An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight.

Date:
1786
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An Account of the remains of the worship of Priapus : lately existing at Isernia, in the kingdom of Naples; in two letters : one from Sir William Hamilton ... to Sir Joseph Banks ... : and the other from a person residing at Isernia : to which is added, A discourse on the worship of Priapus : and its connexion with the mystic theology of the ancients / By R.P. Knight. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    169/234 (page 161)
    [ ] dude that the Hercules armed with the Bow and Arrow, as he appears on the prefent medal, is like the Apollo, the Deflroying Power of the diur- nal Sun. On the other fide of the MedaP is a figure, fome- what like the Jupiter on the medals of Alexander and Antiochus, fitting with a beaded Sceptre in his right hand, which he refts upon the head of a Bull, that projecfls from the fide of the Chair. Above, on his right fhoulder, is a Bird, probably a Dove, the fymbol of the Holy Spirit, defcending from the Sun; but, as this part of the medal is lefs perfect than the reft, the fpecies cannot be clearly difcovered. In his left hand he holds a ftiort Staff, from the upper fide of which fprings an Ear of Corn, and from the lower a Bunch of Grapes, which, being the two moft efteemed productions of the Earth, were the natural emblems of general Fertilization. This figure is therefore the Generator, as that on the other fide is the Deftroyer, whilft the Sun, of whofe Attri- butes both are perfonifications, is placed between them. The letters on the fide of the Generator are X quite * See Plate IX. Fig. 7. a.