CAMBRIDGE LIBRARY COLLECTION Books of enduring scholarly value Classics From the Renaissance to the nineteenth century, Latin and Greek were compulsory subjects in almost all European universities, and most early modern scholars published their research and conducted international correspondence in Latin. Latin had continued in use in Western Europe long after the fall of the Roman empire as the lingua franca of the educated classes and of law, diplomacy, religion and university teaching. The flight of Greek scholars to the West after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 gave impetus to the study of ancient Greek literature and the Greek New Testament. Eventually, just as nineteenth-century reforms of university curricula were beginning to erode this ascendancy, developments in textual criticism and linguistic analysis, and new ways of studying ancient societies, especially archaeology, led to renewed enthusiasm for the Classics. This collection offers works of criticism, interpretation and synthesis by the outstanding scholars of the nineteenth century. Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age Four-time prime minister William Ewart Gladstone (1809–98) was also a prolific author and enthusiastic scholar of the classics. Gladstone had spent almost two decades in politics prior to his writing the three-volume Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age. This work and the preceding ‘On the place of Homer in classical education and in historical inquiry’ (1857), reflect Gladstone’s interest in the Iliad and the Odyssey, which he read with increasing frequency from the 1830s onward and which he viewed as particularly relevant to modern society. As he relates, he has two objects in the Studies: ‘to promote and extend’ the study of Homer’s ‘immortal poems’ and ‘to vindicate for them ... their just degree both of absolute and, more especially, of relative critical value’. Volume 2 presents an exhaustive study of the ‘Theo-mythology’, religious traditions and sources, and morals of Homer’s age. Cambridge University Press has long been a pioneer in the reissuing of out-of-print titles from its own backlist, producing digital reprints of books that are still sought after by scholars and students but could not be reprinted economically using traditional technology. The Cambridge Library Collection extends this activity to a wider range of books which are still of importance to researchers and professionals, either for the source material they contain, or as landmarks in the history of their academic discipline. Drawing from the world-renowned collections in the Cambridge University Library, and guided by the advice of experts in each subject area, Cambridge University Press is using state-of-the-art scanning machines in its own Printing House to capture the content of each book selected for inclusion. The files are processed to give a consistently clear, crisp image, and the books finished to the high quality standard for which the Press is recognised around the world. The latest print-on-demand technology ensures that the books will remain available indefinitely, and that orders for single or multiple copies can quickly be supplied. The Cambridge Library Collection will bring back to life books of enduring scholarly value (including out-of-copyright works originally issued by other publishers) across a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences and in science and technology. Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age Volume 2: Olympus; or, The Religion of the Homeric Age William Ewart Gladstone CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paolo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108012058 © in this compilation Cambridge University Press 2010 This edition first published 1858 This digitally printed version 2010 ISBN 978-1-108-01205-8 Paperback This book reproduces the text of the original edition. The content and language reflect the beliefs, practices and terminology of their time, and have not been updated. Cambridge University Press wishes to make clear that the book, unless originally published by Cambridge, is not being republished by, in association or collaboration with, or with the endorsement or approval of, the original publisher or its successors in title. STUDIES ON HOMER AND THE HOMERIC AGE, BY THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, D.C.L. M. P. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. IN" THKEE VOLUMES. VOL. II. Plenius ac melius Chrysippo et Crantore.— HORACE. OXFORD: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 5I.PCCC.LVI1I. [The riyh.l of 2'mnnlatwn is rcscncrl.] STUDIES ON HOMER AND THE HOMEEIO AGE. OLYMPUS: on, THE RELIGION OF THE HOMERIC AGE. BY THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, D.C.L. M. P. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. Plenius ac melius Chrysippo et Crantore.