f money
and put it into the mouth, to give to the ferryman Charon. With the
money a small quantity of pudding or cheese was put in for Cerberus,
to propitiate him. As a corpse was being carried out to be interred,
the deceased was commended to the protection of the infernal gods. To
burn a body was considered more honourable than to lay it in the cold
grave, for the Greeks thought that the divine and purer part of man
was carried by fire to the abode of the gods above. This belief
induced fanatical persons, when tired of life below, to burn
themselves, that they might all the sooner take their flight to the
regions of bliss. If a high wind sprang up when a body was being
consumed by flames, it was regarded as a favourable omen. On the body
being consumed, the fire was extinguished with red wine.

After a funeral, the people fumigated the house with brimstone, and
cleansed themselves by passing over a fire. They then kept a feast, or
rather feasts, at which they sacrificed to Mercury, that he might
carry the soul of the deceased to the realms of happiness. At the same
time the ghosts of relations were sacrificed to. Those who petitioned
the gods had garlands about their necks, or green boughs in their
hands. The branches were either laurel or olive, because the former
signified triumph, and the latter peace and goodwill.

Swine and swine's flesh were held in high esteem by the Greeks and
Romans, for various reasons--one of which was that Jupiter was nursed
by a sow. It was the custom to drink healths or toasts, and the last
one before going to bed was to Mercury, that he might give sound sleep
and pleasant dreams. Great men would, on a high occasion, drink to a
favourite, and hand him the cup to keep. When a person drank to the
health of one he loved, he partook of part of the liquor, and poured
the remainder of the wine on the ground. Drinking cups in remote times
were made from bulls' horns. The Greeks consecrated their horses to
the sun, and before engaging in war they consulted their prophets and
diviners. In particular, they paid great attention to the utterances
of Egyptian priestesses kept by them. Then, similar to the manner of
the Jews, Persians, and others, the Greeks consecrated to the gods, in
the event of obtaining victory, portions of goods secured from the
vanquished; and even relations were offered in sacrifice to the gods
supposed to have given triumph to the victorious armies. A Greek
general did not