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)."