St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

L. VIVES.

SAcriligious (a) mockories] Inuerting this, the holy plaies, a phrase vsed much by the Pa∣gans. * 1.1 (b) The Enthusiastikes persons rapt] This place requireth some speech of the mother of the gods: Diodorus Siculus (Biblioth lib. 4.) tels the story of this Mo∣ther of the gods diuers waies. For first hee writeth thus. Caelus had by his wife Titaea fiue & forty children, two of which were women, called Regina, and Ops: Regina being the elder, and miser of the two, brought vp all her other bretheren (to doe her mother a pleasure) and there∣fore she was called the mother of the gods, and was marryed to hir brother Hiperion, to whome shee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sol and Luna; who being both murdered by their vncles wicked practises, she fel mad, ranging vp and downe the Kingdome with a noise of drummes and cimbals, and that this grew to a custome after she was dead. Then he addes another fable: that one Menoes an ancient King of Phry•…•… had by his wife Dindimene, a daughter whome he caused to be cast forth vpon mount Cy•…•…, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that the infant being nourished vp by wilde beasts; grew to be of admirable beauty, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by a •…•…pheardesse, was by her brought vp as her own childe, and named Cibele * 1.2 of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was found: that shee innented many arts of her owne head, and taught 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on pipes, danncing, drummes and cimbals, also farying of horses & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ wherein shee was so fortunate that they named her The great mo∣ther. * 1.3 G•…•…ing vp vnto yeares she fell in loue with a youth of that country called Atis, & being with child•…•… by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was s•…•… for backe by her father Menoes for a Uirgin: but the guilt beeing knowne, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and the Nurses were put to death: and Cibele being extreamely in loue with Atis fell madde, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 her fathers house along with a Timbrell and a cimball, she came to Nisa to Dioni∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉) where s•…•… few yeares after she dyed: And soone after a great famine toge∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all P•…•…gia, the inhabitants were commanded by Oracle to giue

diuine worship to Atis and Cibele: and hence arose the first canonization of the Mother of the gods. Thus farre Diodorus, who no doubt hath declared the true originall of it as it was. But some do guesse that she was the mother of Iupiter, Iuno, Neptune and Pluto, and therefore was called Rhea, and in latine Ops: and Cibele, and Vesta, as all one. Nor make I any question but that this history is confounded, as is vsuall in euery fable of the gods: that she was a virgin, and therefore named Vesta, and that therefore Atys was faigned to bee a goodly young man, whom she louing, and commanding that she should neuer meddle with any other woman, he neglecting her command, fell in loue with a Nimph called Sangritis, which Cybele depriued him of those partes whereby hee was man, and for that reason euer since will haue her Priests defectiue in that fashion. And because that she was most or∣dinarily worshipped of the Phrygians vpon Mount Ida, there vpon she got the name of the Idean mother, and of Berecynthia, as also of the Phrigian goddesse: Hie Priests were called * 1.4 Galli, of the riuer Gallus in Phrigia, the water whereof beeing drunke, maketh men madde. And these Galli themselues, doe wherle their heads about in their madnesse, slashing their faces and bodies with kniues, and tearing themselues with their teeth when they are either madde in shew, or madde indeed. Their goddesse, (which was nothing but a great stone vpon Mount Ida) the Romanes transported into Italy, the day before the Ides of Aprill, which day they dedicated vnto her honours, and the plaies called Megalesia as on that day were acted. Liuy lib. 29. speaking of the Mother of the gods hath these words. They brought the goddesse into the Temple of Victorie which is on the Mount Palatine, the daie be∣fore the Ides of Aprill. So that was made her feast daie. And all the people brought giftes vn∣to the goddesse, vnto the Mount Palatine, and the Temples were spred for banquets, and the Plaies were named Megalesia, this is also in his sixteenth booke. About the same time a Temple was dedicated vnto the great Idean mother, which P. Cornelius receiued, being brought out of Asia by sea, P. Cornelius Scipio (afterward surnamed Africane) and P. Licinius beeing consulls. M. Liuius, and C. Claudius beeing censors, gaue order for the building of the Temple: And thirteene yeares after, it was dedicated, or consecrated by M. Iunius Brutus; M. Cor∣nelius, and T. Sempronius beeing Consulls; and the Plaies that were made for the dedication thereof, (beeing the first plaies that euer came on stage;) Antias Valerius affirmeth were nam∣ed Megalesia: Thus farre Liuy: To whom Varro agreeth also liber. 3. de lingua Latina. En∣thusiastiques, or persons rapt] Were men distraught, taken with madnesse, as Bertcynthia's Galli were. Saint Augustine vpon Genesis calls them, men taken with spirits possessed. (c) Pi∣pers] Or the singers, Symphoniacos, it commeth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is Harmony, or con∣sort. In the feastes of Cybele, was much of this numerall musicke, with Pipes and Tymbrells. Hereof Ouid singeth thus (in his fastorum, lib, 4.)

