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hrone　for　a　short　time。　The　history　of　Persia　furnishes　instances　of　such　occasional　substitutes　for　the　Shah。　Thus　Shah　Abbas　the　Great；　being　warned　by　his　astrologers　in　the　year　1591　that　a　serious　danger　impended　over　him；　attempted　to　avert　the　omen　by　abdicating　the　throne　and　appointing　a　certain　unbeliever　named　Yusoofee；　probably　a　Christian；　to　reign　in　his　stead。　The　substitute　was　accordingly　crowned；　and　for　three　days；　if　we　may　trust　the　Persian　historians；　he　enjoyed　not　only　the　name　and　the　state　but　the　power　of　the　king。　At　the　end　of　his　brief　reign　he　was　put　to　death：　the　decree　of　the　stars　was　fulfilled　by　this　sacrifice；　and　Abbas；　who　reascended　his　throne　in　a　most　propitious　hour；　was　promised　by　his　astrologers　a　long　and　glorious　reign。

Chapter　26。　Sacrifice　of　the　King's　Son。

A　POINT　to　notice　about　the　temporary　kings　described　in　the　foregoing　chapter　is　that　in　two　places　（Cambodia　and　Jambi）　they　come　of　a　stock　which　is　believed　to　be　akin　to　the　royal　family。　If　the　view　here　taken　of　the　origin　of　these　temporary　kingships　is　correct；　we　can　easily　understand　why　the　king's　substitute　should　sometimes　be　of　the　same　race　as　the　king。　When　the　king　first　succeeded　in　getting　the　life　of　another　accepted　as　a　sacrifice　instead　of　his　own；　he　would　have　to　show　that　the　death　of　that　other　would　serve　the　purpose　quite　as　well　as　his　own　would　have　done。　Now　it　was　as　a　god　or　demigod　that　the　king　had　to　die；　therefore　the　substitute　who　died　for　him　had　to　be　invested；　at　least　for　the　occasion；　with　the　divine　attributes　of　the　king。　This；　as　we　have　just　seen；　was　certainly　the　case　with　the　temporary　kings　of　Siam　and　Cambodia；　they　were　invested　with　the　supernatural　functions；　which　in　an　earlier　stage　of　society　were　the　special　attributes　of　the　king。　But　no　one　could　so　well　represent　the　king　in　his　divine　character　as　his　son；　who　might　be　supposed　to　share　the　divine　afflatus　of　his　father。　No　one；　therefore；　could　so　appropriately　die　for　the　king　and；　through　him；　for　the　whole　people；　as　the　king's　son。

We　have　seen　that　according　to　tradition；　Aun　or　On；　King　of　Sweden；　sacrificed　nine　of　his　sons　to　Odin　at　Upsala　in　order　that　his　own　life　might　be　spared。　After　he　had　sacrificed　his　second　son　he　received　from　the　god　an　answer　that　he　should　live　so　long　as　he　gave　him　one　of　his　sons　every　ninth　year。　When　he　had　sacrificed　his　seventh　son；　he　still　lived；　but　was　so　feeble　that　he　could　not　walk　but　had　to　be　carried　in　a　chair。　Then　he　offered　up　his　eighth　son；　and　lived　nine　years　more；　lying　in　his　bed。　After　that　he　sacrificed　his　ninth　son；　and　lived　another　nine　years；　but　so　that　he　drank　out　of　a　horn　like　a　weaned　child。　He　now　wished　to　sacrifice　his　only　remaining　son　to　Odin；　but　the　Swedes　would　not　allow　him。　So　he　died　and　was　buried　in　a　mound　at　Upsala。

