Mythology and Fables Explained by History

...ceaselessly represent the same objects to us; and as if sacred and profane history original: l'Hiſtoire ſainte & profane; "sacred" refers to Biblical history, while "profane" refers to secular or non-biblical ancient history did not provide enough interesting facts capable of inspiring virtuous sentiments in us, we borrow our subjects from Fable original: la Fable; a term used in this period to refer to the collection of ancient myths and legends, especially in our dramatic poetry.

Our theaters resound every day with the complaints of Iphigenia and Andromache, the rages of Orestes, and the outbursts of Achilles and Clytemnestra Characters from Greek tragedy: Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father; Andromache was the widow of Hector; Orestes avenged his father Agamemnon; Achilles was the greatest Greek warrior; Clytemnestra was the wife and murderer of Agamemnon; and let us not blush to admit it: we always view these heroes and heroines upon our stage with a renewed pleasure, while we often find it difficult to endure other characters more suited to excite a noble emulation within us.

It is therefore useful, and even in some sense necessary, to know Mythology; thus we see that those who are ignorant of it are considered to be lacking in education and the most necessary enlightenment for a man of letters original: homme de Lettres; a person of broad scholarly and literary learning. But when one comes to consider that the Fables are not pure fictions, as I prove at the beginning of this work; that they have a real relationship with the history of the first centuries; that they contain significant events; and that most of the Gods were actually men whose history forms part of that of the peoples who worshipped them—then Mythology becomes a more important object, and at the same time, more worthy of our curiosity.

It is this historical foundation, hidden beneath the cloak of Fable, which was the principal object of my research when I began to apply myself to the study of Mythology; and the public favorably received the Explanation...