[Chapter 42.] Varro (Marcus Terentius), 116-28 b.c. The most learned and voluminous of Roman authors.
an image of Mercury. Clearly the reference is to some such practice as that of 'screeing' in the ink-pool. Cp. Kinglake, Eothen, chap. 18.
Cato (the famous Marcus Cato, see [chap. 17, note]) was priest of Apollo and received offerings to the god.
[Chapter 43.] Plato. Sympos. 202, where δαίμονες are spoken of as powers 'which interpret and convey to the gods the prayers and sacrifices of men and to men the commands and rewards of gods.' Also cp. de deo Socratis, chap. 6.
fair and unblemished of body. Beauty and virginity are insisted on in various passages in the magical papyri (see Abt op. cit., p. 185) as necessary in the boy through whom the god is to speak. Cp. also Benvenuto Cellini's Autobiography (Symond's Translation, p. 126, ed. 1901).
Pythagoras. 'I think also it was said by the Pythagoreans respecting those who teach for the sake of reward, that they show themselves to be worse than statuaries or those artists who perform their work sitting. For these, when some one orders them to make a statue of Hermes, search for wood adapted to the reception of the proper form; but those pretend that they can readily produce the works of virtue from every nature.' Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, chap. 34 (Taylor's Translation).
[Chapter 44.] as might fairly be produced at a sacrifice, &c. The divination is preceded by sacrifice just as in Benvenuto Cellini (loc. cit.) the sorcerer first burns incense. The head is touched as being the source from which the oracle is to proceed (arx et regia, chap. 50). The clean robe is necessary, to ritual purity and is mentioned more than once in the magic papyri.
[Chapter 45.] Gagates is, according to Pliny, N.H. xxxvi. 141, 2, a black smooth stone, resembling pumice. It is light and fragile and differs but little from wood. When powdered it emits a strong odour; when burned it smells sulphurous, and, wonderful to relate, it is kindled by water and extinguished by oil.
[Chapter 47.] Twelve Tables. In this, the earliest Roman code, punishment was imposed on any person qui fruges excantassit, or qui malum carmen incantassit. Pliny, N.H. xxviii. 2. 17.
Quindecimvirs. The quindecimviri sacris faciundis were priests of Apollo and had charge of the Sibylline books.