of honour to discover his tomb, he chanced to behold an eagle pecking
with its beak and scratching with its talons at a small rising ground.
Here he dug, imagining that the spot had been pointed out by a miracle.
There was found the coffin of a man of great stature, and lying beside
it a brazen lance-head and a sword. These relics were brought to Athens
by Kimon, on board of his trireme, and the delighted Athenians received
them with splendid processions and sacrifices, just as if the hero
himself were come to the city. He is buried in the midst of the city,
near where the Gymnasium now stands, and his tomb is a place of
sanctuary for slaves, and all that are poor and oppressed, because
Theseus, during his life, was the champion and avenger of the poor, and
always kindly hearkened to their prayers. Their greatest sacrifice in
his honour takes place on the eighth of the month of Pyanepsion, upon
which day he and the youths came back from Crete. But besides this they
hold a service in his honour on the eighth of all the other months,
either because it was on the eighth day of Hekatombeion that he first
arrived in Athens from Troezen, as is related by Diodorus the
topographer, or else thinking that number to be especially his own,
because he is said to have been the son of Poseidon, and Poseidon is
honoured on the eighth day of every month. For the number eight is the
first cube of an even number, and is double the first square, and
therefore peculiarly represents the immovable abiding power of that god
whom we address as "the steadfast," and the "earth upholder."




LIFE OF ROMULUS.