the golden bough-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


l。　In　his　hand　he　carried　a　drawn　sword；　and　he　kept　peering　warily　about　him　as　if　at　every　instant　he　expected　to　be　set　upon　by　an　enemy。　He　was　a　priest　and　a　murderer；　and　the　man　for　whom　he　looked　was　sooner　or　later　to　murder　him　and　hold　the　priesthood　in　his　stead。　Such　was　the　rule　of　the　sanctuary。　A　candidate　for　the　priesthood　could　only　succeed　to　office　by　slaying　the　priest；　and　having　slain　him；　he　retained　office　till　he　was　himself　slain　by　a　stronger　or　a　craftier。

The　post　which　he　held　by　this　precarious　tenure　carried　with　it　the　title　of　king；　but　surely　no　crowned　head　ever　lay　uneasier；　or　was　visited　by　more　evil　dreams；　than　his。　For　year　in；　year　out；　in　summer　and　winter；　in　fair　weather　and　in　foul；　he　had　to　keep　his　lonely　watch；　and　whenever　he　snatched　a　troubled　slumber　it　was　at　the　peril　of　his　life。　The　least　relaxation　of　his　vigilance；　the　smallest　abatement　of　his　strength　of　limb　or　skill　of　fence；　put　him　in　jeopardy；　grey　hairs　might　seal　his　death…warrant。　To　gentle　and　pious　pilgrims　at　the　shrine　the　sight　of　him　might　well　seem　to　darken　the　fair　landscape；　as　when　a　cloud　suddenly　blots　the　sun　on　a　bright　day。　The　dreamy　blue　of　Italian　skies；　the　dappled　shade　of　summer　woods；　and　the　sparkle　of　waves　in　the　sun；　can　have　accorded　but　ill　with　that　stern　and　sinister　figure。　Rather　we　picture　to　ourselves　the　scene　as　it　may　have　been　witnessed　by　a　belated　wayfarer　on　one　of　those　wild　autumn　nights　when　the　dead　leaves　are　falling　thick；　and　the　winds　seem　to　sing　the　dirge　of　the　dying　year。　It　is　a　sombre　picture；　set　to　melancholy　musicthe　background　of　forest　showing　black　and　jagged　against　a　lowering　and　stormy　sky；　the　sighing　of　the　wind　in　the　branches；　the　rustle　of　the　withered　leaves　under　foot；　the　lapping　of　the　cold　water　on　the　shore；　and　in　the　foreground；　pacing　to　and　fro；　now　in　twilight　and　now　in　gloom；　a　dark　figure　with　a　glitter　of　steel　at　the　shoulder　whenever　the　pale　moon；　riding　clear　of　the　cloud…rack；　peers　down　at　him　through　the　matted　boughs。

The　strange　rule　of　this　priesthood　has　no　parallel　in　classical　antiquity；　and　cannot　be　explained　from　it。　To　find　an　explanation　we　must　go　farther　afield。　No　one　will　probably　deny　that　such　a　custom　savours　of　a　barbarous　age；　and；　surviving　into　imperial　times；　stands　out　in　striking　isolation　from　the　polished　Italian　society　of　the　day；　like　a　primaeval　rock　rising　from　a　smooth…shaven　lawn。　It　is　the　very　rudeness　and　barbarity　of　the　custom　which　allow　us　a　hope　of　explaining　it。　For　recent　researches　into　the　early　history　of　man　have　revealed　the　essential　similarity　with　which；　under　many　superficial　differences；　the　human　mind　has　elaborated　its　first　crude　philosophy　of　life。　Accordingly；　if　we　can　show　that　a　barbarous　custom；　like　that　of　the　priesthood　of　Nemi；　has　existed　elsewhere；　if　we　can　detect　the　motives　which　led　to　its　institution；　if　we　can　prove　that　these　motives　have　operated　widely；　perhaps　universally；　in　human　society；　producing　in　varied　circumstances　a　variety　of　institutions　specifically　different　but　generically　alike；　if　we　can　show；　lastly；　that　these　very　motives；　with　some　of　their　derivative　institutions；　were　actually　at　work　in　classical　antiquity；　then　we　may　fairly　infer　that　at　a　remoter　age　the　same　motives　gave　birth　to　the　priesthood　of　Nemi。　Such　an　inference；　in　default　of　direct　evidence　as　to　how　the　priesthood　did　actually　arise；　can　never　amount　to　demonstration。　But　it　will　be　more　or　less　probable　according　to　the　degree　of　completeness　with　which　it　fulfils　the　conditions　I　have　indicated。　The　object　of　this　book　is；　by　meeting　these　conditions；　to　offer　a　fairly　probable　explanation　of　the　priesthood　of　Nemi。

