160 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. 
Greeks, particularly the tripods on which they placed the flesh of the 
victim (pl. 30, fig. 8), the horn (jig. 9), the club or bludgeon (pl. 18, jig. 
17), the axes (jigs. 18, 19), the knives and forks (jigs. 20-23), and the wand 
or staff (fig. 24.) 
The priests and priestesses were divided into those who were engaged in 
the common service of the gods generally, and those who were devoted 
exclusively to the worship of particular gods. The former class embraced 
the Pontifices, whose number was sixteen, and who were selected from the 
first ranks of society. Their presiding officer was the Pontifex Maximus 
( pl. 30, jig. 1), who was appointed for life by the emperor. The latter 
class comprehended the /lamines, of whom the three most ancient and 
celebrated were those in the service of Jupiter (fig. 4), of Mars, and of 
Quirinus. Besides these, the sacrificial service required the aid of the 
Victimarw (fig. 6), men who had charge of the animals and other things 
necessary for performing the worship. 
The Augures (fig. 2) constituted a college of priests, who divined and 
proclaimed the will of the gods, either by signs in the heavens, especially 
thunder and lightning, or by observing the flight, song, and the cries of 
birds, or their manner of feeding. [or the latter purpose chickens were 
kept at the cost of the government, and fed by a special attendant (pl. 16, 
Jig. 34). Whenever it was desirable to consult them they were fed, and 
the Augurs carefully observed whether they ate eagerly or not, and upon 
this and other manifestations they founded their predictions. 
The Sibylline Books were preserved by the Quendecumviri, fifteen men 
(pl. 30, jig. 8) selected for that purpose, and whose office it was to consult 
the mystic pages, and prescribe the proper religious services whenever the 
state was in danger. ‘These ominous books of oracles were brought to 
Rome by Stbylla, a renowned soothsayer (whose supposed image we have 
copied in pl. 17, jig. 27), and offered to Tarquinius Priscus for a very great 
price, as containing divine revelations which would protect the state in the 
hour of danger. The books were nine in number. Tarquinius deeming the 
price demanded exorbitant, refused to buy them. Sibylla then left him, 
and after a period returned with six of the books, having burned three. 
For the remaining six she asked the same sum as before. When the king 
again refused the price she threw three more into the fire, and still per- 
sisted in asking the same price for the remaining ones. Struck by such a 
proceeding the king called a council of eminent men, who advised him to 
buy the remaining books for the benefit of the state, since it appeared that 
their contents were so precious that every part of them was worth the price 
of the whole. The books were then purchased, and kept in the temple of 
Jupiter, their oracles being interpreted for the benefit of the state by their 
keepers. According to Cicero, they were fabricated by a number of wise 
statesmen and priests, who employed Sibylla to effect their adoption, having 
couched the oracles in ambiguous language, and managed to reserve the 
office of interpreting them to a number of men selected from among them- 
selves and their descendants, thus securing for ages an enormous influence 
on all important affairs of state to their own families. 
380 
