast with the Pelasgi) had in early
times taken a more moral turn, to which their political relations had
doubtless contributed. The heroic life (which is no fable of the poets),
the fondness for vigorous and active exertion, the disinclination to
the harmless occupations of husbandry, which is so remarkably seen in
the conquering race of the Hellenes, necessarily awakened and cherished
an entirely different train of religious feeling. Hence the Jupiter
Hellanius of Æacus, the Jupiter Laphystius of Athamas, and, finally, the
Doric Jupiter, whose son is Apollo, the prophet and warrior, are rather
representations of the moral order and harmony of the universe, after the
ancient method, than of the creative powers of nature. We do not however
deny, that there was a time when these different views had not as yet
taken a separate direction. Thus it may be shown, that the Apollo Lyceus
of the Dorians conveyed nearly the same notions as the Jupiter Lycæus
of the Arcadians, although the worship of either deity was developed
independently of that of the other. Thus also certain ancient Arcadian
and Doric usages had, in their main features, a considerable affinity.
The points of resemblance in these different worships can be only
perceived by comparison: tradition presents, at the very first outset,
an innumerable collection of discordant forms of worship belonging to
the several races, but without explaining to us how they came to be thus
separated. For these different rites were not united into a whole until
they had been first divided; and both by the connection of worships
and by the influence of poetry new combinations were introduced, which
differed essentially from those of an earlier date.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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