[34] “De Babyloniorum instituto, ut mulieres ad Veneris templum prostarent,” (On the Babylonian custom of Women prostituting themselves at the Temple of Venus), note on Herodotus, I. p. 199 in Commentat. Soc. Reg. Götting., Vol. XVI. pp. 30-42.
[35] Vermischte Schriften, vol. VI. pp. 23-50, “Ueber eine Stelle bei Herodot.” (On a passage in Herodotus).
[36] According to _Tacitus_, Histor. II. 2., Under no circumstances must blood flow on the altars of the Paphian goddess.
[37] “Ideen über Politik und Handel,” (Ideas on Political Science and Trade), I. 2. p. 180. note 2.
[38] The King of Calicut at the southern extremity of Malabar gives his principal Priest a honorarium of 500 dollars, that he may loose his wives’ virgin-zone for him in the name of the Deity. _Sonnerat_, “Voyage aux Indes orientales” (Travels to the East Indies), Vol. I. p. 69. _Hamilton_, “New Account of the East Indies,” Vol. I. p. 308.
[39] _Herodotus_, bk. IV. ch. 172.—_Pomponius Mela_, bk. I. ch. 8. § 35.
[41] Menstruation was under the protection of the goddess _Mena_ (Augustine, De Civ. Dei, bk. XI. 11. VII. 2.; but Myllita was the Moon!
[42] Therefore in the case of the Lydians the women themselves selected their Strangers. _Strabo_, bk. XI. p. 533., δέχονται δὲ οὐ τοὺς τυχόντας τῶν ξένων, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα τοὺς ἀπὸ ἴσου ἀξιώματος. (but they receive not just the first-comers amongst the strangers, but by preference those of an equal position).
[43] So even in the Middle Ages, e. g. at Venice, it was quite usual for the daughters to earn their dowry by selling their bodies, and there, as in France, it was the mothers who acted as procuresses to their daughters with this object. _Stephanus_, “Apologie d’Herodote”, Vol. I. pp. 46-49. _Fr. Jacobs_, loco citato, p. 40.
[44] Memorari quoque solent causae physicae, seu marium seu feminarum corporis infirmitatis, quibus floris virginei decerpendi molestia aggravatur. (Certain physical reasons also are mentioned, connected with bodily defects whether of the man or the woman, which aggravate the difficulty of deflowering a virgin), _Heyne_, loco citato, p. 39. When these partly dietetic and prophylactic relations of the practice disappeared from the memory of the people, the _Priapus_ kept only its fecundating qualities, and accordingly we read in _Augustine_, De Civitate Dei, bk. VI. ch. 9., Sed quid hoc dicam, cum ibi sit et Priapus nimius masculus, super cuius immanissimum et turpissimum fascinum sedere nova nupta jubeatur more honestissimo et religiossimo matronarum? (But why tell of this, though Priapus is there, with the exaggerated penis of a man, on whose huge and foul organ the newly-wed bride is told to _sit_, following the custom held highly honourable and religious of matrons?) Comp. _Lactantius_, I. 20.—_Tertullian_, Adnot. II. 11. The same is related by _Arnobius_, bk. VI. ch. 7., of the similar god _Mutuus_: Etiamne Mutuus, cuius immanibus pudendis, horrentique fascino, vestras inequitare matronas, et auspicabile ducitis et optatis. (Mutuus too, on whose huge pudenda, and horrid organ you think it auspicious and desirable for your matrons to ride).