Homer never wastes an epithet.  He often alludes to the Ethiopians elsewhere, and always in terms of admiration and praise, as being the most just of men, and the favorites of the gods.  The same allusions glimmer through the Greek mythology, and appear in the verses of almost all the Greek poets, ere yet the countries of Italy and Sicily were even discovered.  The Jewish Scriptures and Jewish literature abound in allusions to this distant and mysterious people, the annals of the Egyptian priests are full of them, and uniformly, the Ethiopians are there lauded as among the best, the most religious, and most civilized of men.—­CHRISTIAN EXAMINER.

The Ethiopians, says Diodorus, are said to be the inventors of pomps, sacrifices, solemn meetings, and other honors paid to the gods.  From hence arose their character of piety, which is here celebrated by Homer.  Among these there was an annual feast at Diospolis, which Eustathius mentions, when they carried about the statues of Jupiter and other gods, for twelve days, according to their number; to which, if we add the ancient custom of setting meat before statues, it will appear to be a rite from which this fable might easily have arisen.

30. [The original word ({polybentheos}) seems to express variety of
   soundings, an idea probably not to be conveyed in an English
   epithet.—­TR.]

31:  The following passage gives the most exact account of the ancient
   sacrifices that we have left us.  There is first, the purification
   by the washing of hands; second, the offering up of prayers; third,
   the barley-cakes thrown upon the victim; fourth, the manner of
   killing it, with the head turned upwards; fifth, selecting the
   thighs and fat for their gods, as the best of the sacrifice, and
   disposing about them pieces cut from every part for a
   representation of the whole (hence the thighs are frequently spoken
   of in Homer and the Greek poets as the whole victim); sixth, the
   libation of wine; seventh, consuming the thighs in the fire of the
   altar; eighth, the sacrificers dressing and feasting on the rest,
   with joy and hymns to the gods.

32.  The Paean (originally sung in honor of Apollo) was a hymn to
   propitiate the god, and also a song of thanksgiving, when freed
   from danger.  It was always of a joyous nature.  Both tune and sound
   expressed hope and confidence.  It was sung by several persons, one
   of whom probably led the others, and the singers either marched
   onward, or sat together at table.

33.  It was the custom to draw the ships entirely upon the shore, and
   to secure them by long props.—­FELTON

34.  Suppliants threw themselves at the feet of the person to whom the
   supplication was addressed, and embraced his knees.—­FELTON.

35.  Ambrosia, the food of the gods, conferred upon them eternal youth
   and immortality, and was brought to Jupiter by pigeons.  It was also
   used by the gods for anointing the body and hair.  Hence the
   expression, ambrosial locks.