Note 33 — FIRST SECTION.

Justinus, Histor. Philipp., bk. XXI. ch. 3., Cum Rheginorum tyranni Leophronis bello Locrenses premerentur, voverant, si victores forent, ut die festo Veneris virgines suas prostituerent. Quo voto intermisso cum adversa bella cum Lucanis gererent, in concionem eos Dionysius vocat: hortatur ut uxores filiasque suas in templum Veneris quam possint ornatissimas mittant, ex quibus sorte ductae centum voto publico fungantur, religionisque gratia uno stent in lupanari mense omnibus ante iuratis viris, ne quis ullam attaminet. Quae res ne virginibus voto civitatem solventibus fraudi esset, decretum facerent: ne qua virgo nuberet, priusquam illae maritis traderentur. etc. (The people of Locri, when they were hard pressed in the war with Leophron tyrant of the Rhegians, had made a vow, that should they be victorious, they would abandon their virgins to prostitution on the feast-day of Venus. But this vow was broken, and when they were waging a disastrous war with the Lucanians, Dionysius calls them to an assembly, wherein he urges them to send their wives and daughters to the Temple of Venus in the gayest array they could, and that of these a hundred should be chosen by lot to carry out the public vow; that to fulfil the obligation to the goddess they should stand publicly in a brothel one month, all men having previously bound themselves by oath that none should deflower any one of them. Further that this thing should be no detriment to the maidens who so freed the city of its vow, a decree should be passed to the effect that no maiden might marry, until these were given to husbands; etc.). Comp. Athenaeus, Deipnos., bk. XII. p. 516. Strabo, bk. VI. p. 259, says: προεγάμει τὰς νυμφοστοληθείσας, (he used to lie first with maidens that had been made brides).