ed, from a wolf, because
that god was supposed to keep the wolves from the sheep. Hence the place
where he was worshipped was called lupercal, and his festival
lupercalia, which was celebrated in February, at which the luperci ran
up and down the city naked, having only a girdle of goat skin round
their waists, and thongs of the same in their hands, with which they
struck those they met.

It is said that Antony, while chief of the luperci, went according to
concert, it is believed, almost naked into the forum, attended by his
lictors, and having made an harangue to the people from the rostra,
presented a crown to Caesar, who was sitting there, surrounded by the
whole senate and people. He attempted frequently to put the crown upon
his head, addressing him by the title of king, and declaring that what
he said and did was at the desire of his fellow citizens; but Caesar
perceiving the strongest marks of aversion in the people, rejected it,
saying, that Jupiter alone was king of Rome, and therefore sent the
crown to the capitol to be presented to that God.

CHAPTER XIII.

_Religious Ceremonies of the Romans._

The Romans were, as a people, remarkably attached to the religion they
professed; and scrupulously attentive in discharging the rites and
ceremonies which it enjoined.

Their religion was Idolatry, in its grossest and widest acceptation. It
acknowledged a few general truths, but greatly darkened these by fables
and poetical fiction.

All the inhabitants of the invisible world, to which the souls of people
departed after death, were indiscriminately called _Inferi_. _Elysium_
was that part of hell (_apud Inferos_,) in which the good spent a
spiritual existence of unmingled enjoyment, and _Tartarus_ (pl. -ra) was
the terrible prison-house of the damned.

The worship of the gods consisted chiefly in prayers, vows, and
sacrifices. No act of religious worship was performed without prayer;
while praying, they stood usually with their heads covered, looking
towards the east; a priest pronounced the words before them;--they
frequently touched the altars or knees of the images of the gods;
turning themselves round in a circle towards the right, sometimes
putting their right hand to their mouth, and also prostrating themselves
on the ground.

They vowed temples, games, sacrifices, gifts, &c. Sometimes they used to
write their vows on paper or waxen tablets, to seal them up, and fasten
them with wax to the kn