THE MERMAID. 197 



kind, the repopulator of the earth, passed through various 

 phases and transformations till it merged in that of Venus, 

 who rose from the sea, and was regarded as the representa- 

 tive of the reproductive power of Nature the goddess whom 

 Lucretius thus addressed : 



" Blest Venus ! Thou the sea and fruitful earth 

 Peoplest amain ; to thee whatever lives 

 Its being owes, and that it sees the sun : " 



and to whom refers the passage in the Orphic hymn : 



" From thee are all things all things thou producest 

 Which are in heaven, or in the fertile earth, 

 Or in the sea, or in the great abyss." 



Under this latter phase the impersonation of Venus 

 the fish portion of the body was discarded, and the cast-off 

 form was allotted in popular credence to the Tritons minor 

 deities, who acknowledged the supremacy of the goddess, 

 and were ready to render her homage and service by bearing 

 her in their arms, drawing her chariot, etc., but who still 

 possessed considerable power as sea-gods, and could calm 

 the waves and rule the storm, at pleasure. 



FIG. IO. 



VENUS DRAWN IN HER CHARIOT BY TRITONS. From two Corinthian coins. 



Figs. 10 and 1 1 are from two Corinthian medals, each 

 shewing Venus in a car or chariot drawn by Tritons, one 

 male, the other female. On the obverse ot Fig. 10 is the 



