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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1907 Excerpt:... stery attached to certain springs which gave them an important place in their religion. Being „earth-bom", they were naturally supposed to be in close communication with the mysterious powers of the nether world, and Were looked upon as places where the presence of these powers, or of their divine spirit, particularly manifested itself. This belief, strengthened by the observation that mineral and sulphurous wells really possess a wonderful power to „inspire" people who drink of their water, explains to some extent why the welldeities were closely connected by the Greeks with divination and prophecy 1). As a matter of fact the majority of Greek oracles had their mantic springs. We have already referred to the well which sprang forth from the roots of the Dodoman oak and which, according to some writers, delivered the oracular responses2). At Delphi there was the well Cassotis which Was said to go down underground and to inspire the women in the god's temple with the spirit of prophecy3). In the Delphian valley there was also the sacred water ot Castalia which was supposed to be in a mysterious connection with the river Cephisus, the belief prevailing that when at certain stated days the Lilaians threw cakes and other things prescribed by custom into the spring of Cephisus they reappeared in Castalia4). The Apollinian oracle at Claros also had its mantic well although its divining powers caused the death of the prophets soon afterwards 5). The place near Trapezountia where, according to Pausanias, mysteries were held every second year in honour of the 'Great Goddesses' had also a remarkable spring, called Olympias which every other year ceased to flow and near which a subterranean fire arose6). Another sacred well Pausanias found at Oropioi near...