Book 15
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They also wore garlands over their foreheads, as the sweet Anacreon says— And placing on our brows fresh parsley crowns, Let's honour Bacchus with a jovial feast. They also wore garlands on their breasts, and anointed them with perfume, because that is the seat of the heart. And they call the garlands which they put round their necks ὑποθυμιάδες, as Alcæus does in these lines— Let every one twine round his neck Wreathed ὑποθυμιάδες of anise. And Sappho says— And wreathed ὑποθυμιάδες In numbers round their tender throats. And Anacreon says— They placed upon their bosoms lotus flowers Entwined in fragrant ὑποθυμιάδες. Aeschylus also, in his Prometheus Unbound, says distinctly— And therefore we, in honour of Prometheus, Place garlands on our heads, a poor atonement For the sad chains with which his limbs were bound. And again, in the play entitled the Sphinx, he says- Give the stranger a στέφανος (garland), the ancient στέφος,— This is the best of chains, as we may judge From great Prometheus. But Sappho gives a more simple reason for our wearing garlands, speaking as follows— But place those garlands on thy lovely hair, Twining the tender sprouts of anise green With skilful hand; for offerings of flowers Are pleasing to the gods, who hate all those Who come before them with uncrowned heads. In which lines she enjoins all who offer sacrifice to wear garlands on their heads, as they are beautiful things, and acceptable to the Gods. Aristotle also, in his Banquet, says, We never offer any mutilated gift to the Gods, but only such as are perfect and entire; and what is full is entire, and crowning anything indicates filling it in some sort. So Homer says— The slaves the goblets crown'd with rosy wine; Iliad, i. 470. And in another place he says— But God plain forms with eloquence does crown. Odyss. viii. 170. That is to say, eloquence in speaking makes up in the case of some men for their personal ugliness. Now this is what the στέφανος seems intended to do, on which account, in times of mourning, we do exactly the contrary. For wishing to testify our sympathy for the dead, we mutilate ourselves by cutting our hair, and by putting aside our garlands.
