These hats, with a brim of but small dimensions, agree most exactly in appearance with the cheapest hats of undyed felt, now made in the United States and Great Britain[1]. On the heads of the rustics and artificers in our streets and lanes we often see forms the exact counterpart of those which we most admire in the works of ancient art. The petasus is also still commonly worn by agricultural laborers in Greece and Asia Minor.
A bas-relief in the Vatican collection[2], represents the birth of Hercules, and contains two figures of Mercury. In one he carries the infant Hercules, in the other the caduceus. In both he wears a large scarf, and a skull-cap, like that of Dædalus[3], without a brim. This example therefore proves that, although the petasus, as distinguished from the pileus, was certainly the appropriate attribute of Mercury[4], yet the artists of antiquity sometimes took the liberty of placing on his head the skull-cap instead of the hat, just as we have seen that they sometimes made the reverse substitution in the case of the Dioscuri.
Another bas-relief in the Vatican[5], represents the story of the birth of Bacchus from Jupiter's thigh. Thus the subject of it is very similar to that, which relates to the birth of Hercules, the infant being in each instance consigned to the care of Mercury. But the covering of Mercury's head in these two cases is remarkably different, though from no other reason than
- ↑ These hats are sold in the shops for sixpence, ninepence, or a shilling each.
- ↑ Museo Pio-Clementino, tom. iv. tav. 37.
- ↑ See Plate VIII. Fig. 8.
- ↑ See Brunck, Anal. ii. 41, and Arnobius, Adv. Gentes, lib. vi. See also Ephippus, ap. Athen. xii. 53. p. 537 F. Casaub. It is remarkable that the person who acted the part of a Silenus in the Dionysiac procession instituted by Ptolemy Philadelphus at Alexandria, wore a hat and a golden caduceus (Athen. v. 27. p. 198 A.). In this case the imagination appears to have been indulged in decorating a mere festive character with the peculiar attributes of Mercury. It is added, that various kinds of chariots were driven by "boys wearing the tunics of charioteers and petasi" (Athen. v. p. 200 F.). This would be in character, being agreeable to the custom of the Grecian youth. The following is from a sepulchral urn found near Padua (Gruter. p. 297): Abite hinc, pessimi fures, * * * vestro cum Mercurio petasato caduceatoque.
- ↑ Museo Pio-Clementino, tom. iv. tav. 19.
