Arbor felix
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"Trees were once the sacred precincts of the Gods, and, following
ancient established rituals, country places even now dedicate an
outstandingly tall tree to a God. Even images of shining gold and
ivory are worshipped less by us than forests and their silence.
Different types of trees are dedicated to their own deities and these
relationships are kept for all time. For example, the Italian holm
oak is sacred to Jupiter, the laurel to Apollo, the olive to Minerva,
the myrtle to Venus, and the poplar to Hercules. We also believe that
the Silvani and Fauni and various goddesses are, as it were, assigned
to forests by heaven (G. Plinius Secundus, Hist. Nat. 12.3)."
