Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-25
HISTORY.
The Oriai,. of .Ffnaer-Rings.

vulture, all the ivelong day. banqueted
his fill ON the black viands OF his hot
liver. The god had sworn to keep Pro-
metheus there, according to Hesoid,
eternally; but other authors give only
10000 years as the limit. He who had
punished did, for reasons, forgive but,
as Jupiter had sworn to keep Promethe-
us bound for the space of time men
toned, he, in order not to violate his
oath, commanded that Prometheus
should always wear upon his finger an
iron ring, to or in which should be
fastened small fragment of Caucasus,
so that it might be true, in a certain
sense, that Prometheus still continued
to be bound to that rock. Thus, as we
have said, came the idea of the first
ring, and, we may add, the insertion of
stone.
While some writer's, under this story,
connect Prometheus with the first ring,
Pliny still says the inventor of it is not
known, and observes that it was used
by the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Per-
SLAMS and Greeks, although, as he thinks,
the latter were unacquainted with it at
the time of the Trojan war, as Homer
does not mention it.
In the scriptures the slgnet ring is
frequently named, and Quintus Curtius
tells us that Alexander wore one. After
his fatal debauch, and finding himself
past recovery, and his voice beginning
to fail, he gave his ring to his General,
Perdiccas, with orders to convey his
corpse the Temple of Ammon. Being
asked to whom he would leave his en-
pire, he answered, "To the most
worthy"
The ring was generally the emblem of
fidelity in civil engagements; and hence,
no doubt, its ancient use in many func-
lions and distinctions. A ring denoted
eternity among the Hindoos, Persians,
and Egyptians and Brahma, as the
creator Of the world, bears ring in his
hand. The Egyptian priests in the
temple of the creative Phtha (Vrllcan of
the Creeks represented the year under
the form ring, made Of a serpent hav-
ing it's tail in its mouths very common
shape of ancient rings.
Pythagoras forbade the use Of the fig
ures of gods upon rings, lest, from see
ing their images too frequently, it should
breed contempt for them.
The custom Of wearing lighter rings
In the summer and heavier in the win
ter are among the most absurd instances
of Roman efeminacy. No ornament
was more generally worn among the
Romans than rings. They laid them
aside at night, as well as when they
bathed or were in mourning, or were
suppliants. However, in times of sor-
row, they rather changed than entirely
put them aside; they then used iron
ones, taking off the gold rings. It was
proof of the greatest poverty when
anyone was obliged to pledge his ring
to live. Rings were given by those who
agreed to club for an entertainment.
They were usually pulled off from the
fingers Of dying persons but they seem
to have been sometimes put on again
before the dead body was buried.
Rings appear to have been worn in
Discriminatory on the fingers of each
hand. It would seem, however, from
Jeremiah, that the Hebrews wore them
on the right hand we there read that
when the Lord threatened King Zede-
kiah with the utmost effects of his
anger, he told him: "Though Coniah
the son of Jehoiakim, King of Judah,
were the signet on my right hand, yet
would I pluck thee thence"
Among the Romans, before rings came
to be adorned with stones, and while the
craving was yet on the metal itself,
everyone wore them at pleasure on what
hand and finger he pleased. When
stones came to be added, they had them
altogether on the left hand; and it
would have been held an excess of fop-
perry to have put them on the right
Pliny says they were at first worn on
the fourth finger, then on the second or
index, then on the little finger, and, at
last, on all the fingers excepting the
middle one.
According to Aulus Gellius, both the
Greeks and Romans wore them on the
fourth finger on the left hand; and the
reason he gives for it is this, that having
found, from anatomy, that this finger
had little nerve that went STRAIGHT to
the heart, they esteemed it the most
honorable by this communication with
that noble part.
At first the Romans only used single
ring; then one ON each finger, and, at
length, as we gather from Martial, sew
eral on each. Afterward, according to
Aristophanes, one on each joint Their
foppery at length arose to such pitch