A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

IPHIGENIA.

The Grecian Fleet be∣ing bound at Aulis by contrary winds, the Southsayer Calehas declared, that Diana would hinder favourable winds, till Iphigenia, Aga∣memnon's Daughter should be sacrificed to her. Agamemnon obey'd the Orders of Heaven, and sent for Iphigenia, under pretence of mar∣rying her to Achilles. Clytemnestra brought her Daughter Iphigenia, and having notice of Agamemnon's design, she oppos'd him vigo∣rously, as also Achilles, who resented his name being made use of to cover an untruth.

In fine, Iphigenia determined the Controver∣sy, by the great desire she had to be sacri∣ficed for the Service of Greece. All the pre∣parations being made for the Sacrifice, Diana substituted a Hind in her room, and carried her away to Tauros, where she was made Priestess to Diana, and sacrificed to her all the Foreigners, who landed upon that Coun∣try.

The Sacrifice that Agamemnon offer'd of his Daughter Iphigenia, has so great confor∣mity with that of the Daughter of Jeptha, that 'tis plain, that Agamemnon's sacrifice was but a copy of the other. The name it self of Iphigenia seems to imitate, that she is the Daughter of Jephta, as if she was called Jephtigenia.

But we must confess, that Poets have taken to themselves a soveraign Authority to dis∣guise History into Fables, and have con∣founded the Sacrifice of Jephta's Daughter with the Sacrifice of Isaac, and as God him∣self saved Isaac, whom he had order'd to be offered to him in sacrifice, and that a Ram was substituted in Isaac's room; so the Fable says, that the Virgin Iphigenia being ready to be sacrificed to Diana, this Goddess took her away, and substituted a Hind to be sacrificed in her room; as Ovid reports.

The Vow of Agamemnon, and the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, as they are related by Tully, have yet a greater conformity with the History of Jephta. For he says, that Agamemnon vowed to offer in sacrifice to Diana, the finest Creature that should be born that year, wherefore he was obliged to sacrifice his own Daughter.

Tully assures us, that Iphigenia was really sa∣crificed, like the Daughter of Jepht; and that Poets, being wiser than Agamemnon, have substituted a Hind to be sacrificed in her room.