In　ancient　Greece　there　seems　to　have　been　at　least　one　kingly　house　of　great　antiquity　of　which　the　eldest　sons　were　always　liable　to　be　sacrificed　in　room　of　their　royal　sires。　When　Xerxes　was　marching　through　Thessaly　at　the　head　of　his　mighty　host　to　attack　the　Spartans　at　Thermopylae；　he　came　to　the　town　of　Alus。　Here　he　was　shown　the　sanctuary　of　Laphystian　Zeus；　about　which　his　guides　told　him　a　strange　tale。　It　ran　somewhat　as　follows。　Once　upon　a　time　the　king　of　the　country；　by　name　Athamas；　married　a　wife　Nephele；　and　had　by　her　a　son　called　Phrixus　and　a　daughter　named　Helle。　Afterwards　he　took　to　himself　a　second　wife　called　Ino；　by　whom　he　had　two　sons；　Learchus　and　Melicertes。　But　his　second　wife　was　jealous　of　her　stepchildren；　Phrixus　and　Helle；　and　plotted　their　death。　She　went　about　very　cunningly　to　compass　her　bad　end。　First　of　all　she　persuaded　the　women　of　the　country　to　roast　the　seed　corn　secretly　before　it　was　committed　to　the　ground。　So　next　year　no　crops　came　up　and　the　people　died　of　famine。　Then　the　king　sent　messengers　to　the　oracle　at　Delphi　to　enquire　the　cause　of　the　dearth。　But　the　wicked　stepmother　bribed　the　messenger　to　give　out　as　the　answer　of　the　god　that　the　dearth　would　never　cease　till　the　children　of　Athamas　by　his　first　wife　had　been　sacrificed　to　Zeus。　When　Athamas　heard　that；　he　sent　for　the　children；　who　were　with　the　sheep。　But　a　ram　with　a　fleece　of　gold　opened　his　lips；　and　speaking　with　the　voice　of　a　man　warned　the　children　of　their　danger。　So　they　mounted　the　ram　and　fled　with　him　over　land　and　sea。　As　they　flew　over　the　sea；　the　girl　slipped　from　the　animal's　back；　and　falling　into　water　was　drowned。　But　her　brother　Phrixus　was　brought　safe　to　the　land　of　Colchis；　where　reigned　a　child　of　the　sun。　Phrixus　married　the　king's　daughter；　and　she　bore　him　a　son　Cytisorus。　And　there　he　sacrificed　the　ram　with　the　golden　fleece　to　Zeus　the　God　of　Flight；　but　some　will　have　it　that　he　sacrificed　the　animal　to　Laphystian　Zeus。　The　golden　fleece　itself　he　gave　to　his　wife's　father；　who　nailed　it　to　an　oak　tree；　guarded　by　a　sleepless　dragon　in　a　sacred　grove　of　Ares。　Meanwhile　at　home　an　oracle　had　commanded　that　King　Athamas　himself　should　be　sacrificed　as　an　expiatory　offering　for　the　whole　country。　So　the　people　decked　him　with　garlands　like　a　victim　and　led　him　to　the　altar；　where　they　were　just　about　to　sacrifice　him　when　he　was　rescued　either　by　his　grandson　Cytisorus；　who　arrived　in　the　nick　of　time　from　Colchis；　or　by　Hercules；　who　brought　tidings　that　the　king's　son　Phrixus　was　yet　alive。　Thus　Athamas　was　saved；　but　afterward　he　went　mad；　and　mistaking　his　son　Learchus　for　a　wild　beast；　shot　him　dead。　Next　he　attempted　the　life　of　his　remaining　son　Melicertes；　but　the　child　was　rescued　by　his　mother　Ino；　who　ran　and　threw　herself　and　him　from　a　high　rock　into　the　sea。　Mother　and　son　were　changed　into　marine　divinities；　and　the　son　received　special　homage　in　the　isle　of　Tenedos；　where　babes　were　sacrificed　to　him。　Thus　bereft　of　wife　and　children　the　unhappy　Athamas　quitted　his　country；　and　on　enquiring　of　the　oracle　where　he　should　dwell　was　told　to　take　up　his　abode　wherever　he　should　be　entertained　by　wild　beasts。　He　fell　in　with　a　pack　of　wolves　devouring　sheep；　and　when　they　saw　him　they　fled　and　left　him　the　bleeding　remnants　of　their　prey。　In　this　way　the　oracle　was　fulfilled。　But　because　King　Athamas　had　not　been　sacrificed　as　a　sin…offering　for　the　whole　country；　it　was　divinely　decreed　that　the　eldest　male　scion　of　his　family　in　each　generation　should　be　sacrificed　without　fail；　if　ever　he　set　foot　in　the　town…hall；　where　the　offerings　were　made　to　Laphystian　Zeus　by　one　of　the　house　of　Athamas。　Many　of　the　family；　Xerxes　was　informed；　had　fled　to　foreign　lands　to　escape　this　doom；　but　some　of　them　had　returned　long　afterwards；　and　being　caught　by　the　sentinels　in　the　act　of　entering　the　town…hall　were　wreathed　as　victims；　led　forth　in　procession；　and　sacrificed。　These　instances　appear　to　have　been　notorious；　if　not　frequent；　for　the　writer　of　a　dialogue　attributed　to　Plato；　after　speaking　of　the　immolation　of　human　victims　by　the　Carthaginians；　adds　that　such　practices　were　not　unknown　among　the　Greeks；　and　he　refers　with　horror　to　the　sacrifices　offered　on　Mount　Lycaeus　and　by　the　descendants　of　Athamas。

