The herald., 1897-04-25

1t is no exaggeration to say that the
cult of the nineteenth century would be
poor indeed were it not indissolubly
linked to ancient Greece. We go to Rome
for law, but behind stand Lycurgus and
Solon: to Germany for philosophy, but
behind stand Plato and Aristotle; to
Italy for art, but behind there are
Phidias and Praxiteles; to England for
-lettres, but behind there is Homer.
OF the earlier civilizations ancient Hellas
ance of knowledge; to unbind thought
was the first to systematic its inherit
and send it out to free all lands.
And so the feasts or festivals of Greece,
at which representatives of the different
Greek nationalities assembled, attained,
together with Hellenic culture the most
widespread diffusion and belong to the
most striking phenomena presented in
the history of human development, not
only from their external form, but also
because of their intrinsic objects. There
Is to be found in them the true charac-
teristic of the Aryan race, namely, the
appreciation Of individuality. At no time
or place had this been valued to the same
extent; and though the Greeks did not
comprehend this principle as fully as
other peoples of the same race have since
done, yet their appreciation of it was so
decidedly marked that without consider
ing it it is not possible to comprehend
the Significance o. Greek life or influence.
insignificant as the prize of victory was
"a wBeath, a vase or tripod-so great
was the honor that the mere mention of
It was even deemed worthy a place in
history.
Greece possessed no such priesthood
as existed in other countries. In case of
need, and indeed always TO a great ex-
tent, each individual was his own priest,
and the master of the house was the
priest of the family. There was no ortho-
dox creed to be taught and preserved; !;
only the ancient traditional gods were
to be venerated and the state permitted
each man to have his own conception of
them. There were, indeed established
priests and priestesses, who represented
the state as a whole. but they had no
especial privileges, nor even special
conservation; they were merely officials
and temple servants. The Greek recog-
rized no mediator between himself and
his gods. There was, however, a deity
for almost every department of human
labor. When Paul visited Athens the
statues of the gods were so numerous
that law had been made to prevent
the further multiplication of deities, no
man being permitted to set up new god
without permission from the Areopagus.
It was on this charge, of setting forth
a strange god that Paul was taken into
court and enabled to make his famous
speech to the Athenians.
OF all this multiplicity of deities Ceres
(Demeter) received the most universal
and loyal worship. Every city in Greece
had a special temple and altar in her
honor The name, Ceres. is from the
stem "cer" (Sanskrit "kri''), TO make,
and by metonomy the word comes to
mean "corn" in the Latin. Demetes
means Mother Earth. AS the goddess
of sowing and reaping, of harvest and
agriculture in general, Ceres is connect
ed. through her daughter, Proserpine
(goddess Of spring., queen of hades, with
the holy ceremonies and rites of death
and the lower world.
Sacred Goddess Mother Earth,
Thou from whose immortal bosom
Gods, and men, and beasts, have birth,
Leaf and blade, and bud and blossom.
Breathe thine influence most divine
On thine own child, Proserpine."
OF the institutions founded in honor OF