s, and was
now coming away, Rhadamanthus gave him a mallow root, and bade him pray to
that when he was in any peril or extremity; which he did accordingly; for
when he came to Hydamordia in the island of treacherous women, he made his
prayers to his root, and was instantly delivered. The Syrians, Chaldeans,
had as many proper gods of their own invention; see the said Lucian _de dea
Syria._ Morney _cap. 22. de veritat. relig._ Guliel. Stuckius
[6505]_Sacrorum Sacrificiorumque Gentil. descript._ Peter Faber Semester,
_l. 3. c. 1, 2, 3._ Selden _de diis Syris_, Purchas' pilgrimage, [6506]
Rosinus of the Romans, and Lilius Giraldus of the Greeks. The Romans
borrowed from all, besides their own gods, which were _majorum_ and
_minorum gentium_, as Varro holds, certain and uncertain; some celestial,
select, and great ones, others indigenous and Semi-dei, Lares, Lemures,
Dioscuri, Soteres, and Parastatae, _dii tutelares_ amongst the Greeks: gods
of all sorts, for all functions; some for the land, some for sea; some for
heaven, some for hell; some for passions, diseases, some for birth, some
for weddings, husbandry, woods, waters, gardens, orchards, &c. All actions
and offices, Pax-Quies, Salus, Libertas, Felicitas, Strenua, Stimula,
Horta, Pan, Sylvanus, Priapus, Flora, Cloacina, Stercutius, Febris, Pallor,
Invidia, Protervia, Risus, Angerona, Volupia, Vacuna, Viriplaca, Veneranda,
Pales, Neptunia, Doris, kings, emperors, valiant men that had done any good
offices for them, they did likewise canonise and adore for gods, and it was
usually done, _usitatum apud antiquos_, as [6507]Jac. Boissardus well
observes, _deificare homines qui beneficiis mortales juvarent_, and the
devil was still ready to second their intents, _statim se ingessit illorum
sepulchris, statuis, templis, aris_, &c. he crept into their temples,
statues, tombs, altars, and was ready to give oracles, cure diseases, do
miracles, &c. as by Jupiter, Aesculapius, Tiresias, Apollo, Mopsus,
Amphiaraus, &c. _dii et Semi-dii._ For so they were _Semi-dii_, demigods,
some _medii inter Deos et homines_, as Max. [6508]Tyrius, the Platonist,
_ser. 26. et 27_, maintains and justifies in many words. "When a good man
dies, his body is buried, but his soul, _ex homine daemon evadit_, becomes
forthwith a demigod, nothing disparaged with malignity of air, or variety
of forms, rejoiceth, exults and sees that perfect beauty with his eyes. Now
being deified, in commiseration he helps hi