Question 39. Why do the Arcadians stone those that
go willingly into the Lycaeum, while those that go in ignorantly they carry forth to Eleutherae?
Solution. Is it on the ground that they gained their
liberty by being thus absolved, that the story has gained
[p. 283]
credit? And is this saying ‘to Eleutherae’ the same
as ‘into the region of security,’ or ‘thou shalt come
to the seat of pleasure’? Or is the reason to be rendered according to that fabulous story, that of all the
sons of Lycaon Eleuther and Lebadus alone were free
from that conspiracy against Jupiter, and fled into Boeotia,
where the Lebadenses use the like civil polity to that of
the Arcadians, and therefore they send them to Eleutherae
that enter unwittingly into the inaccessible temple of Jupiter? Or is it (as Architimus saith in his remarks on
Arcadia) that some that went into the Lycaeum unawares
were delivered up to the Phliasians by the Arcadians, and
by the Phliasians to the Megarians, and by the Megarians
to the Thebans which inhabit about Eleutherae, where
they are detained under rain, thunder, and other direful
judgments from Heaven; and upon this account some say
this place was called Eleutherae. But the report is not
true that he that enters into the Lycaeum casts no shadow,
though it hath had a firm belief. And what if this be the
reason of that report, that the air converted into clouds
looks darkly on them that go in? Or that he that goes
in falls down dead?—for the Pythagoreans say that the
souls of the deceased do neither give a shadow nor wink.
Or is it that the sun only makes a shadow, and the law
bereaveth him that entereth here of the sight of the
sun? Though this they speak enigmatically; for verily
he that goes in is called Elaphus, a stag. Hence the Lacedaemonians delivered up to the Arcadians Cantharion the
Arcadian, who went over to the Eleans whilst they waged
war with the Arcadians, passing with his booty through
the inaccessible temple, and fled to Sparta when the war
was ended; the oracle requiring them to restore the stag.
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