Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 1 1 



and black lambs were facrificed to Earth, Apollo, 

 Helios, and Zeus. As for fwine, the herds kept 

 by Eumasus, their huge pigfties, their grunting, 

 and the manner in which one is butchered by 

 OdyfTeus, are amufingly related in the fourteenth 

 Book of the "OdyfTey." They are called "deli- 

 cately fed," and they were finged when killed for 

 a feaft. 



The wolf was well known to the early Greeks. 

 We find it in conjunction with lions roaming 

 round the mythical palace of Circe. It rufhes 

 on lambs and kids, like champions hurrying to 

 the din of battle, and preys in conjunction with 

 pards and jackals upon flags. The myrmidons 

 whom Achilles leads to war are compared to a 

 flock of wolves in a fine naturaliftic picture ; 

 " like wolves, ravening after prey, around whofe 

 hearts is unfpeakable ftrength, which, having 

 pulled down a mighty horned ftag in the moun- 

 tains, tear it to pieces ; and the face of them all 

 is red with blood. Then they rum off in a 

 flock to lap up the furface of the dark waters 

 from a black-flowing fountain with {lender tongues, 

 vomiting forth clotted gore, and their courage 

 within their breafts is dauntlefs, and their ftomach 

 is diftended." 1 We hear of a wolf-fkin as well as 

 a dog-fkin helmet, and of one made of a weafel's 

 or more probably a marten's fkin. 2 



The horfe is conftantly mentioned, but never 

 feemingly as an animal to be ridden. A charac- 

 teristic pafTage, the only one in which the animal 



1 "Iliad," xvi. 156. 2 Ibid., x. 335. 



