of
that of the Porta del Popolo. The Roman emperors in the east had also
some Egyptian obelisks transported to Constantinople. Fragments of two
of these monuments have been found in Sicily, at Catania; one of them
has eight sides, but it is probably not a genuine Egyptian work. The
use of the obelisk as a gnomon, and the erection of it on a high base
in the center of an open space, were only introduced on the removal of
single obelisks to Rome.

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RELIGION OR MYTHOLOGY.

Mythology is from the word myth, meaning fable, it is therefore a
system of fabulous opinions and doctrines respecting the deities which
the heathen nations have supposed to preside over the world or to
influence its affairs.

They had twelve gods, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Mercury, Mars, Vulcan,
Apollo, Diana, Minerva, Juno, Ceres and Vesta. Besides these there
were other lesser gods, Bacchus, Isis, Hebe, the Muses and the Fates,
etc.; also Sleep, Dreams and Death; and there were still others who
had free will and intelligence, and having mixed forms, such as the
Pegasus, or winged horse, the Centaur, half man and half horse, Hydra,
etc.

The Greek theory of the origin of things was that the beginning was
chaos laden with the seed of all nature, then came the Earth and the
Heavens, or Uranus; these two were married and from this union came a
numerous and powerful brood. First were the six Titans, all males, and
then the six females, and the Cyclops, three in number; these latter
were of gigantic size, having but one eye, and that in the center of
the forehead. They represented Thunder, Lightning and Fire, or the
rapid flame.

The Titans made war upon their father and wounded him, and from the
drops of blood which flowed from the wound and fell upon the earth
sprang the Furies, whose names signified "Unceasing," "Envier," and
"Blood-Avenger;" and the Giants and melian Nymphs, and from the blood
drops which fell into the sea sprang Venus, the goddess of love and
beauty.

The youngest and bravest son, Saturn, who wounded and dethroned his
father, was, by the consent of his brethren, permitted to reign with
an understanding that his male children should all be destroyed. But
his wife, Rhea, hid from him three of her sons, Jupiter, Neptune and
Pluto, who, waging a ten-year war against their father, finally
dethroned him and divided the kingdom among themselves. The oldest,
Jupiter, had the heav