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.

JUPITER.

Varro reckons three hun∣dred Jupiters, of several sorts and Countries. The great Multitude of these Jupiters is

doubtless grounded upon the first who went by that name, who had been kind to Men, and had assisted them in their wants; where∣fore after his Death, each Nation gave the sirname of Jupiter to their King, either out of flattery, or because he was really a good Prince, and imitated the Vertues of the true Jupiter, by the name whereof Poets meant the true God. In the like manner that the name of Hercules was abscribed to all great Men, because the first of that name was ve∣ry valiant and generous, as the Roman; did, who gave the name of Caesar to all their Em∣perours, tho' they were not of Julius Caesar's Family.

Tully, lib. 3. de natura Deorum, records but three Jupiters, two whereof were born in Arcadia; one the Son of Aether, and the o∣ther of Caelus, who begat Minerva. The last was a Native of Crete or Candia, the Son of Saturn and Rhea, or Ops, to whom all the actions of the two other are ascribed, and was called Jupiter, quasi juvans Pater, as Ma∣crobius and Aulus Gellius report, and not from the word Jehova, i. e. God, for the Romans had then no acquaintance at all with the Hebrews.

After his Mother Rhea was delivered, she did not put him to Death as she had promi∣sed Saturn, but sent him to the Curetes, Inha∣bitants of Mount Ida, where he was secretly Nursed up: and she put in his room a Stone wrapp'd up in swaddling Cloaths, which, as 'tis said, Saturn swallowed down, thinking it was his Son. This Child was then deliver∣ed up to the Nymps to take care of him, and Amalthea suckled him with the Milk of a She Goat; which Jupiter, being grown up, ranked amongst the Number of the Celestial Signs, in acknowledgment of her kindness, by the name of Olenia Capella, from the Town of Olenus in Baeotia.

Oleniae surget sidus pluviale Capellae, Quae fuet in cunis Officiosa Jovis.

Some relate, that Rhea being afraid that her Son should not be safe upon Mount Ida in Phrygia, sent him to a Mount of the same name in Candia.

Jupiter being grown up, delivered his Fa∣ther Saturn, and his Mother Rhea from the hands of the Titans; for having got together a Troop of Creteans, he marched against the Titans, routed them, and restored his Father to the Throne.

Before he went to this Expedition, as he was offering Sacrifice in the Isle of Naxos, an Eagle came flying before him, which he took for a good omen; and after he had obtain∣ed the Victory, he ordered that the Eagle should be consecrated to him. Poets say that he turned himself into an Eagle to steal a∣way Ganymedes upon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ida. However, Saturn resoved the ruine of Jupiter; but Pro∣metheus having acquainted him with his de∣sign, he tied him up with Woollen Bands, as the Fable says, gelded him, and threw him headlong into Hell; from whence be∣ing got out, he came to Janus in Italy, of whom he was kindly received.

Primus ab aetherio venit Saturnus Olympo, Arma Jovis fugtens & Regnis exul ademptis.

In the mean while Jupiter took possession of the Kingdom of Crete: Then maintained a War against the Giants, under the com∣mand of Aegon, who had an Hundred Arms, and as many Hands, and blew Flames out of as many Mouths. But Jupiter, with Mer∣cury's assistance, defeated them in the Phlegrean Fields in Thessalia, and amongst others pu∣nished severely Typheus, laying whole Sicily over his Body, and Mount Oeta over his Head. After this famous Victory, Jupiter made War against Tyrants, and protected Men in trouble, whereby he got a great name: For he governed his Dominions by good and just Laws, and shared his Kingdoms with his Brethren, giving the Empire of the Sea and Rivers to Neptune; the Government of Sub∣terraneous places to Pluto, and kept for him∣self the Empire of Heaven, with the gene∣ral Government of all that is done upon the Earth, according to the Fable. The truth is, that Jupiter possessed himself of the Em∣pire of the East, and left the command in the West to Pluto, and to Neptune the Govern∣ment of the Seas. And tho' the name of Ju∣piter was granted to these three Brothers, yet it was with this difference, that the name of Jupiter, absolutely taken, signifies the King of Heaven; also called Supremus Rex hominum atque Deorum; but some Epithet is always ad∣ded when that name is bestowed upon the two other; for when they speak of Pluto, he is called Jupiter Infimus or Stygius, and Nep∣tune is sirnamed Jupiter Medius.

