Classical Myth & Mysteries 2

A Greek form of Hermes

from Bryant’s MythologyThe name Hermes is derived from "Herm," a form of CHiram, the personified Universal Life Principle, generally represented by fire. The Scandinavians worshiped Hermes under the name of Odin; the Teutons as Wotan, and certain of the Oriental peoples as Buddha, or Fo. There are two theories concerning his demise. The first declares that Hermes was translated like Enoch and carried without death into the presence of God; the second states that he was buried in the Valley of Ebron and a great treasure placed in his tomb—not a treasure of gold but of books and sacred learning.

The Egyptians likened humanity to a flock of sheep. The Supreme and Inconceivable Father was the Shepherd, and Hermes was the shepherd dog. The origin of the shepherd’s crook in religious symbolism may be traced to the Egyptian rituals. The three scepters of Egypt include the shepherd’s crook, symbolizing that by virtue of the power reposing in that symbolic staff the initiated Pharaohs guided the destinies of their people. MPH

The Sphinx

From Levi’s Les Mystères de la KaballeThe Sphinx is closely related to the Greek legend of OEdipus. To each who passed her lair the Sphinx addressed the question, "What animal is it that in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two feet, and in the evening on three feet?" Those who failed to answer her riddle she destroyed. OEdipus declared the answer to be man himself, who in childhood crawled upon his hands and knees, in manhood stood erect, and in old age shuffled along supporting himself by a staff. There is still another answer to the riddle of the sphinx, an answer best revealed by a consideration of the Pythagorean values of numbers. The 4, the 2, and the 3 produce the sum of 9, which is the natural number of man and also of the lower worlds. The 4 represents the ignorant man, the 2 the intellectual man, and the 3 the spiritual man. Infant humanity walks on four legs, evolving humanity on two legs, and to the power of his own mind the redeemed and illumined magus adds the staff of wisdom. The sphinx is therefore the mystery of Nature, the embodiment of the secret doctrine, and all who cannot solve her riddle perish. To pass the sphinx is to attain personal immortality. MPH

The Sistrum

FromPultarch’s Isis and Osiris"The Sistrum is designed ... to represent to us, that every thing must be kept in continual agitation, and never cease from motion; that they ought to be roused and well-shaken, whenever they begin to grow drowsy as it were, and to droop in their motion. For, say they, the sound of these sistra averts and drives away Typho; meaning hereby, that as corruption clogs and puts a stop to the regular course of nature; so generation, by the means of motion, loosens it again, and restores it to its former vigour. Now the outer surface of this instrument is of a convex figure, as within its circumference are contained those four chords or bars [only three shown], which make such a rattling when they are shaken—nor is this without its meaning for that part of the universe which is subject to generation and corruption is contained within the sphere of the moon; and whatever motions or changes may happen therein, they are all effected by the different combinations of the four elementary bodies, fire, earth, water, and air—moreover, upon the upper part of the convex surface of the sistrum is carved the effigies of a cat with a human visage, as on the lower edge of it, under those moving chords, is engraved on the one side the face of Isis, and on the other that of Nephthys—by these faces symbolically representing generation and corruption (which, as has been already observed, is nothing but the motion and alteration of the four elements one amongst another)."

Base of a Delphian Tripod

From Montfaucon’s AntiquitiesThe windings of these serpents formed the base, and the three heads sustained the three feet of the tripod. It is impossible to secure satisfactory information concerning the shape and size of the celebrated Delphian tripod. Theories concerning it are based (in most part) upon small ornamental tripods discovered in various temples. MPH

