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[Illustration: Pl. 1.]
ROMAN ANTIQUITIES,
AND
ANCIENT MYTHOLOGY;
FOR CLASSICAL SCHOOLS.
BY
CHARLES K. DILLAWAY,
PRINCIPAL OF THE PUBLIC LATIN SCHOOL IN BOSTON.
SECOND EDITION.
BOSTON:
LINCOLN, EDMANDS & CO.
CARTER, HENDEE AND CO. BOSTON; COLLINS AND HANNAY,
NEW YORK; KEY AND MEILKE, PHILADELPHIA;
CUSHING AND SONS, BALTIMORE.
1833.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1833, By Lincoln,
Edmands & Co. In the Clerk's office of the District Court of
Massachusetts.
POSITION OF THE PLATES.
No. 1, before the title page.
2, before page 27.
3, " " 71.
4, " " 78.
5, " " 82.
6, " " 90.
7, " " 106.
8, " " 133.
PREFACE.
The editor has endeavored in the following pages to give some account of
the customs and institutions of the Romans and of ancient Mythology in a
form adapted to the use of classical schools.
In making the compilation he has freely drawn from all creditable
sources of information within his reach, but chiefly from the following:
Sketches of the institutions and domestic customs of the Romans,
published in London a few years since; from the works of Adams, Kennett,
Lanktree, Montfaucon, Middleton and Gesner: upon the subject of
Mythology, from Bell, Spense, Pausanias, La Pluche, Plutarch, Pliny,
Homer, Horace, Virgil, and many others to whom reference has been
occasionally made.
_Boston, July, 1832._
* * * * *
In the second edition now offered to the public much has been added to
the department of Antiquities. A more comprehensive chapter upon the
weights, measures and coins of the Romans has been substituted in the
place of the former one, and many other improvements made which it is
hoped will be found acceptable. As it was not thought expedient to
increase the size of the volume, the additions have been made by
excluding the questions.
_Boston, May, 1833._
CONTENTS.
Chap. Page.
1. Foundation of Rome and division of inhabitants 9
2. The Senate 13
3. Other divisions of the Roman people 18
4. Gentes and Familiae, Names of the Romans 19
5. Private rights of Roman citizens 21
6. Public rights of Roman citizens 23
7. Places of worship 24
8. Other public buildings 26
9. Porticos, arches, columns, and trophies 30
10. Bagnios, aqueducts, sewers, and public ways 32
11. Augurs and Auguries 33
12. Aruspices, Pontifices, Quindecemviri, Vestals, &c. 34
13. Religious ceremonies of the Romans 37
14. The Roman year 39
15. Roman games 42
16. Magistrates 44
17. Of military affairs 49
18. Assemblies, judicial proceedings, and punishments of the Romans 53
19. Roman dress 57
20. Fine arts and literature 59
21. Roman houses 61
22. Marriages and funerals 63
23. Customs at meals 66
24. Weights, measures, and coins 67
MYTHOLOGY.
1. Celestial Gods 71
2. Celestial Goddesses 77
3. Terrestrial Gods 82
4. Terrestrial Goddesses 87
5. Gods of the woods 94
6. Goddesses of the woods 101
7. Gods of the sea 106
8. Tartarus and its Deities 111
9. The condemned in Hell 123
10. Monsters of Hell 126
11. Dii Indigites, or heroes who received divine honors after death 128
12. Other fabulous personages 146
CHAPTER I.
_Foundation of Rome and Division of its Inhabitants._
Ancient Italy was separated, on the north, by the Alps, from Germany. It
was bounded, on the east and north-east, by the Adriatic Sea, or _Mare
Superum_; on the south-west, by a part of the Mediterranean, called the
Tuscan Sea, or _Mare Inferum_; and on the south, by the _Fretum
Siculum_, called at present the strait of Messina.
The south of Italy, called _Graecia Magna_, was peopled by a colony from
Greece. The middle of Italy contained several states or confederacies,
under the denominations of Etrurians, Samnites, Latins, Volsci,
Campanians, Sabines, &c. And the north, containing _Gallia Cisalpina_
and _Liguria_, was peopled by a race of Gauls.
The principal town of the Latin confederacy was Rome. It was situated on
the river Tiber, at the distance of sixteen miles from its mouth.
Romulus is commonly reported to have laid its foundations on Mount
Palatine, A. M. 3251, B. C. 753, in the third year of the 6th Olympiad.
Rome was at first only a small fortification; under the kings and the
republic, it greatly increased in size; but it could hardly be called
magnificent before the time of Augustus Caesar. In the reign of the
Emperor Valerian, the city, with its suburbs, covered a space of fifty
miles; at present it is scarcely thirteen miles round.
Rome was built on seven hills, viz. the Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal,
Esquiline, Viminal, Caelian, and Aventine; hence it was poetically styled
"_Urbs Septicollis_,"--the seven-hilled city.
The greatest number of inhabitants in Rome was four millions; but its
average population was not more than two millions.
The people were divided into three tribes, and each tribe into ten
curiae. The number of tribes was afterwards increased to thirty-five.
The people were at first only separated into two ranks; the Patrician
and Plebeian; but afterwards the Equites or Knights were added; and at a
later period, slavery was introduced--making in all, four classes:
Patricians, Knights, Plebeians, and Slaves.
