PALLADIUM;
the Palladium was a Sta∣tue of Pallas, which fell down from Heaven, in the keeping of which consisted the Fate of Troy, Ʋlysses and Diomedes creeping through the Gut∣ters into the Temple that was in Troy, took a∣way the Palladium: Diomedes after the Destru∣ction of Troy, going into Italy, gave the Palla∣dium to Aeneas, in Pursuance to the Commands of the Gods: Aeneas deposited the same at Lavi∣nium, where it continued. It was afterwards carried to Rome into the Temple of Vesta; ne∣vertheless, Appian in his History of the Mithri∣datick War, says, that when Fimbria ruined Ili∣um he boasted he had there found the Palladium whole among the Ruines: Dionysius of Hali∣carnassus is of Opinion, there were Two of these Statues of Pallas one of which was taken away by Ʋlysses and Diomedes during the Seige of Troy, and another that was left there. Others assure us, that the Trojans made another Palladium ex∣actly like the true one, and that it was the false one which the Grecians took away: Dionysius of Halicarnassus his Words are these:
The Oracle having assured them the Town would be im∣pregnable, and the Kingdom remain unshaken, as long as those sacred Pledges were there: The Romans in all Likelihood feigned that there were Two Palladiums, or that there was one made like unto the other, that they might not be oblig'd to confess that they had lost the Pledge of the Eternity of their Empire.