Protinus inflexo Berecynthia tybia cornu, Flabit & Idaeae festa parentis erunt: Ibunt Semimares, & inania tympana tundent; Aera•…•… tinnitus are repulsa dabunt.

Then Berecynthias crooked pipes shall blovv, Th' Idaan mothers feast approcheth now, Whose gelded Priests along the streetes doe passe, With Timbrells, and the tinckling sounds of brasse.

And a little after:

Tibia dat Phrygios vt dedit ante, modos: The Phrygian Pipe sounds now, as late before.

Diodorus saith the pipe was Cybele's inuention, and that shee taught Marsiat; him, that contended with Apollo. (d) Wee were delighted:] Some reade they were delighted but erroniously: wee reade it, with more reason, in the first person, Wee were de∣lighted with the filthy plaies &c. Now though this Berecynthia was mother to so many gods yet they held that shee was a Virgin, as beeing Vesta as well as Berecynthia, as also be∣cause he would haue her father Menoes to take her for such an one, and so to beleeue. (e) The feast day of her purification] The day before the Ides of Aprill, the Galli, her Priests v∣sed to carry the Image of this great Mother in as great pompe, vnto the riuer Almon (which * 1.5 falleth into Tyber not farre from Rome) and there (according to the order of an old cus∣tome) to wash it in the meeting of both the riuers: I say by an old custome. For the first day that it was brought from Asia, the Priest washed it there, wherevpon, that order was kept euery yeare. Hereof sings Lucane.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p•…•… r•…•… Al•…•… Cibelen, &c. lib. 1. Cibele vvasht in Almon they fetch backe &c.

But Ouid more p•…•…nely:

Est lo•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tib•…•… quo lubricus in fluit Almon E•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 per dit in amne minor. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cum veste Sacerdos, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Al•…•… sacra{que} louit aquis. Fastorum. 4.

There is a place were Almons current flovves To Tibers streames, and so his name doth lose: There vvasht the aged priest (in purple clad) The Goddesse, and the reliques vvhich he had,

And Prudentius, writing of Saint Romanus his martyrdome, saith thus:

N•…•…dare plant•…•… ante carpentum sci•…•… Pr•…•…ceres togatos in atris Idaeae sacris Lapis nig•…•…llus eue•…•…endus essedo, M•…•…ebris o•…•…s clausus arge•…•…to sedet, Quem ad laua•…•…rum pr•…•…do ducitis, Ped•…•… re•…•… atterentes •…•…eis. Almonis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 riv•…•….

I knovv vvhen Cibels feasts are honoured, Your Lords all bare-foot march before the throne, Whereon, in a rich chariot, the blacke stone Sits in a vvomans shape ore siluered, Which vvhen to purifying you do lead, You vvalke before it, in strange vncouth shooes, Vntil you reach the place vvhere Almon flovves.

(f) Beastly Stage-players] The first Stage-playes euery yeare were the Megalesian, wherin the Players comming forth to this new taske, spake most filthy and abhominable lafciuious * 1.6 wordes vpon Cibel and Atis: and at that time diuers of the most ciuill Romaines, disguising them-selues from being knowne, went wandring about the streetes in all licentiousnesse. No speach, to act of vncleane luxury was left vnpractised, as Herodian affirmeth in the life of Co•…•…dus. (g) Euen for repetition sake] though they spoke it but for exercising their memories, for learning of it by heart. (h) Iuncates] The text is fercula a ferendo, of carrying, because in sollemnities either of religion or tryumph they carry pictures and statues with re∣uerence, * 1.7 as the Images of the goddes and worthies were in the sacrifices: and in their tri∣umps they carryed the pictures of such citties as they had conquered, and such armes as they had despoyled their foes off, the money that they had taken, and the rest of the pillage what∣soeuer, So saith Tully, Su•…•…tonius and others. And such meates also as were set on the table at sacr•…•…, were called Fercula, because they were brought in vppon chargers very state∣fully, and with a kind of religious reuerence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.3

  A•…•….
• * 1.4

  The Priests called Gal∣li.
• * 1.5

  The ablu∣tion of the mother of the gods.
• * 1.6

  The Mega∣lesian plaies
• * 1.7

  Fercula vvhat they vvere.