—HOBAOE. OXFORD: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.LVUI. | The riykt of Translation is reserved.] THE CONTENTS. OLYMPUS: THE RELIGION OF THE HOMERIC AGE. SECT. I. On the mixed character of the Supernatural System, or Theo-mythology of Homer. Homer's method not systematic Page i Incongruities of his Theo-mythology point to diversity of sources 2 Remnants of primitive tradition likely to be found in the Poems . 3 Extra-judaical relations between God and man 6 With tradition it combines invention 9 It is a true Theology corrupted 9 It has not its basis in nature-worship , 10 It could not have sprung from invention only 13 Sacrifices admitted to be traditional 15 Tendency of primitive religion to decay 17 Downward course of the idea of God 18 Decline closely connected with Polytheism 20 Inducements to Nature-worship 21 The deterioration of religion progressive 23 Paganism in its old age 25 The impersonations of Homer 26 The nature of the myths of Homer 29 vi CONTENTS. Tradition the proper key to many of them 3° He exhibits the two systems in active impact 33 Steps of the downward process 33 Sources of the inventive portions 35 Originality of the Olympian system 37 SECT. II. The traditive element of the Homeric Theo-mythology. The channels of early religious tradition 39 Some leading early traditions of Scripture 40 As to the Godhead 42 As to the Redeemer 42 As to the Evil One 43 Their defaced counterparts in Homer 43 Deities of equivocal position 46 Threefold materials of the Greek religion 48 Messianic traditions of the Hebrews 49 To be learned from three sources 49 Attributes ascribed to the Messiah 51 The deities of tradition in Homer g4 Minerva and Apollo jointly form the key rjg Notes of their Olympian rank 56 Of their higher antiquity 57 The Secondaries of Minerva go, The Secondaries of Apollo 60 Argument from the Secondaries 63 Picture of human society in Olympus 64 Dignity and precedence of Minerva 66 Of Apollo 69 Minerva's relations of will and affection with Jupiter 70 Those of Apollo .. .' «{ Apollo the Deliverer of Heaven 72 Power of Minerva in the Shades *,> These deities are never foiled by others *. The special honour of the Trine Invocation ^g They receive universal worship yg They are not localized in any abode g2 They are objects together with Jupiter of habitual prayer 83 CONTENTS. vii Exempt from appetite and physical limitations 86 Their manner of appreciating sacrifice 88 Their independent power of punishment go They handle special attributes of Jupiter 94 They exercise dominion over nature 98 Relation of Apollo (with Diana) to Death 10 r Exemption from the use of second causes 104 Superiority of their moral standard 105 Special relation of Apollo to Diana 108 Disintegration of primitive traditions 108 The Legend of Alcyone in Place of Minerva and Apollo in Providential government 113 It is frequently ascribed to them 115 Especially the inner parts of it to Minerva 117 Apollo's gift of knowledge 119 Intimacy of Minerva's personal relations with man 121 Form of their relation to their attributes 122 The capacity to attract new ones 124 Wide range of their functions 125 Tradition of the Sun 126 The central wisdom of Minerva 129 The three characters of Apollo 130 The opposition between two of them 131 Minerva and Apollo do not fit into Olympus 133 Origin of the Greek names 133 Summary of their distinctive traits 134 Explanation by Friedreich 138 Treatment of Apollo by Miiller 141 After-course of the traditions 142 The Diana of Homer 143 Her acts and attributes in the poems 144 The Latona of Homer 147 Her attributes in the poems 149 Her relation to primitive Tradition 153 Her acts in the poems 154 The Iris of Homer 156 The Ate of Homer 158 The aTao-daXir] of Homer 162 Other traditions of the Evil One 162 Parallel citations from Holy Scripture 165 The Future State in Homer 167 viii CONTENTS. Sacrificial tradition in Homer ' 7l He has no sabbatical tradition I11 SECT. III. The inventive element of the Homeric Tlieo-mythology. The character of Jupiter 173 Its fourfold aspect.—1. Jupiter as Providence 174 2. Jupiter as Lord of Air 178 Earth why vacant in the Lottery 179 3. Jupiter as Head of Olympus 181 His want of moral elements 183 His strong political spirit 185 4. Jupiter as the type of animalism 186 Qualified by his parental instincts 189 The Juno of Homer 190 Juno of the Iliad and Juno of the Odyssey 191 Her intense nationality 192 Her mythological functions 193 Her mythological origin 197 The Neptune of Homer 10,0, His threefold aspect 200 His traits mixed, but chiefly mythological 201 His relation to the Phoenicians 205 His relation to the tradition of the Evil One 206 His grandeur is material 200 The Aidoneus of Homer 210 His personality shadowy and feeble 211 The Ceres or Demeter of Homer 212 Her Pelasgian associations 213 Her place in Olympus 2I» Her mythological origin , 21c The Proserpine or Persephone of Homer 3I* Her marked and substantive character 21S Her connection with the East 32O Her place in Olympus doubtful 22o Her associations Hellenic and not Pelasgian 224 The Mars of Homer ,,- •i25 His limited worship and attributes 22g Mars as yet scarcely Greek 220 CONTENTS.