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sorrows of the whole people； at an earlier time they may have been looked on as embodiments of vegetation； perhaps of the corn but particularly of the fig…trees； and that the beating which they received and the death which they died were intended primarily to brace and refresh the powers of vegetation then beginning to droop and languish under the torrid heat of the Greek summer。
The view here taken of the Greek scapegoat； if it is correct； obviates an objection which might otherwise be brought against the main argument of this book。 To the theory that the priest of Aricia was slain as a representative of the spirit of the grove； it might have been objected that such a custom has no analogy in classical antiquity。 But reasons have now been given for believing that the human being periodically and occasionally slain by the Asiatic Greeks was regularly treated as an embodiment of a divinity of vegetation。 Probably the persons whom the Athenians kept to be sacrificed were similarly treated as divine。 That they were social outcasts did not matter。 On the primitive view a man is not chosen to be the mouth…piece or embodiment of a god on account of his high moral qualities or social rank。 The divine afflatus descends equally on the good and the bad； the lofty and the lowly。 If then the civilised Greeks of Asia and Athens habitually sacrificed men whom they regarded as incarnate gods； there can be no inherent improbability in the supposition that at the dawn of history a similar custom was observed by the semibarbarous Latins in the Arician Grove。
But to clinch the argument； it is clearly desirable to prove that the custom of putting to death a human representative of a god was known and practised in ancient Italy elsewhere than in the Arician Grove。 This proof I now propose to adduce。
3。 The Roman Saturnalia
WE have seen that many peoples have been used to observe an annual period of license； when the customary restraints of law and morality are thrown aside； when the whole population give themselves up to extravagant mirth and jollity； and when the darker passions find a vent which would never be allowed them in the more staid and sober course of ordinary life。 Such outbursts of the pent…up forces of human nature； too often degenerating into wild orgies of lust and crime； occur most commonly at the end of the year； and are frequently associated； as I have had occasion to point out； with one or other of the agricultural seasons； especially with the time of sowing or of harvest。 Now； of all these periods of license the one which is best known and which in modern language has given its name to the rest； is the Saturnalia。 This famous festival fell in December； the last month of the Roman year； and was popularly supposed to commemorate the merry reign of Saturn； the god of sowing and of husbandry； who lived on earth long ago as a righteous and beneficent king of Italy； drew the rude and scattered dwellers on the mountains together； taught them to till the ground； gave them laws； and ruled in peace。 His reign was the fabled Golden Age： the earth brought forth abundantly： no sound of war or discord troubled the happy world： no baleful love of lucre worked like poison in the blood of the industrious and contented peasantry。 Slavery and private property were alike unknown： all men had all things in common。 At last the good god； the kindly king； vanished suddenly； but his memory was cherished to distant ages； shrines were reared in his honour； and many hills and high places in Italy bore his name。 Yet the bright tradition of his reign was crossed by a dark shadow： his altars are said to have been stained with the blood of human victims； for whom a more merciful age afterwards substituted effigies。 Of this gloomy side of the god's religion there is little or no trace in the descriptions which ancient writers have left us of the Saturnalia。 Feasting and revelry and all the mad pursuit of pleasure are the features that seem to have especially marked this carnival of antiquity； as it went on for seven days in the streets and public squares and houses of ancient Rome from the seventeenth to the twenty…third of December。
But no feature of the festival is more remarkable； nothing in it seems to have struck the ancients themselves more than the license granted to slaves at this time。 The distinction between the free and the servile classes was temporarily abolished。 The slave might rail at his master； intoxicate himself like his betters； sit down at table with them； and not even a word of reproof would be administered to him for conduct which at any other season might have been punished with stripes； imprisonment； or death。 Nay； more； masters actually changed places with their slaves and waited on them at table； and not till the serf had done eating and drinking was the board cleared and dinner set for his master。 So far was this inversion of ranks carried； that each household became for a time a mimic republic in which the high offices of state were discharged by the slaves； who gave their orders and laid down the law as if they were indeed invested with all the dignity of the consulship； the praetorship； and the bench。 Like the pale reflection of power thus accorded to bondsmen at the Saturnalia was the mock kingship for which freemen cast lots at the same season。 The person on whom the lot fell enjoyed the title of king； and issued commands of a playful and ludicrous nature to his temporary subjects。 One of them he might order to mix the wine； another to drink； another to sing； another to dance； another to speak in his own dispraise； another to carry a flute…girl on his back round the house。
Now； when we remember that the liberty allowed to slaves at this festive season was supposed to be an imitation of the state of society in Saturn's time； and that in general the Saturnalia passed for nothing more or less than a temporary revival or restoration of the reign of that merry monarch； we are tempted to surmise that the mock king who presided over the revels may have originally represented Saturn himself。 The conjecture is strongly confirmed； if not established； by a very curious and interesting account of the way in which the Saturnalia was celebrated by the Roman soldiers stationed on the Danube in the reign of Maximian and Diocletian。 The account is preserved in a narrative of the martyrdom of St。 Dasius； which was unearthed from a Greek manuscript in the Paris library； and published by Professor Franz Cumont of Ghent。 Two briefer descriptions of the event and of the custom are contained in manuscripts at Milan and Berlin； one of them had already seen the light in an obscure volume printed at Urbino in 1727； but its importance for the history of the Roman religion； both ancient and modern； appears to have been overlooked until Professor Cumont drew the attention of scholars to all three narratives by publishing them together some years ago。 According to these narratives； which have all the appearance of being authentic； and of which the longest is probably based on official documents； the Roman soldiers at Durostorum in Lower Moesia celebrated the Saturnalia year by year in the following manner。 Thirty days before the festival they