L. VIVES.
THe fiction of (a) Triptolemus] His originall is vncertaine, ignoble, saith Ouid, his mother was * 1.1 a poore woman, and he a sickly childe: and Ceres lodging in his mothers house, bestowed his health of him. Lactantius making him sonne to Eleusius (King of Eleusis) and Hion•…•…, that Ceres bestowed immortality vpon him, for lodging a night in his fathers house: on the day she fedde him in heauen with her milke, and on the night she hidde him in fire. Celeus was his father, saith Seruius: But Eusebius maketh him a stranger to Celeus, and landeth him at Eleusis, Cele•…•… his citty out of a long ship. But the Athenians generally held him the sonne of Celeus, so did not the Argiues, but of Trochilus Hieropanta who falling out with Agenor, & flying from Argos, came to Eleusis, there married, and there had Triptolemus, and Euboles. Some hold him (and so Musaeus did, some say) the sonne of Oceanus and Terra: that Eubolis and Triptolemus were Dysaulis sonnes, saith Orpheus. Chaerilus of Athens deriues him from Rharus, and one of A•…•…hyctions daughters. Diodorus, from Hercules and Thesprote King Phileus his daughter. Now Ceres (they say) gaue him corne, and sent him with a chariot (with two wheeles onely for swiftnesse sake, saith Higin.) drawne by a teame of Dragons through the ayre, to goe and •…•…each the sowing of corne to the world: that he first sowed the field Rharius by Eleusis, and reaped an haruest of it: wherfore they gathered the Mushromes vsed in the sacred banquets, frō that field: Triptolemus had his altar also, and his threshing place there. The pretended truth of this history agreeth with Eusebius: for it saith that Triptolemus was sonne to Elusus King of E•…•…s, who in a great dearth sustained the peoples liues out of his owne granary, which Tr•…•…mus vpon the like occasion beeing not able to doe, fearing the peoples furie, hee tooke along ship called the Dragon, and sayling thence, within a while returned againe with aboun∣dance of corne, and expelling Celeus who had vsurped in his abscence, releeued the people with come, and taught them tillage. Hence was he termed Ceres his pupill. Some place Lyncus for C•…•…s. He (saith Ouid) was King of Scythia, & because he would haue slaine Triptolemus, Ceres •…•…ed him into the beast Lynx, which we call an Ounce. (b) The Minotaure] Minos of Crete * 1.2 •…•…ied Pasiphae the Suns daughter, & he being absent in a war against Attica about his claime to the •…•…ingdom, & the killing of his son Androgeus, she fell into a beastly desire of copulation