The Patrician order consisted of those families whose ancestors had been
members of the Senate. Those among them who had filled any superior
office, were considered noble, and possessed the right of making images
of themselves, which were transmitted to their descendants, and formed
part of their domestic worship.
The Plebeian order was composed of the lowest class of freemen. Those
who resided in the city, were called "_Plebs urbana_;" those who lived
in the country, "_Plebs rustica_." But the distinction did not consist
in name only--the latter were the most respectable.
The _Plebs urbana_ consisted not only of the poorer mechanics and
laborers, but of a multitude of idlers who chiefly subsisted on the
public bounty, and whose turbulence was a constant source of disquietude
to the government. There were leading men among them, kept in pay by the
seditious magistrates, who used for hire to stimulate them to the most
daring outrages.
Trade and manufactures being considered as servile employments, they had
no encouragement to industry; and the numerous spectacles which were
exhibited, particularly the shows of gladiators, served to increase
their natural ferocity. To these causes may be attributed the final ruin
of the republic.
The Equestrian order arose out of an institution ascribed to Romulus,
who chose from each of the three tribes, one hundred young men, the most
distinguished for their rank, wealth, and other accomplishments, who
should serve on horseback and guard his person.
Their number was afterwards increased by Tullus Hostilius, who chose
three hundred from the Albans. They were chosen promiscuously from the
Patricians and Plebeians. The age requisite was eighteen, and the
fortune four hundred sestertia; that is, about 14,000 dollars. Their
marks of distinction, were a horse given them at the public expense, and
a gold ring. Their office, at first, was only to serve in the army; but
afterwards, to act as judges or jurymen, and take charge of the public
revenues.
A great degree of splendor was added to the Equites by a procession
which they made throughout the city every year, on the 15th day of July,
from the temple of honor, without the city to the Capitol, riding on
horseback, with wreaths of olives on their heads, dressed in the Togae
palmatae or trabeae, of a scarlet color, and bearing in their hands the
military ornaments, which they had received from their general, as a
reward for their valor. At this time they could not be summoned before a
court of justice.
If any Eques was corrupt in his morals, or had diminished his fortune,
the censor ordered him to be removed from the order by selling his
horse.
Men became slaves among the Romans, by being taken in war, by way of
punishment, or were born in a state of servitude. Those enemies who
voluntarily surrendered themselves, retained the rights of freedom, and
were called '_Dedititii_.'
Those taken in the field, or in the storming of cities, were sold at
auction--"_sub corona_," as it was called, because they wore a crown
when sold; or "_sub hasta_," because a spear was set up where the
auctioneer stood. These were called Servi or Mancipia. Those who dealt
in the slave trade were called _Mangones_ or _Venalitii_: they were
bound to promise for the soundness of their slaves, and not to conceal
their faults; hence they were commonly exposed for sale naked, and
carried a scroll hanging to their necks, on which their good and bad
qualities were specified.
Free-born citizens could not be sold for slaves. Parents might sell
their children; but they did not on that account entirely lose the right
of citizens, for, when freed from slavery, they were called _ingenui_
and _libertini_. The same was the case with insolvent debtors, who were
given up to their creditors.
There was no regular marriage among slaves, but their connexion was
called contubernium. The children of any female slave became the
property of her master.
Such as had a genius for it were sometimes instructed in literature and
liberal arts. Some of these were sold at a great price. Hence arose a
principal part of the wealth of Crassus.
The power of the master over his slave was absolute. He might scourge or
put him to death at pleasure. This right was often exercised with great
cruelty.
The lash was the common punishment; but for certain crimes they were to
be branded in the forehead, and sometimes were forced to carry a piece
of wood round their necks, wherever they went, which was called _furca_;
and whoever had been subjected to the punishment was ever afterwards
called _furcifer_.
Slaves also, by way of punishment, were often confined in a work-house,
or bridewell, where they were obliged to turn a mill for grinding corn.
When slaves were beaten, they were suspended with a weight tied to their
feet, that they might not move them. When punished for any capital
offence, they were commonly crucified; but this was afterwards
prohibited under Constantine.
If the master of a family was slain at his own house, and the murderer
not discovered, all his domestic slaves were liable to be put to death.
Hence we find no less than four hundred in one family punished on this
account.
Slaves were not esteemed as persons, but as things, and might be
transferred from one owner to another, like any other effects. They
could not appear in a court of justice as witnesses, nor make a will, or
inherit anything, or serve as soldiers, unless first made free.
At certain times they were allowed the greatest freedom, as at the feast
of Saturn, in the month of December, when they were served at table by
their masters, and on the Ides of August.
The number of slaves in Rome and through Italy, was immense. Some rich
individuals are said to have had several thousands.
Anciently, they were freed in three different ways:--1st, _Per censum_,
when a slave with his master's knowledge inserted his name in the
censor's roll. 2d, _Per vindictam_, when a master, taking his slave to
the praetor, or consul, and in the provinces to the pro-consul or
pro-praetor, said, "I desire that this man be free, according to the
custom of the Romans"--and the praetor, if he approved, putting a rod on
the head of the slave, pronounced,--"I say that this man is free, after
the manner of the Romans." Wherefore, the lictor or master turning him
round in a circle, and giving him a blow on the cheek, let him go;
signifying that leave was granted him to go, wherever he pleased. 3d,
_Per testamentum_, when a master gave his slaves their liberty by his
will.