surrounded with a chaplet, which seems to be a chaplet of Olive. The Romans made a distinction between Janus and Saturn, and supposed them to have been names of different men; but they were two titles of the same person. Saturn is represented as a man of great piety and justice, under whom there was an age of felicity; when as yet there were no laws, no servitude, no separate property, Rex Saturnus tantæ justitiæ fuisse traditur, ut neque servierit sub illo quisquam, neque quicquam privatæ rei haberet: sed omnia communia. He is by Lucian made to say of himself, 25. 35 εδεις υπ' εμε δέλος ην. The Latines in great measure confine his history to their own country; where, like Janus, he is represented as refining and modelling mankind, and giving them laws. At other times he is introduced as prior to law, which are seeming contrarieties, very easy to be reconciled. Saturn is by Plato supposed to have been the son of Oceanus: by others he was looked upon as the offspring of Cœlus. The poets speak of him as an antient king, in whose time there was no labour, nor separate property, the earth pro ducing every thing spontaneously for the good of 24 Justin. 1. 43. c. 1. 25 Dialog. EV TO #gos Kgovor. See Bochart. Phaleg. 1. 1. c. 1. and Voss. Idol. 1. 1. c. 18. p. 140. man. He was, however, at other times described with that emblem of husbandry, the 26 sickle, in his hand; and represented as going over the whole earth, teaching to plant, and to sow ; "Vitisator, curvam servans sub imagine falcem, The Ausonians in particular thought themselves upon these accounts to be greatly indebted to him. Diodorus Siculus gives the same history of Saturn, as is by Plutarch above given of Janus, Εξ αγριε διαιτης εις ημερον βιον μεταςήσαι ανθρωπες. He brought mankind from their foul and savage way of feeding to a more mild and rational diet. He was also, like Janus, described with keys in his hand and the coins struck in honour of him had on their reverse the figure of a ship. For this Ovid gives an idle reason; to which I have before spoken in the accouut of Janus, 29 Causa ratis superest: Thuscum rate venit ad amnem Ante pererrato falcifer orbe Deus. 26 Cum falce, messis insigni. Macrob. Sat. p. 157. Saturnus velato capite, falcem gerens. Fulgent. Mytholog He was looked upon as the 30 author of time; and often held in his hand a serpent, whose tail was in its mouth, and formed a circle and by this emblem they denoted the renovation of the year. They represented him as of an uncommon age, with hair white as snow; yet they had a notion that he could return to second childhood. He was particularly styled "Sator: and we have a remarkable description of him in Martianus Capella, who speaks of him under that title. "Saturnus Sator, gressibus tardus, ac remorator, incedit, glaucoque amictu tectus caput. Protendebat dexterâ flammivomum quendam draconem caudæ suæ ultima devorantem-Ipsius autem canities pruinosis nivibus candicabat: licet etiam ille puer posse fieri crederetur. Martial's address to him, though short, has in it something remarkable: for he speaks of him as a native of the former world. 33 Antiqui Rex magne poli, mundique prioris, 3* Ipse, qui auctor temporum. Macrob. Sat. 1. 1. p. 214. "1 He was supposed by some to have from hence received his A satu dictus Saturnus. Varro de Ling. Lat. 1. p. 18. name. $2 L. 1. c. 2. 33 L. 12. Epig. 63. |