[2]
Minos had now got back his son, but even so he did not
suffer Polyidus to depart to Argos until he had
taught Glaucus the art of divination. Polyidus taught him on compulsion, and when he was
sailing away he bade Glaucus spit into his mouth. Glaucus did so and forgot the art of
divination.1 Thus much must suffice for my account of the
descendants of Europa.
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1 It is said that when Cassandra refused to grant her favours to Apollo in return for the gift of prophecy which he had bestowed on her, he spat into her mouth and so prevented her from convincing anybody of the truth of her prophecies. See Serv. Verg. A. 2.247. On ancient superstitions about spittle, see Pliny, Nat. Hist. 28.35ff.; C. de Mensignac, Recherches Ethnographiques sur la Salive et le Crachat (Bordeaux, 1892), pp. 41ff.
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