The Philosophers, who have Physically Interpreted this Jupiter by a natural Cause, understand by him, the highest Region of the Air, where the Elementary Fire is pla∣ced, and the Fire it self; which warming the inferiour Air attributed to Juno, is able to produce all things. Others have taken this Jupiter for the Air in all its extent; from whence comes this way of speaking, Sub Dio, i. e. under Jupiter, or in the Air; for the Greek Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Genitive where∣of is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifies Jupiter. Wherefore Ho∣race says, Manet sub Jove frigido, he is exposed to the Air.

Lactantius reports, That Jupiter was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because he was the eldest of Saturn's Sons then living; his eldest Bro∣thers having been all devoured by their Fa∣ther: Quod primus ex liberis Saturni maribus vixerit. And that Euhemerus of Messina in Pe∣loponnesus has written his History, as well as that of the other Gods, taken out of the an∣cient Titles and Inscriptions he found in the Temples; that Ennius translated that Hi∣story into Latin; and that these Histories are true, tho adorned with new inventions of Poets. That Jupiter reigned on Mount Olympus, the name whereof is sometimes given to Hea∣ven, because of his heighth: wherefore Poets fancied that he was King of Heaven. That he gave the Government of the Sea, and some Islands in the neighbourhood of his Domini∣ons to Neptune, which gave occasion to Po∣ets to represent Neptune as the King of the Seas. That, in fine, Jupiter died and was bu∣ried, as Lucian and Euhemeris report, in Crete, with this Inscription, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Jupi∣ter Saturni. At last Lactantius says, that Ju∣piter having travelled over all Provinces, and gained the Friendship of all Princes, per∣swaded them to build him Temples after his departure in token of Hospitality.

Every Nation had their Jupiter, called by several names, but the Greeks and Romans cal∣led the Soveraign God of each Nation by the name of Jupiter. Pliny, speaking of the God of the Ethiopians in Africa, called Assabi nus, says that he was esteemed to be Jupi∣ter.

Osiris, The most famous King of Egypt, ranked in the number of Gods, was also known by the name of Jupiter, as 'tis record∣ed by Diodorus Siculus.

The Phaenicians had their Belus, or the Sun, whom the Greeks called Jupiter, as Eusebius re∣ports. Dagon the God of the Phaenicians of the City of Axotus, was called by the Hus∣bandmen Jupiter, because he had taught them how to manure the ground, and cultivate Wheat. Dagon quod frumentum & aratrum in∣venisset, nuncupatus est Jupiter Aratrius. Jupiter the Son of Neptune was a God of the Sidonians, called Maritimus, because this people was wholly given to Navigation.

Stephanus assures us, that the same who was called Marnas at Gaza, was named Jupi∣ter at Crete, for Marnas or Maranasin in the Phaenician Language, signify King of men.

There was a Jupiter Belus amongst the Ba∣bylonians, and a Jupiter Indiges amongst the Latins, which shews, that what Varro affirms, as Tertullian relates in his Apologetick, is true, that there were three hundred Jupiters, i. e. three hundred Kings, and King's Fa∣thers, who called themselves Jupiter, to im∣mortalize their name, and obtain Divine ho∣nours.

Notwithstanding it must be granted that the Jupiter of Crete, the Father of Minos, was one of the most famous, and most ancient Jupiters of the West. Callimachus the Poet, and his Scholiasts have written, that Minos ha∣ving been buried in that Island, with this In∣scription, that he was the Son of Jupiter; the name of Minos was put out, and that of Jupi∣ter left. Wherefore the Inhabitants of Crete said, that they had the Sepulcher of Jupiter.

The Dactyli of Mount Ida, the Curetes and Corybants, were ascribed to this Jupiter, be∣cause they had taken care of his Education.

Jupiter Ammon was also very famous, and was represented with a Ram's-head, because of his intricate Oracles, if we believe Servi∣us. Herodotus gives us a better reason for the same, when he says that the Ammonites had that worship from the Egyptians, who inhabit∣ed the City of Thebes, where Jupiter was re∣presented with a Ram's-head.

