766 To Numa Pompilius, the legendary king who reigned next after Romulus, the Romans ascribed the foundation of many of their religious ceremonies. 767 The Vestal virgins. 768 The Heliaia, _solis agon_, was founded by the Emperor Aurelian at Rome in 274 A.D.; but the “unconquerable sun,” _sol invictus_, had been worshipped there for fully a century before Aurelian’s foundation; see Usener, _Sol invictus_, in _Rheinisches Museum_, 1905. Julian once again, _Caesars_ 336 C calls Helios by his Persian name Mithras. 769 The Attic year began with the summer solstice. 770 A Greek astronomer who flourished in the middle of the second century B.C. His works are lost. 771 Claudius Ptolemy an astronomer at Alexandria 127‐151 A.D. 772 τοῦ τε Hertlein suggests, τε τοῦ MSS. 773 _i.e._ December. 774 The festival of Saturn, the Saturnalia, was celebrated by the Latins at the close of December, and corresponds to our Christmas holidays. Saturn was identified with the Greek god Kronos, and Julian uses the Greek word for the festival in order to avoid, according to sophistic etiquette, a Latin name. 775 Rome. 776 αὐτὸν Hertlein suggests, αὐτοῦ MSS. 777 τοῦ Hertlein suggests, τὸ M, τῷ MSS. 778 See Introduction, p. 351. 779 For the threefold creative force cf. Proclus on _Timaeus_ 94 CD. Here Julian means that there are three modes of creation exercised by Helios now in one, now in another, of the three worlds; cf. 135 B.C. 780 This work is lost. 781 _i.e._ his treatise _On the Gods_, which is not extant. 782 Hesiod, _Works and Days_ 336. 783 For the Attis cult see Frazer, _Attis, Adonis and Osiris_; for the introduction of the worship of Cybele into Italy, Cumont, _Les religions orientales dans le paganisme romain_. 784 See Harrison, _Mythology and Monuments of Ancient Athens_. 785 Catullus 63. 786 5. 1. 7; 3. 6. 19; 1. 6. 8; cf. Plato, _Theaetetus_ 152 C; and Plutarch, _On Isis and Osiris_, ὁ μῦθος ... λόγου τινὸς ἔμφασίς ἐστιν ἀνακλῶντος ἐπ᾽ ἄλλα τὴν διάνοιαν. 787 Cf. 206 D. Myths are like toys which help children through teething. 788 ἐξοίσομεν Cobet adds, ἀνέξοιστα καὶ MSS, Hertlein. 789 οὑτοσὶ Hertlein suggests, οὑτωσὶ MSS. 790 μικρὰν Hertlein, μικρὸν Naber, who thinks ἱστορίαν a gloss, cf. _Oration_ vii. 276 C, μικρὸν ἱστορίαν MSS, μικρὸν ἱστορίας Reiske. 791 ὡς Petavius adds. 792 αὐτὴν Hertlein suggests, αὑτὴν MSS. 793 ἐπήγοντο Hertlein suggests, ἐπῆγον τὸν MSS. 794 The Phrygian god of vegetation who corresponds to the Syrian Adonis. His name is said to mean “father,” and he is at once the lover and son of the Mother of the Gods. His death and resurrection were celebrated in spring. 795 The generic name for the eunuch priests of Attis.