The poetical histories being a compleat collection of all the stories necessary for a perfect understanding of the Greek and Latine poets and other ancient authors / written originally in French, by the learned Jesuite, P. Galtruchius ; now Englisht and enricht with observations concerning the gods worshipped by our ancestors in this island, by the Phœnicians, and Syrians in Asia ... ; unto which are added two treatises, one of the curiosities of old Rome, and of the difficult names relating to the affairs of that city, the other containing the most remarkable hieroglyphicks of Ægypt, by Marius d'Assigny ...

CHAP. VII.

Of Bacchus,

BAcchus was born in the City of Thebes, his Father was Jupiter, and Semele was his Mother: She suffered her self while she

was big with Child, to be deceived by the perswasions of Juno, that did hate all the Mistresses of her Husband. For Juno dis∣guised her self and came in the habit of an old Woman to Semele, telling her, That it did concern both her interest and honour, that Jupiter should visit her in the same manner as he did Juno, with his Thunderbolts in his Hand, and that she should beg from him this favour: Jupiter could not deny her the request, but it happened that she was by this means consu∣med according to Juno's desire. The Childs danger moved Jupiter, who presently sepa∣rated him from his dead Mother, and shut him in his Thigh until the full time of his Birth was expired; So that he did him the Office of a Mother: For that reason Bacchus is called Bimater: Other Names are given unto him as Dyonisius, Liber, Bromius, Ly∣caeus, Lenaeus, Evan, &c.

As soon as he was born he was delivered to Silenus and the Nymphs, some say to Ceres, to be by them brought up; they were there∣fore in reward of their good Service received up into Heaven, and there changed into Stars called now Hyades.

When Bacchus came to be of Age he pas∣sed through most part of the World, and made War upon the Indians, whom he over∣came, and in their Country he built the City of Nisa. He was the first that did introduce the custom of Triumphing; at that time he did wear a Golden Diadem about his Head.

His Chariot was drawn by Tygers, his Habit was the Skin of a Deer, his Scepter was a little Lance, adorned with branches of Ivy and of the Vine. He invented the use of Wine, which he gave to the Indians to drink, at first they imagined that he had given them * 1.1poison, because it had made them both drunk and mad. They did commonly sacrifice un∣to him Men, but since his expedition into India he was content with other Sacrifices; for they offered unto him afterwards nothing but Asses, and Goats; to signifie, that those that are given to Wine, become sots, as Asses, or as lascivious, as Goats. Bacchus was brought up with the Nymphs, that teacheth us that we must mix Water with our Wine. He ne∣ver had other Priests but the Satyrs, and women because the latter had followed him in great Companies in his Journeys, crying, singing, and dancing continually: Therefore they were named Bacchanales, Mimallones, Lenae, Bassarides, Thyades, and Menades, names that express fury and madness. The greatest so∣lemnities in honour of this God, were every three years, called therefore Trieteria, or Orgia, from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies a transport of anger, because these mad Wo∣men clothed themselves wiih skins of Tygers, Panthers, and in their hair hanging down they did run over the Mountains with light∣ed Torches in their Hands, crying aloud, Eu hoe Evan, Eu hoe Bacche, that is, Good Son, a name given to him by Jupiter when in the

War with the Gyants, this Bacchus in the form of a Lion, ran violently upon the first and tore him in pieces.

* 1.2 Bacchus was usually painted with a Miter upon his Head, an Ornament proper to Women, or with a bald Pate, which signifies the effect of the excess of Wine. He had a Sickle in one Hand, a Pitcher in the other, and a Garland of R••ses upon his Head. He did always appear young, because Wine moderately taken purifies the blood, and keeps the Body in a youthful strength and colour. His Temple was next to * 1.3Minerva's, to express how useful Wine is to revive the Spirits, and enable our Fancy to In∣vent; for that reason the Heathens did sacrifice unto him the quick-sighted Dragon; and the chattering Py was also sacred to Bacchus, be∣cause Wine doth cause us to prattle more than is convenient. His Sacrifices were usually perform∣ed in the Evening and at night: And it is re∣ported of him, that he carried the Torch before Proserpina, when she was led to be married to Pluto the infernal God.