The Delphian Tripod Restored

From Beaumont’s Gleanings of AntiquitiesAccording to Beaumont, the above is the most authentic form of the Delphian tripod extant; but as the tripod must have changed considerably during the life of the oracle, hasty conclusions are unwise. In his description of the tripod, Beaumont divides it into four parts: (1) a frame with three feet; (2) a reverberating basin or bowl set in the frame; (3) a flat plate or table upon which the Pythia sat; and (4) a cone-shaped cover over the table, which completely concealed the priestess and from beneath which her voice sounded forth in weird and hollow tones. Attempts have been made to relate the Delphian tripod with the Jewish Ark of the Covenant. The frame of three legs was likened to the Ark of the Covenant; the flat plate or table to the Mercy Seat; and the cone-shaped covering to the tent of the Tabernacle itself. This entire conception differs widely from that popularly accepted, but discloses a valuable analogy between Jewish and Greek symbolism. MPH

The Pythian Apollo

From Historia Deorum FatidicorumApollo, the twin brother of Diana, was the son of Jupiter and Latona. Apollo was fully adult at the time of his birth. He was considered to be the first physician and the inventor of music and song. The Greeks also acclaimed him to be the father of the bow and arrow. MPH

The Dodonean Jupiter

From Historia Deorum FatidicorumJupiter was called Dodonean after the city of Dodona in Epirus. Near this city was a hill thickly covered with oak trees which from the most ancient times had been sacred to Jupiter. The grove was further venerated because dryads, fauns, satyrs, and nymphs were believed to dwell in its depths. From the ancient oaks and beeches were hung many chains of tiny bronze bells which tinkled day and night as the wind swayed the branches. Some assert that the celebrated talking dove of Dodona was in reality a woman, because in Thessaly both prophetesses and doves were called Peleiadas. It is supposed that the first temple of Dodona was erected by Deucalion and those who survived the great flood with him. For this reason the oracle a Dodona was considered the oldest in Greece. MPH

Trophonius of Lebadia

From Historia Deorum FatidicorumTrophonius and his brother Agamedes were famous architects. While building a certain treasure vault, they contrived to leave one stone movable so that they might secretly enter and steal the valuables stored there. A trap was set by the owner, who had discovered the plot, and Agamedes was caught. To prevent discovery, Trophonius decapitated his brother and fled, hotly pursued. He hid in the grove of Lebadia, where the earth opened and swallowed him up. The spirit of Trophonius thereafter delivered oracles in the grove and its caverns. The name Trophonius means "to be agitated, excited, or roiled." It was declared that the terrible experiences through which consultants passed in the oracular caverns so affected them that they never smiled again. The bees which accompany the figure of Trophonius were sacred because they led the first envoys from Baeotia to the site of the oracle. A statue of Trophonius was placed on the brow of the hill above the oracle and surrounded with sharply pointed stakes so that it could not be touched. MPH

Apollonius of Tyana

From Historia Deorum FatidicorumConcerning Apollonius and his remarkable powers, Francis Barrett, in his Biographia Antiqua, after describing how Apollonius quelled a riot without speaking a word, continues: "He traveled much, professed himself a legislator; understood all languages, without having learned them: he had the surprising faculty of knowing what was transacted at an immense distance, and at the time the Emperor Domitian was stabbed, Apollonius being at a vast distance, and standing in the market-place of the city, exclaimed, ‘Strike! strike!—’tis done, the tyrant is no more.’ He understood the language of birds; he condemned dancing and other diversions of that sort; he recommended charity and piety; he traveled over almost all the countries of the world; and he died at a very great age." MPH

Diana of Ephesus

From Montfaucon’s AntiquitiesCrowned with a triple tower-like tiara and her form adorned with symbolic creatures representative of her spiritual powers, Diana stood for the source of that imperishable doctrine which, flowing from the bosom of the Great Multimammia, is the spiritual food of those aspiring men and women who have consecrated their lives to the contemplation of reality. As the physical body of man receives its nutriment from the Great Earth Mother, so the spiritual nature of man is fed from the never-failing fountains of Truth pouring outward from the invisible worlds. MPH

Æneas and the Harpies

From Virgil’s Aeneid (Dryden’s translation)They were described by the Greeks as being composite, with the heads of maidens and the bodies of birds. The wings of the harpies were composed of metal and their flight was accompanied by a terrible clanging noise. During his wanderings, AEneas, the Trojan hero, landed on the island of the harpies, where he and his followers vainly battled with these monsters. One of the harpies perched upon a cliff and there prophesied to AEneas that his attack upon them would bring dire calamity to the Trojans. MPH

