e is an allusion to the symbolical wheel of the
Egyptians, and the change of posture means that nothing human is
constant, and that, however God may turn about our lives, it is our duty
to be content. The act of sitting after prayer was said to portend that
such as were good would obtain a solid and lasting fulfilment of their
prayers. Or again, this attitude of rest marks the division between
different periods of prayer; so that after the end of one prayer they
seat themselves in the presence of the gods, in order that under their
auspices they may begin the next. This fully agrees with what has been
said above, and shows that the lawgiver intended to accustom his
countrymen not to offer their prayers in a hurry, or in the intervals of
doing something else, but when they were at leisure and not pressed for
time.

XV. By this religious training the city became so easily managed by
Numa, and so impressed by his power, as to believe stories of the
wildest character about him, and to think nothing incredible or
impossible if he wished to do it. For instance, it is related that once
he invited many of the citizens to dine with him, and placed before them
common vessels and poor fare; but, as they were about to begin dinner,
he suddenly said that his familiar goddess was about to visit him, and
at once displayed abundance of golden cups and tables covered with
costly delicacies. The strangest story of all is that of his
conversation with Jupiter. The legend runs that Mount Aventine was not
at this time enclosed within the city, but was full of fountains and
shady glens, and haunted by two divinities, Picus and Faunus, who may be
compared to Satyrs or to Pan, and who, in knowledge of herbs and magic,
seem equal to what the Greeks call the Daktyli of Mount Ida. These
creatures roamed about Italy playing their tricks, but Numa caught them
by filling the spring at which they drank with wine and honey. They
turned into all kinds of shapes, and assumed strange and terrible forms,
but when they found that they were unable to escape, they told Numa much
of the future, and showed him how to make a charm against thunder-bolts,
which is used to this day, and is made of onions and hair and sprats.
Some say that it was not these deities who told him the charm, but that
they by magic arts brought down Jupiter from heaven, and he, in a rage,
ordered Numa to make the charm of "Heads"; and when Numa added, "Of
onions," he said "Of men's"--"H