the golden bough-第128章

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ummit　of　a　hill　about　a　mile　from　the　sea；　the　newer　city　sprang　up　at　the　harbour　some　ten　miles　off。　The　sanctuary　of　Aphrodite　at　Old　Paphos　（the　modern　Kuklia）　was　one　of　the　most　celebrated　shrines　in　the　ancient　world。　According　to　Herodotus；　it　was　founded　by　Phoenician　colonists　from　Ascalon；　but　it　is　possible　that　a　native　goddess　of　fertility　was　worshipped　on　the　spot　before　the　arrival　of　the　Phoenicians；　and　that　the　newcomers　identified　her　with　their　own　Baalath　or　Astarte；　whom　she　may　have　closely　resembled。　If　two　deities　were　thus　fused　in　one；　we　may　suppose　that　they　were　both　varieties　of　that　great　goddess　of　motherhood　and　fertility　whose　worship　appears　to　have　been　spread　all　over　Western　Asia　from　a　very　early　time。　The　supposition　is　confirmed　as　well　by　the　archaic　shape　of　her　image　as　by　the　licentious　character　of　her　rites；　for　both　that　shape　and　those　rites　were　shared　by　her　with　other　Asiatic　deities。　Her　image　was　simply　a　white　cone　or　pyramid。　In　like　manner；　a　cone　was　the　emblem　of　Astarte　at　Byblus；　of　the　native　goddess　whom　the　Greeks　called　Artemis　at　Perga　in　Pamphylia；　and　of　the　sun…god　Heliogabalus　at　Emesa　in　Syria。　Conical　stones；　which　apparently　served　as　idols；　have　also　been　found　at　Golgi　in　Cyprus；　and　in　the　Phoenician　temples　of　Malta；　and　cones　of　sandstone　came　to　light　at　the　shrine　of　the　Mistress　of　Torquoise　among　the　barren　hills　and　frowning　precipices　of　Sinai。

In　Cyprus　it　appears　that　before　marriage　all　women　were　formerly　obliged　by　custom　to　prostitute　themselves　to　strangers　at　the　sanctuary　of　the　goddess；　whether　she　went　by　the　name　of　Aphrodite；　Astarte；　or　what　not。　Similar　customs　prevailed　in　many　parts　of　Western　Asia。　Whatever　its　motive；　the　practice　was　clearly　regarded；　not　as　an　orgy　of　lust；　but　as　a　solemn　religious　duty　performed　in　the　service　of　that　great　Mother　Goddess　of　Western　Asia　whose　name　varied；　while　her　type　remained　constant；　from　place　to　place。　Thus　at　Babylon　every　woman；　whether　rich　or　poor；　had　once　in　her　life　to　submit　to　the　embraces　of　a　stranger　at　the　temple　of　Mylitta；　that　is；　of　Ishtar　or　Astarte；　and　to　dedicate　to　the　goddess　the　wages　earned　by　this　sanctified　harlotry。　The　sacred　precinct　was　crowded　with　women　waiting　to　observe　the　custom。　Some　of　them　had　to　wait　there　for　years。　At　Heliopolis　or　Baalbec　in　Syria；　famous　for　the　imposing　grandeur　of　its　ruined　temples；　the　custom　of　the　country　required　that　every　maiden　should　prostitute　herself　to　a　stranger　at　the　temple　of　Astarte；　and　matrons　as　well　as　maids　testified　their　devotion　to　the　goddess　in　the　same　manner。　The　emperor　Constantine　abolished　the　custom；　destroyed　the　temple；　and　built　a　church　in　its　stead。　In　Phoenician　temples　women　prostituted　themselves　for　hire　in　the　service　of　religion；　believing　that　by　this　conduct　they　propitiated　the　goddess　and　won　her　favour。　It　was　a　law　of　the　Amorites；　that　she　who　was　about　to　marry　should　sit　in　fornication　seven　days　by　the　gate。　At　Byblus　the　people　shaved　their　heads　in　the　annual　mourning　for　Adonis。　Women　who　refused　to　sacrifice　their　hair　had　to　give　themselves　up　to　strangers　on　a　certain　day　of　the　festival；　and　the　money　which　they　thus　earned　was　devoted　to　the　goddess。　A　Greek　inscription　found　at　Tralles　in　Lydia　proves　that　the　practice　of　religious　prostitution　survived　in　that　country　as　late　as　the　second　century　of　our　era。　It　records　of　a　certain　woman；　Aurelia　Aemilia　by　name；　not　only　that　she　herself　served　the　god　in　the　capacity　of　a　harlot　at　his　express　command；　but　that　her　mother　and　other　female　ancestors　had　done　the　same　before　her；　and　the　publicity　of　the　record；　engraved　on　a　marble　column　which　supported　a　votive　offering；　shows　that　no　stain　attached　to　such　a　life　and　such　a　parentage。　In　Armenia　the　noblest　families　dedicated　their　daughters　to　the　service　of　the　goddess　Anaitis　in　her　temple　of　Acilisena；　where　the　damsels　acted　as　prostitutes　for　a　long　time　before　they　were　given　in　marriage。　Nobody　scrupled　to　take　one　of　these　girls　to　wife　when　her　period　of　service　was　over。　Again；　the　goddess　Ma　was　served　by　a　multitude　of　sacred　harlots　at　Comana　in　Pontus；　and　crowds　of　men　and　women　flocked　to　her　sanctuary　from　the　neighbouring　cities　and　country　to　attend　the　biennial　festivals　or　to　pay　their　vows　to　the　goddess。