Saturn swallowing the stone substituted for Jupiter

From Cartari’s Imagini degli Dei degli AntichiSaturn, having been warned by his parents that one of his own children would dethrone him, devoured each child at birth. At last Rhea, his wife, in order to save Jupiter, her sixth child, substituted for him a rock enveloped in swaddling clothes—which Saturn, ignorant of the deception practiced upon him, immediately swallowed. Jupiter was concealed on the island of Crete until he attained manhood, when he forced his father to disgorge the five children he had eaten. The stone swallowed by Saturn in lieu of his youngest son was placed by Jupiter at Delphi, where it was held in great veneration and was daily anointed. MPH

Examples of Hermae

From Christie’s Disquisitions upon the Painted Greek VasesThe primitive custom of worshiping the gods in the form of heaps of stones gave place to the practice of erecting phallic pillars, or cones, in their honor. These columns differed widely in size and appearance. Some were of gigantic proportions and were richly ornamented; others—like the votive offerings of the Babylonians—were but a few inches high, without ornament, and merely bore a brief statement of the purpose for which they had been prepared or a hymn to the god of the temple in which they were placed. These small baked clay cones were identical in their symbolic meaning with the larger hermae set up by the roadside and in other public places. Later the upper end of the column was surmounted by a human head. Often two projections, or tenons, corresponding to shoulders were placed, one on either side, to support the wreaths of flowers adorning the columns. Offerings, usually of food, were placed near the hermae. Occasionally these columns were used to uphold roofs and were numbered among the art objects ornamenting the villas of wealthy Romans. MPH

Pythagorean Signet Ring

From Cartari’s Imagini degli Dei degli AntichiThe number five was peculiarly associated by the Pythagoreans with the art of healing, and the pentagram, or five-pointed star, was to them the symbol of health. The above figure represents a magical ring set with a talismanic gem bearing the pentalpha, or star formed by five different positions of the Greek Alpha. On this subject Albert Mackey writes; "The disciples of Pythagoras, who were indeed its real inventors, placed within each of its interior angles one the letters of the Greek word ¡GEIA, or the Latin one SALUS, both of which signify health; and thus it was made the talisman of health. They placed it at the beginning of their epistles as a greeting to invoke a secure health to their correspondent. But its use was not confined to the disciples of Pythagoras. As a talisman, it was employed all over the East as a charm to resist evil spirits." MPH

The Table of Cebes

From Vaenius’ Theatro Moral de la Vida HumanaThere is a legend to the effect that the Tablet of Cebes, a dialogue between Cebes and Gerundio, was based upon an ancient table set up in the Temple of Kronos at Athens or Thebes, which depicted the entire progress of human life. The author of the Tablet of Cebes was a disciple of Socrates and lived about 390 B.C. The world is represented as a great mountain. Out of the earth at the base of it come the myriads of human creatures who climb upward in search of truth and immortality.

Above the clouds which conceal the summit of the mountain is the goal of human attainment—true happiness. The figures and groups are arranged as follows: (1) the door of the wall of life; (2) the Genius or Intelligence; (3) deceit; (4) opinions, desires, and pleasures; (5) fortune; (6) the strong; (7) incontinence, venery, insatiability, flattery; (8) sorrow; (9) sadness; (10) misery; (11) grief; (12) rage or despair; (13) the house of misfortune; (14) penitence; (15) true opinion; (16) false opinion; (17) false doctrine; (18) poets, orators, geometers, et al.; (19) incontinence, sexual indulgence, and opinion; (20) the road of the true doctrine; (21) continence and patience; (22) the true doctrine; (23) truth and persuasion; (24) science and the virtues; (25) happiness; (26) the highest (first) pleasure of the wise man; (27) the lazy and the strays. MPH