Jupiter Ammon was a King of Egypt, rank'd by the Egyptians in the number of Gods, and adored in the most remote Provinces. Diodo∣rus Siculus reporting the tradition of the In∣habitants of Libya, gives us a quite different account of him, which yet comes to the same; for he says that Jupiter Ammon was a great King, who, after his death, was reck∣oned a fabulous God, and a Chimerical Ora∣cle. This Historian mentions still another Writer more ancient than himself, who wrote that Ammon reigned in Libya, and mar∣ried Rhea the Daughter of Caelus. Sister to Saturn and other Titans, and that Rhea being divorced, she married Saturn, and induced him to make War against Ammon, whom he vanquished, and forced him to make his es∣cape by Sea, and retired to Crete, where he possessed himself of the Kingdom.

Then the same Author tells us, that Dio∣nysius having conquered Egypt, established young Jupiter King of that Country, and gave him Olympius to be his Governour, from whence Jupiter was named Olympius.

Strabo writes, that the Arabians had also their Jupiter; however this Jupiter was but one of their Kings, as it appears not only because he was associated with Bacchus, but also by the undertaking of Alexander. For this Prince being acquainted that the Arabi∣ans honoured but two Divinities, Jupiter and Bacchus, resolved to subdue them, that he might be their God amongst them.

Poets tell us that Jupiter married several Wives, and even Juno his Sister, according to the Assyrian and Persian Fashion, and that being a fruitful Lover, he begat a great many Children, both legitimate and natural, turn∣ing

himself, sometimes into a Bull, some∣times into a Swan, or an Eagle, or into Gold, to enjoy his Amours; wherefore Lucian in∣troduces Momus rallying thus.

Your fine Metamorphoses made me sometimes affraid, left you should be brought to the Shambles, or put to the Plough, when thou wert a Bull, or that a Goldsmith should melt thee down, when thou wert Gold, and when a Swan, lest they should have put thee upon the Spit and roasted thee.

'Tis also reported, that he brought forth Minerva out of his Brain, which Vulcan open∣ed with an Axe, as Lucian relates in the Dia∣logue of the Gods, where Vulcan and Jupiter speak thus.

Vulcan.

Here is a very sharp Axe, I bring you; what am I to do with it?

Jup.

Prythee strike hard, and cleave my head asunder.

Vul.

You have a mind to see whether I am mad or no, I warrant: but tell me in good earnest, what will you imploy it about?

Jup.

To divide my Skull, I say, I am not in jest, and if you refuse, I will plague you. Strike with all thy might; for my Head is ready to split with pain; and I suffer such torments as if I was in labour with a Child.

Vul.

'Tis a∣gainst my will, but I must obey. Great Gods! No wonder your head-ach was so great, having such an Amazon with a Sphear and a Shield lodged in it.

'Tis still recorded that Bacchus came out of his thigh, where he had been lodged, to perfect his time, after he was taken out of his Mother Semele's Womb, being yet but half form'd. Wherefore an incision was made in his Thigh, when the pains of labour seiz'd him, to give a free Passage to little Bacchus. And this is yet reported by the same Lucian in the Dialogue of the Gods.

The Nations of the World built him a great many Temples, and honoured him like a God, under several names, according to his several performances.

He is called Jupiter Inventor, an Epithet that Hercules bestowed upon him, because by his means he had found again the Cows which Cacus had stole away from him, and erected him an Altar, whereupon he offered him sacrifices.

Romulus called him Jupiter Feretrius, because he had strengthned him to overcome his Ene∣mies, and get the spoils which he consecrated to him in a Temple built at the top of the Capitol under the Title of Jupiter Feretrius: Livy gives us the words of this dedication: Jupiter Feretri, haec tibi victor Romulus Rex regia arma fero, templumque his regionibus, quas modo animo metatus sum. dedico; sedemque op••mis spol••••s quae Regibus Ducibusque hostium caesis me auctorem sequentes posteri ferent. This was the first Tem∣ple that was consecrated to Jupiter in Rome, whither the spoils taken from Kings or Com∣manders of the Enemies Forces were brought.