On the ritual worship of Apollo—The bloodless sacrifices—Rites of expiation and purification—Expiation for murder in Attica and elsewhere—Prophetic office of Apollo—Character of his sacred music—On some festivals of Apollo—Historical account of the statues of Apollo—Influence of his worship on the government and philosophy of Greece.

1. Our intention in this chapter is to shew that, besides the mythology, the ceremonies also of the worship of Apollo so agree and harmonize together, as to furnish a decisive proof of the regular and systematic developement of that religion; after which we will endeavour to point out this agreement, and elucidate its relative bearings; although an attempt of this kind must necessarily be very imperfect, since the religion, which, in order to comprehend, we should regard with the ardour of devotion, is now merely the subject of cold and heartless speculation.

First, with regard to the sacrifices, it is remarkable, that in many of the principal temples a particular sanctity and importance was attributed to bloodless offerings. At Delphi cakes and frankincense were consecrated in holy baskets; at Patara, cakes in the form of bows, arrows, and lyres (emblems both of the wrath and placability of the deity).