90 ON THE ORIGIN OF CREMATION, 
a more general ground. Hence a poet, cited by Eusrarutvus, 
introduces a person as exclaiming against it, and as invoking 
Prometuevs to hasten to his assistance, and snatch, if possible, 
from mortals, the fire with which he had supplied them *. 
As Jews and Christians, in every age, preferred inhumation, 
because it bore a more direct analogy to the origin of man, it 
is remarkable, that even Lucretius virtually assigns the same 
reason for the practice : 
Cedit enim retro, de terra quod fuit ante 
In terram. 
A variety of reasons may be supposed, either separately or 
in connection with each other, according to the prejudices and 
habits of particular tribes or families, to have induced the in- 
troduction of this mode. The influence of such reasons may 
also be supposed to have been greater or less, in proportion to 
their relative probability, as they appeared to the minds of 
those who contemplated them ; or according to peculiar cir- 
cumstances, as existing in different ages, or among different 
nations. There are other reasons, which have a superior claim 
to our attention, as being expressly mentioned by ancient wri- 
ters. 
1. The mode of cremation may have been preferred, in some 
instances, as a means of guarding the living against the fatal 
effects of putridity from the dead. The Romans, we know, 
originally used their dwelling-houses as tombs for their decea- 
sed relations. The same practice prevailed among the more 
early Greeks +. The Thebans, in one period of their history, 
had 
* Evsraru. in Iliad. A. p. 32. 
- Pare ts ' EY , 5 e 
t OF DE ced beeivwy medrspos duct xcceh Woemroy ty ay dixie vods emobavovras ; Hyutis 3: cobray gdiy 
xoicvusy. Pua, Minoe, Oper. ii. p. 315. edit. Paris. 1578. 