The　suspicion　that　this　barbarous　custom　by　no　means　fell　into　disuse　even　in　later　days　is　strengthened　by　a　case　of　human　sacrifice　which　occurred　in　Plutarch's　time　at　Orchomenus；　a　very　ancient　city　of　Boeotia；　distant　only　a　few　miles　across　the　plain　from　the　historian's　birthplace。　Here　dwelt　a　family　of　which　the　men　went　by　the　name　of　Psoloeis　or　Sooty；　and　the　women　by　the　name　of　Oleae　or　Destructive。　Every　year　at　the　festival　of　the　Agrionia　the　priest　of　Dionysus　pursued　these　women　with　a　drawn　sword；　and　if　he　overtook　one　of　them　he　had　the　right　to　slay　her。　In　Plutarch's　lifetime　the　right　was　actually　exercised　by　a　priest　Zoilus。　The　family　thus　liable　to　furnish　at　least　one　human　victim　every　year　was　of　royal　descent；　for　they　traced　their　lineage　to　Minyas；　the　famous　old　king　of　Orchomenus；　the　monarch　of　fabulous　wealth；　whose　stately　treasury；　as　it　is　called；　still　stands　in　ruins　at　the　point　where　the　long　rocky　hill　of　Orchomenus　melts　into　the　vast　level　expanse　of　the　Copaic　plain。　Tradition　ran　that　the　king's　three　daughters　long　despised　the　other　women　of　the　country　for　yielding　to　the　Bacchic　frenzy；　and　sat　at　home　in　the　king's　house　scornfully　plying　the　distaff　and　the　loom；　while　the　rest；　wreathed　with　flowers；　their　dishevelled　locks　streaming　to　the　wind；　roamed　in　ecstasy　the　barren　mountains　that　rise　above　Orchomenus；　making　the　solitude　of　the　hills　to　echo　to　the　wild　music　of　cymbals　and　tambourines。　But　in　time　the　divine　fury　infected　even　the　royal　damsels　in　their　quiet　chamber；　they　were　seized　with　a　fierce　longing　to　partake　of　human　flesh；　and　cast　lots　among　themselves　which　should　give　up　her　child　to　furnish　a　cannibal　feast。　The　lot　fell　on　Leucippe；　and　she　surrendered　her　son　Hippasus；　who　was　torn　limb　from　limb　by　the　three。　From　these　misguided　women　sprang　the　Oleae　and　the　Psoloeis；　of　whom　the　men　were　said　to　be　so　called　because　they　wore　sad…coloured　raiment　in　token　of　their　mourning　and　grief。

Now　this　practice　of　taking　human　victims　from　a　family　of