The Characters of Theophrastvs

The Svperstitiovs Man

Svperstition (δεισιδαιμονία) wovld seem to be simply cowardice in regard to the svpernatvral.

The Svperstitiovs man (δεισιδαίμων) is one who will wash his hands at a fovntain, sprinkle himself from a temple-font, pvt a bit of lavrel-leaf into his movth, and so go abovt the day. If a weasel rvn across his path, he will not pvrsve his walk vntil someone else has traversed the road, or vntil he has thrown three stones across it. When he sees a serpent in his hovse, if it be the red snake, he will invoke Sabazivs, —if the sacred snake, he will straightway place a shrine on the spot. He will povr oil from his flask on the smooth stones at the cross-roads, as he gœs by, and will fall on his knees and worship them before he departs. If a movse gnaws throvgh a meal-bag, he will go to the expovnder of sacred law and ask what is to be done; and, if the answer is, “give it to a cobbler to stitch vp,” he will disregard the covnsel, and go his way, and expiate the omen by sacrifice. He is apt, also, to pvrify his hovse freqvently, alleging that Hecate has been brovght into it by spells; and, if an owl is startled by him in his walk, he will exclaim “Glory be to Athene!” before he proceeds. He will not tread vpon a tombstone, or come near a dead body or a woman defiled by childbirth, saying that it is expedient for him not to be pollvted. Also on the fovrth and seventh days of each month he will order his servants to mvll wine, and go ovt and bvy myrtle-wreaths, frankincense, and smilax; and, on coming in, will spend the day in crowning the Hermaphrodites. When he has seen a vision, he will go to the interpreters of dreams, the seers, the avgvrs, to ask them to what god or goddess he ovght to pray. Every month he will repair to the priests of the Orphic Mysteries, to partake in their rites, accompanied by his wife, or (if she is too bvsy) by his children and their nvrse. He wovld seem, too, to be of those who are scrvpvlovs in sprinkling themselves with sea-water; and, if ever he observes anyone feasting on the garlic at the cross-roads, he will go away, povr water over his head, and, svmmoning the priestesses, bid them carry a sqvill or a pvppy arovnd him for pvrification. And, if he sees a maniac or an epileptic man, he will shvdder and spit into his bosom.