XLIX] Studies in primitive Greek religion. 33 



stery attached to certain springs which gave them an import- 

 ant place in their religion. Being „earth-born", they were 

 naturally supposed to be in close communication with the 

 mysterious powers of the nettier world, and were looked upou 

 as places where the presence of these powers, or of their di- 

 vine spirit, particularly manifested itself. This belief, strength- 

 ened by the observation that mineral and sulphurous wells 

 really possess a wonderful power to „inspire" peopie who 

 drink of their water, explains to some extent why the well- 

 deities were closely connected by the Greeks with divination 

 and prophecy ^). As a matter of fact the majority of Greek 

 oracles had their mantic springs. We have already referred 

 to the well which sprang forth from the roots of the Dodo- 

 nian oak and which, according to sorae writers, delivered the 

 oracular responses ^). At Delphi there was the well Cassotis 

 which was said to go down underground and to inspira the 

 women in the god's temple with the spirit of prophecy ^). 

 In the Delphian valley there was also the sacred water ot 

 Castalia which was supposed to be in a mysterious connec- 

 tion with the river Cephisus, the belief prevailing that when 

 at certain stated days the Lilaians threw cakes and other things 

 prescribed by custom into the spring of Cephisus they re- 

 appeared in Castalia*). The Apollinian oracle at Claros also 

 had its mantic well although its divining powers caused the 

 death of the prophets soon afterwards ^). 



The place near Trapezountia where, according to Pausa- 

 nias, mysteries were held every second 3'ear in honour of the 

 'Great Goddesses' had also a remarkable spring, called Olym- 

 pias which every other year ceased to flow and near which 

 a subterranean fire arose ^). Another sacred well Pausanias 



*) Cf. Plut. De def. Orac. c. 40: r) bi yT/ tioXXujv fiki' åkXcov bvvå^ucov 

 jTtr^yäg åvh]ai åv&QÖjjtoLS, råg jwév éxazaTLxåg xal voawöeig xal &avaTi](fÖQOvg, 

 räg de jfp?;ffTä? xal nQOOi-ivelg xal chcfsXi^ovg. Tö öe [lavTiyöv (levixa xal 

 jtvevf-in ^ELÖzazöv éaxi Kat öaiwrarov, av re xaO'' tavrb bi åégog^ av re ne^ 

 vygov våpLarog äcpaigrjTai. 



^) Serv. ad Verg. Aen. III, 446. Plin. Eist. nat. IL 228. 



') Paus. X, 24, 7. 



*) Ibid. X, 8, 10. 



^) Plin. Hist. nat. II, 106 



«) Paus. VIII, 29, 1. 



3 



