MELPOMENE. 93

what they say merits but little attention. The Scy­
thians speak of these as they do of the Arimaspians.
It must be confessed that Hesiod mentions these Hy­
perboreans, as Homer also does in the Epigonoi, if he
was really the author of those verses.

XXXIII. On this subject of the Hyperboreans, the
Delians are more communicative. They affirm, that
some sacred offerings of this people, carefully folded
in straw, were given to the Scythians, from whom
descending regularly through every contiguous na­
tion, they arrived at length at the Adriatic. From
hence, transported towards the south, they were first
of all received by the Dodoneans of Greece; from
them again they were transmitted to the gulf of Me-
lis; whence passing into Euboea, they were sent from
one town to another, till they arrived at Carystus;
not stopping at Andros, the Carystians carried them
to Tenos, the Tenians to Delos; at which place the
Delians affirm they came as we have related. They
farther observe, that to bring these offerings the Hy­
perboreans sent two young women, whose names were
Hyperoche and Laodice: five of their countrymen
accompanied them as a guard, who were held in
great veneration at Delos, and called the Peripheres.
As these men never returned, the Hyperboreans were
greatly offended, and took the following method to
prevent a repetition of this evil:—they carried to
their frontiers their offerings, folded in barley-straw,
and committing them to the care of their neighbours,
directed them to forward them progressively, till, as
is reported, they thus arrived at Delos. This singu­
larity observed by the Hyperboreans is practised, as I
myself have seen, amongst the women of Thrace and
Pajonia, who in their sacrifices to the regal Diana
make use of barley-straw.

XXXIV. In honour of the Hyperborean virgins who
died at Delos, the Delian youth of both sexes cele­
brate certain rites, in which they cut off their hair;
this ceremony is observed by virgins previous to their
marriage, who, having deprived themselves of their
hair, wind it round a spindle, and place it on the
tomb. This stands in the vestibule of the temple of