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| The Romans Provided Gods for Birth, Nay, Even Before Birth, to Death. Much Indelicacy in This System.
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Chapter
XI.—The Romans Provided Gods for Birth, Nay, Even Before Birth,
to Death. Much Indelicacy in This System.
And you are not content to assert the divinity of
such as were once known to you, whom you heard and handled, and whose
portraits have been painted, and actions recounted, and memory retained
amongst you; but men insist upon consecrating with a heavenly
life953
| 953 Efflagitant cœlo et
sanciunt, (i.e., “they insist on deifying.”) | I know not what incorporeal, inanimate
shadows, and the mere names of things—dividing man’s
entire existence amongst separate powers even from his conception in
the womb: so that there is a god Consevius,954
| 954 Comp. Augustine, de
Civ. Dei, vi. 9. | to
preside over concubital generation; and Fluviona,955
| 955 A name of Juno, in
reference to her office to mothers, “quia eam sanguinis fluorem
in conceptu retinere putabant.” Comp. August. de Civ. Dei,
iii. 2. |
to preserve the (growth of the) infant in the womb; after these come
Vitumnus and Sentinus,956
| 956 Comp. August. de Civ.
Dei, vii. 2, 3. | through whom the babe
begins to have life and its earliest sensation; then
Diespiter,957
| 957 Comp. August. de Civ.
Dei, iv. 11. | by whose office the
child accomplishes its birth. But when women begin their parturition,
Candelifera also comes in aid, since childbearing requires the
light of the candle; and other goddesses there are958
| 958 Such as Lucina, Partula,
Nona, Decima, Alemona. |
who get their names from the parts they bear in the stages of travail.
There were two Carmentas likewise, according to the general view: to
one of them, called Postverta, belonged the function of assisting the
birth of the introverted child; while the other, Prosa,959
executed the like office for the rightly
born. The god Farinus was so called from (his inspiring) the
first utterance; while others believed in Locutius from his gift of
speech. Cunina960
| 960 “Quæ
infantes in cunis (in their cradle) tuetur.” Comp.
August. de Civ. Dei, iv. 11. | is present as the
protector of the child’s deep slumber, and supplies to it
refreshing rest. To lift them (when fallen)961
| 961 Educatrix; Augustine
says: “Ipse levet de terra et vocetur dea
Levana” (de Civ. Dei, iv. 11). | there
is Levana, and along with her Rumina.962
| 962 From the old word
ruma, a teat. | It is a
wonderful oversight that no gods were appointed for cleaning up the
filth of children. Then, to preside over their first pap and earliest
drink you have Potina and Edula;963
| 963 Comp. August. de Civ.
Dei, iv. 9, 11, 36. | to teach the
child to stand erect is the work of Statina,964
| 964 See also
Tertullian’s de Anima, xxxix.; and Augustine’s de
Civ. Dei, iv. 21, where the god has the masculine name of
Statilinus. |
whilst Adeona helps him to come to dear Mamma, and Abeona to
toddle off again; then there is Domiduca,965
| 965 See Augustine, de
Civ. Dei, vi. 9 and vii. 3. | (to
bring home the bride;) and the goddess Mens, to influence the mind to
either good or evil.966
| 966 Ibid. iv. 21,
vii. 3. | They have likewise
Volumnus and Voleta,967
to control the will;
Paventina, (the goddess) of fear; Venilia, of hope;968
| 968 Ibid. iv. 11,
vii. 22. |
Volupia, of pleasure;969
| 969 Ibid. iv. 11.
[N.B.—Augustine’s borrowing from our author.] | Præstitia, of
beauty.970
| 970 Arnobius, adv.
Nationes, iv. 3. | Then, again, they give his name to
Peragenor,971
| 971 Augustine, de Civ.
Dei. [iv. 11 and 16] mentions Agenoria. | from his teaching men
to go through their work; to Consus, from his suggesting to them counsel. Juventa is their
guide on assuming the manly gown, and “bearded Fortune”
when they come to full manhood.972
| 972 On Fortuna
Barbata, see Augustine, de Civ. Dei, iv. 11,
where he also names Consus and Juventa. | If I must touch on
their nuptial duties, there is Afferenda whose appointed function is to
see to the offering of the dower; but fie on you! you have your
Mutunus973
| 973 Tertullian, in
Apol. xxv. sarcastically says, “Sterculus, and Mutunus,
and Larentina, have raised the empire to its present
height.” | and Tutunus and Pertunda974
| 974 Arnobius, adv.
Nationes, iv. 7, 11; August. de Civ. Dei, vi. 9. |
and Subigus and the goddess Prema and likewise Perfica.975
| 975 For these three gods,
see Augustine, de Civ. Dei, vi. 9; and Arnobius, adv.
Nationes, iv. 7. | O spare yourselves, ye impudent gods! No one
is present at the secret struggles of married life. Those very few
persons who have a wish that way, go away and blush for very shame in
the midst of their joy.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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