In Greece and Italy 277 



" Nymphs in their founts, 'midst Locris' woodland gloom, 

 Laved Hesiod's corse, and piled his grassy tomb. 

 The shepherds there the yellow honey shed. 

 And milk of goats was sprinkled o'er his head." 



To the underworld deities, to Hades and Hekate, as well 

 as to the spirits of the dead, honey was offered, as ^scliy- 

 lus describes in his tragedy of "The Persians." 



Atossa, the queen mother, having had her ill-omened 

 dreams confirmed by news of the defeat of the Persian 

 army under her son Xerxes, brings libations for her dead 

 husband, Darius, and says : — 



" I return, and bear 

 Libations soothing to the father's shade 

 In the son's cause ; delicious milk, that foams 

 White from the sacred heifer; liquid honey, 

 Extract of flow'rs." 



Euripides also in his " Iphigenia in Tauris " speaks of 

 honey libations to the dead, where Iphigenia, lamenting the 

 death of her brother, says : — 



" For him, as dead, with pious care 

 This goblet I prepare ; 

 And on the bosom of the earth shall flow 

 Streams from the heifer mountain-bred, 

 The grape's rich juice, and mix'd with these, 

 The labor of the yellow bees, 



Libations soothing to the dead. 

 Give me the oblation : let me hold 

 The foaming goblet's hallowed gold." 



In one of Lucian's comedies Charon comes from the 

 underworld to view things and people in the world above, 

 and Mercury conducts him about. Charon asks to see 

 the sepulchres where dead bodies are inhumed, and when 

 Mercury shows him the cemeteries, the ancient ferryman 

 of Hades is puzzled at the wasted mead he sees poured out 

 in honor of the dead, — mead, or metheghn, as it is also 