Juno could never endure the sight of him, therefore she labour'd to drive him out of Hea∣ven, and to banish him from all Society; he fled from her fury, and as he was resting him∣self * 1.4under a Tree, a Serpent named Amphis∣boena bit him, but he kill'd it with a Vine branch, which is a mortal poison to some Ser∣pents. Juno continued her hatred for him be∣cause he was her Husbands Bastard, until she

cast him into a fit of madness, which made him undertake an expedition against the Indians, and run over all the East Countries: Lusus was his companion, from him Portugal is called Lusi∣tania.

The truth is Liber, otherwise called Diony∣sius, or Osiris, by the Egyptians, was a King of Nysa a City in Arabia Felix, who taught his people, and the inhabitants of the adjoyning Countries many useful Arts, as the ordering of the Vine, and the preserving of Bees: He e∣stablished several good Laws; he is therefore called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. He perswaded the people to sacrifice to their Gods. He was therefore mighti∣ly honoured by all civil Nations: The Graeci∣ans established several Festival daies in honour of him; the chief are their Trieteria, kept eve∣ry three years in remembrance of his Indian Ex∣pedition, performed in that space of time, their Apaturia, their Phallica, and their Lenaea in the beginning of the Spring, that he might * 1.5bless their Vines. This latter Festival was na∣med Orgia, because his Proselytes did express in it nothing but fury and madness, although this name is sometime taken for all other Festi∣vals. The Romans had appointed the Ascolia in honour of Bacchus, at which time they carri∣ed the Statues of this God about their Vineyards, * 1.6as the Papists do beyond Sea their Host, or the Priest's God about their Fields that he might bless the fruits of the Earth. Afterwards the procession of Bacchus did return to his Altar, and there they raised the consecrated Victime

upon the top of a Lance, and did burn it to the honour of Bacchus; besides they took his Statues and Images and did hang them upon high Trees, imagining that they did contribute to the increase of the Grapes and of the Wine.

Now the Beasts that were dedicated to Bac∣chus, were the Goats, the Dragons; the Aegy∣ptians offered Sows. The Trees consecrated to him were the Ivy-tree, the Oak, the Fig, the Vine, the Smilax, and the Fir-tree. It was the Custom that all those that did sacrifice to Bac∣chus, did approach his Altars with a Branch or a Crown of that Tree in their hands, which they offered unto him. Bacchus was sometimes seen with a Garland of Daffadil or Narcissus about his head. His Priests were Women paint∣ed in frightful shapes, with Snakes for their Girdles, and Serpents twisted about their hair to represent their cruelty: for when they did perform the solemnity of this God, they did run with lighted Tapers and Swords in their hands, and did sometimes destroy one another, as Agave did her Son Pentheus, who despised Bacchus and his Sacrifices.

This God did, as the Poets tell us, punish all those persons that did neglect or oppose his Worship. Alcethous was changed into a Batt, * 1.7because he would not Sacrifice to him. And the Pyrats of Tyre, that stole him with an intent to abuse him, were changed into Dolphins; for when they had brought him on Ship-board, he forced them into the Sea in the shape of a furious Lyon.

* 1.8 T. Livius relates a strange story of the Festi∣vals of Bacchus, in Rome introduced by a Fortune-teller of Greece. Three times in a year the Women of all qualities did meet in a Grove called Simila, and there did act all sorts of Villany, those that did appear most reserved were sacreficed to Bacchus; and that the cryes of the murdered and ravished Creatures might not be heard, they did howl, sing, and run up and down with lighted Torches: When the Senate was acquainted with these night meetings, and their filthy practises, they banished them out of Italy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Therefore named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cruel Bacchus.
• * 1.2

  Addit. Not. He was also painted riding upon a Tiger, in one hand a bunch of Grapes, in the other a cup full of Wine.
• * 1.3

  Bacchus was called Hede∣reus, Serva∣tor, Lysius, Lyeus, Nyseus, Leneus, Dithy∣ambus, Briseus, Sabasius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 venerando Iacchus, Ele∣beus, Thyoneus, Nyctileus, Ovid lib. 4. Metam. l. He is called Vitifer.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Furore perci∣tus, a mad man, and a mad god.
• * 1.5

  He is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pindar. & Horace lib. 2. Od. 19.
• * 1.6

  This Festival is called the Festival of God. It is a∣bout the month of May.
• * 1.7

  Philostrat.
• * 1.8

  T. Livius lib. 39.