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 THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
Plenius ac melius Chrysippo et Crantore.--HORACE.
OXFORD: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.LVIII.
STUDIES ON HOMER AND THE HOMERIC AGE.
OLYMPUS: OR, 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.--HORACE.
OXFORD: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.LVIII.
[_The right of Translation is reserved._]
THE CONTENTS.
OLYMPUS:
OR
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 1
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
Tradition the proper key to many of them 30
He exhibits the two systems in active impact 32
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 54
Minerva and Apollo jointly form the key 55
Notes of their Olympian rank 56
Of their higher antiquity 57
The Secondaries of Minerva 59
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 71
Apollo the Deliverer of Heaven 72
Power of Minerva in the Shades 73
These deities are never foiled by others 74
The special honour of the Trine Invocation 78
They receive universal worship 79
They are not localized in any abode 82
They are objects together with Jupiter of habitual prayer 83
Exempt from appetite and physical limitations 86
Their manner of appreciating sacrifice 88
Their independent power of punishment 90
They handle special attributes of Jupiter 94
They exercise dominion over nature 98
Relation of Apollo (with Diana) to Death 101
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 111
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 Müller 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 Atè of Homer 158
The ἀτασθαλίη of Homer 162
Other traditions of the Evil One 162
Parallel citations from Holy Scripture 165
The Future State in Homer 167
Sacrificial tradition in Homer 171
He has no sabbatical tradition 171
SECT. III.
The inventive element of the Homeric Theo-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 199
His threefold aspect 200
His traits mixed, but chiefly mythological 201
His relation to the Phœnicians 205
His relation to the tradition of the Evil One 206
His grandeur is material 209
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 215
Her mythological origin 215
The Proserpine or Persephone of Homer 217
Her marked and substantive character 218
Her connection with the East 220
Her place in Olympus doubtful 223
Her associations Hellenic and not Pelasgian 224
The Mars of Homer 225
His limited worship and attributes 226
Mars as yet scarcely Greek 229
The Mercury of Homer 231
Preeminently the god of increase 233