Plutarch's Romane Questions · Plutarch
10.
_What is the cause that when they adore and worship the gods, they cover their heads: but contrariwise when they meet with any honourable or worshipfull persons, if their heads haplie were then covered with their cover, they discover the same, and are bare headed._ FOR it seemeth that this fashion maketh the former doubt and braunch of the question more difficult to be assoiled: and if that which is reported of _Aeneas_ be true; namely, that as _Diomedes_ passed along by him whiles he sacrificed, he covered his head, and so performed his sacrifice; there is good reason and consequence, that if men be covered before their enemies, they should be bare when they encounter either their friends, or men of woorth and honour: for this maner of being covered before the gods, is not properly respective unto them, but occasioned by accident, and hath, since that example of _Aeneas_, beene observed and continued.
But if we must say somewhat else beside, consider whether it be not sufficient to enquire onely of this point; namely, why they cover their heads when they worship the gods, seeing the other consequently dependeth heereupon: for they stand bare before men of dignitie and authoritie, not to doe them any more honor thereby, but contrariwise to diminish their envie, for feare they might be thought to require as much reverence and the same honor as is exhibited to the gods, or suffer themselves, and take pleasure to bee observed and reverenced equally with them: as for the gods they adored them after this sort; either by way of lowlinesse and humbling themselves before their majestie, in covering and hiding their heads; or rather because they feared lest as they made their praiers, there should come unto their hearing, from without, any sinister voice or inauspicate and ominous osse: and to prevent such an object they drew their hood over their eares: And how true it is that they had a carefull eie and regard to meet with all such accidents, it may appeere by this, that when they went to any oracle for to be resolved by answer from thence upon a scrupulous doubt, they caused a great noise to be made all about them, with ringing of pannes or brasen basons.
Or it may well be, (as _Castor_ saith, comparing in concordance the Romane fashions with the rites of the Pythagoreans) for that the Dæmon or good angell within us, hath need of the gods helpe without, and maketh supplication with covering the head, giving thus much covertly to understand thereby, that the soule is likewise covered and hidden by the bodie. _Why sacrifice they unto_ Saturne _bare-headed_. IS it because _Aeneas_ first brought up this fashion of covering the head at sacrifice; and the sacrifice to _Saturnus_ is much more auncient than his time? Or, for that they used to be covered unto the celestiall gods: but as for _Saturne_ he is reputed a Subterranean or terrestriall god? Or, in this respect, that there is nothing hidden, covered, or shadowed in Trueth? For among the Romans, _Saturne_ was held to be the father of Veritie. _Why doe they repute_ Saturne _the father of Trueth_. IS it for that (as some Philosophers deeme) they are of opinion that [135]_Saturne_ is [136]Time? and Time you know well findeth out and revealeth the Truth. Or, because as the Poets fable, men lived under _Saturnes_ reigne in the golden age: and if the life of man was then most just and righteous, it followeth consequently that there was much trueth in the world. _What is the reason that they sacrificed likewise unto the god whom they tearmed_ Honor, _with bare head? now a man may interpret_ Honor _to be as much as Glory and Reputation_. IT is haply because Honor and glory is a thing evident, notorious, and exposed to the knowledge of the whole world: and by the same reason that they veile bonet before men of worship, dignitie, and honor, they adore also the deitie that beareth the name of Honor, with the head bare.
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