I　begin　by　setting　forth　the　few　facts　and　legends　which　have　come　down　to　us　on　the　subject。　According　to　one　story　the　worship　of　Diana　at　Nemi　was　instituted　by　Orestes；　who；　after　killing　Thoas；　King　of　the　Tauric　Chersonese　（the　Crimea）；　fled　with　his　sister　to　Italy；　bringing　with　him　the　image　of　the　Tauric　Diana　hidden　in　a　faggot　of　sticks。　After　his　death　his　bones　were　transported　from　Aricia　to　Rome　and　buried　in　front　of　the　temple　of　Saturn；　on　the　Capitoline　slope；　beside　the　temple　of　Concord。　The　bloody　ritual　which　legend　ascribed　to　the　Tauric　Diana　is　familiar　to　classical　readers；　it　is　said　that　every　stranger　who　landed　on　the　shore　was　sacrificed　on　her　altar。　But　transported　to　Italy；　the　rite　assumed　a　milder　form。　Within　the　sanctuary　at　Nemi　grew　a　certain　tree　of　which　no　branch　might　be　broken。　Only　a　runaway　slave　was　allowed　to　break　off；　if　he　could；　one　of　its　boughs。　Success　in　the　attempt　entitled　him　to　fight　the　priest　in　single　combat；　and　if　he　slew　him　he　reigned　in　his　stead　with　the　title　of　King　of　the　Wood　（Rex　Nemorensis）。　According　to　the　public　opinion　of　the　ancients　the　fateful　branch　was　that　Golden　Bough　which；　at　the　Sibyl's　bidding；　Aeneas　plucked　before　he　essayed　the　perilous　journey　to　the　world　of　the　dead。　The　flight　of　the　slave　represented；　it　was　said；　the　flight　of　Orestes；　his　combat　with　the　priest　was　a　reminiscence　of　the　human　sacrifices　once　offered　to　the　Tauric　Diana。　This　rule　of　succession　by　the　sword　was　observed　down　to　imperial　times；　for　amongst　his　other　freaks　Caligula；　thinking　that　the　priest　of　Nemi　had　held　office　too　long；　hired　a　more　stalwart　ruffian　to　slay　him；　and　a　Greek　traveller；　who　visited　Italy　in　the　age　of　the　Antonines；　remarks　that　down　to　his　time　the　priesthood　was　still　the　prize　of　victory　in　a　single　combat。

Of　the　worship　of　Diana　at　Nemi　some　leading　features　can　still　be　made　out。　From　the　votive　offerings　which　have　been　found　on　the　site；　it　appears　that　she　was　conceived　of　especially　as　a　huntress；　and　further　as　blessing　men　and　women　with　offspring；　and　granting　expectant　mothers　an　easy　delivery。　Again；　fire　seems　to　have　played　a　foremost　part　in　her　ritual。　For　during　her　annual　festival；　held　on　the　thirteenth　of　August；　at　the　hottest　time　of　the　year；　her　grove　shone　with　a　multitude　of　torches；　whose　ruddy　glare　was　reflected　by　the　lake；　and　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　Italy　the　day　was　kept　with　holy　rites　at　every　domestic　hearth。　Bronze　statuettes　found　in　her　precinct　represent　the　goddess　herself　holding　a　torch　in　her　raised　right　hand；　and　women　whose　prayers　had　been　heard　by　her　came　crowned　with　wreaths　and　bearing　lighted　torches　to　the　sanctuary　in　fulfilment　of　their　vows。　Some　one　unknown　dedicated　a　perpetually　burning　lamp　in　a　little　shrine　at　Nemi　for　the　safety　of　the　Emperor　Claudius　and　his　family。　The　terra…cotta　lamps　which　have　been　discovered　in　the　grove　may　perhaps　have　served　a　like　purpose　for　humbler　persons。　If　so；　the　analogy　of　the　custom　to　the　Catholic　practice　of　dedicating　holy　candles　in　churches　would　be　obvious。　Further；　the　title　of　Vesta　borne　by　Diana　at　Nemi　points　clearly　to　the　maintenance　of　a　perpetual　holy　fire　in　her　sanctuary。　A　large　circular　basement　at　the　north…east　corner　of　the　temple；　raised　on　three　steps　and　bearing　traces　of　a　mosaic　pavement；　probably　supported　a　round　temple　of　Diana　in　her　character　of　Vesta；　like　the　round　temple　of　Vesta　in　the　Roman　Forum。　Here　the　sacred　fire　would　seem　to　have　been　tended　by　Vestal　Virgins；　for　the　head　of　a　Vestal　in　terra…cotta　was　found　on　the　spot；　and　the　worship　of　a　perpetual　fire；　cared　for　by　holy　maidens；　appears　to　have　been　common　in　Latium　from　the　earliest　to　the　latest　times。　Further；　at　the　annual　festival　of　the　goddess；　hunting　dogs　were　crowned　and　wild　beasts　were　not　molested；　young　people　went　through　a　purificatory　ceremony　in　her　honour；　wine　was　brought　forth；　and　the　feast　consisted　of　a　kid　cakes　served　piping　hot　on　plates　of　leaves；　and　apples　still　hanging　in　clusters　on　the　boughs。

But　Diana　did　not　reign　alone　in　her　grove　at　Nemi。　Two　lesser　divinities　shared　her　forest　sanctuary。　One　was　Egeria；　the　nymph　of　the　clear　water　which；　bubbling　from　the　basaltic　rocks；　used　to　fall　in　graceful　cascades　into　the　lake　at　the　place　called　Le　Mole；　because　here　were　established　the　mills　of　the　modern　village　of　Nemi。　The　purling　of　the　stream　as　it　ran　over　the　pebbles　is