If　we　survey　the　whole　of　the　evidence　on　this　subject；　some　of　which　has　still　to　be　laid　before　the　reader；　we　may　conclude　that　a　great　Mother　Goddess；　the　personification　of　all　the　reproductive　energies　of　nature；　was　worshipped　under　different　names　but　with　a　substantial　similarity　of　myth　and　ritual　by　many　peoples　of　Western　Asia；　that　associated　with　her　was　a　lover；　or　rather　series　of　lovers；　divine　yet　mortal；　with　whom　she　mated　year　by　year；　their　commerce　being　deemed　essential　to　the　propagation　of　animals　and　plants；　each　in　their　several　kind；　and　further；　that　the　fabulous　union　of　the　divine　pair　was　simulated　and；　as　it　were；　multiplied　on　earth　by　the　real；　though　temporary；　union　of　the　human　sexes　at　the　sanctuary　of　the　goddess　for　the　sake　of　thereby　ensuring　the　fruitfulness　of　the　ground　and　the　increase　of　man　and　beast。

At　Paphos　the　custom　of　religious　prostitution　is　said　to　have　been　instituted　by　King　Cinyras；　and　to　have　been　practised　by　his　daughters；　the　sisters　of　Adonis；　who；　having　incurred　the　wrath　of　Aphrodite；　mated　with　strangers　and　ended　their　days　in　Egypt。　In　this　form　of　the　tradition　the　wrath　of　Aphrodite　is　probably　a　feature　added　by　a　later　authority；　who　could　only　regard　conduct　which　shocked　his　own　moral　sense　as　a　punishment　inflicted　by　the　goddess　instead　of　as　a　sacrifice　regularly　enjoined　by　her　on　all　her　devotees。　At　all　events　the　story　indicates　that　the　princesses　of　Paphos　had　to　conform　to　the　custom　as　well　as　women　of　humble　birth。

Among　the　stories　which　were　told　of　Cinyras；　the　ancestor　of　the　priestly　kings　of　Paphos　and　the　father　of　Adonis；　there　are　some　that　deserve　our　attention。　In　the　first　place；　he　is　said　to　have　begotten　his　son　Adonis　in　incestuous　intercourse　with　his　daughter　Myrrha　at　a　festival　of　the　corn…goddess；　at　which　women　robed　in　white　were　wont　to　offer　corn…wreaths　as　first…fruits　of　the　harvest　and　to　observe　strict　chastity　for　nine　days。　Similar　cases　of　incest　with　a　daughter　are　reported　of　many　ancient　kings。　It　seems　unlikely　that　such　reports　are　without　foundation；　and　perhaps　equally　improbable　that　they　refer　to　mere　fortuitous　outbursts　of　unnatural　lust。　We　may　suspect　that　they　are　based　on　a　practice　actually　observed　for　a　definite　reason　in　certain　special　circumstances。　Now　in　countries　where　the　royal　blood　was　traced　through　women　only；　and　where　consequently　the　king　held　office　merely　in　virtue　of　his　marriage　with　an　hereditary　princess；　who　was　the　real　sovereign；　it　appears　to　have　often　happened　that　a　prince　married　his　own　sister；　the　princess　royal；　in　order　to　obtain　with　her　hand　the　crown　which　otherwise　would　have　gone　to　another　man；　perhaps　to　a　stranger。　May　not　the　same　rule　of　descent　have　furnished　a　motive　for　incest　with　a　daughter？　For　it　seems　a　natural　corollary　from　such　a　rule　that　the　king　was　bound　to　vacate　the　throne　on　the　death　of　his　wife；　the　queen；　since　he　occupied　it　only　by　virtue　of　his　marriage　with　her。　When　that　marriage　terminated；　his　right　to　the　throne　terminated　with　it　and　passed　at　once　to　his　daughter's　husband。　Hence　if　the　king　desired　to　reign　after　his　wife's　death；　the　only　way　in　which　he　could　legitimately　continue　to　do　so　was　by　marrying　his　daughter；　and　thus　prolonging　through　her　the　title　which　had　formerly　been　his　through　her　mother。

Cinyras　is　said　to　have　been　famed　for　his　exquisite　beauty　and　to　have　been　wooed　by　Aphrodite　herself。　Thus　it　would　appear；　as　scholars　have　already　observed；　that　Cinyras　was　in　a　sense　a　duplicate　of　his　handsome　son　Adonis；　to　whom　the　inflammable　goddess　also　lost　her　heart。　Further；　these　stories　of　the　love　of　Aphrodite　for　two　members　of　the　royal　house　of　Paphos　can　hardly　be　dissociated　from　the　corresponding　legend　told　of　Pygmalion；　a　Phoenician　king　of　Cyprus；　who　is　said　to　have　fall