A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume I Part 4

Anac was a t.i.tle of high antiquity, and seems to have been originally appropriated to persons of great strength, and stature. Such people in the plural were styled Anakim; and one family of them were to be found at [271]Kirjath-Arba. Some of them were likewise among the Caphtorim, who settled in Palestina. Pausanias represents Asterion, whose tomb is said to have been discovered in Lydia, as a son of Anac, and of an enormous size.

[272]???a? de ?ste???? e? ??a?t??? ??a?ta de G?? pa?da--?sta efa?? t?

s??a pe??e???ta e? p?st??, ?? est?? a????p??? epe? d?a e?e??? ??? est??

?p?? a? ed??e?. We may from hence perceive that the history of the Anakim was not totally obliterated among the Grecians. Some of their Deities were styled a?a?te, others a?a?t??e?, and their temples a?a?t???a. Michael Psellus speaking of heresies, mentions, that some people were so debased, as to wors.h.i.+p Satanaki: [273]??t?? de ???? ep??e??? Sata?a??

e?ste??????ta?. Satanaki seems to be Satan Anac, d?a???? as??e??.

Necho, Nacho, Necus, Negus, which in the Egyptian and Ethiopic languages signified a king, probably was an abbreviation of Anaco, and Anachus. It was sometimes expressed Nachi, and Nacchi. The buildings represented at Persepolis are said to be the work of Nacki Rustan; which signifies the lord, or prince Rustan.

ZAR, and SAR.

Sar is a rock, and made use of to signify a promontory. As temples were particularly erected upon such places, these eminences were often denominated Sar-On, from the Deity, to whom the temples were sacred. The term Sar was oftentimes used as a mark of high honour. The Psalmist repeatedly addresses G.o.d as his Rock, [274]the Rock of his refuge; the Rock of his salvation. It is also used without a metaphor, for a t.i.tle of respect: but it seems then to have been differently expressed. The sacred writers call that lordly people the Sidonians, as well as those of Tyre, [275]Sarim. The name of Sarah was given to the wife of Abraham by way of eminence; and signifies a [276]lady, or princess. It is continually to be found in the composition of names, which relate to places, or persons, esteemed sacred by the Amonians. We read of Serapis, Serapion, Serapammon: also of Sarchon, and Sardon; which is a contraction for Sar-Adon. In Tobit mention is made of [277]Sarchedonus; the same name as the former, but with the eastern aspirate. The Sarim in Esther are taken notice of as persons of high [278]honour: the same dignity seems to have been known among the Philistim, by whom it was rendered [279]Sarna, or Sarana: hence came the [280]Tyrian word Sarra.n.u.s for any thing n.o.ble and splendid. In the prophet Jeremiah are enumerated the t.i.tles of the chief princes, who attended Nebuchadnezzar in his expedition against Judea. Among others he mentions the [281]Sa.r.s.echim. This is a plural, compounded of Sar, and Sech, rendered also Shec, a prince or governor. Sar-Sechim signifies the chief of the princes and rulers. Rabshekah is nearly of the same purport: it signifies the great prince; as by Rabsares is meant the chief [282]Eunuch; by Rabmag, the chief of the Magi. Many places in Syria and Canaan have the term Sar in composition; such as Sarabetha, Sariphaea, Sareptha. Sardis, the capital of Crsus, was the city of Sar-Ades, the same as Atis, the Deity of the country.

High [283]groves, or rather hills with woods of antient oaks, were named Saron; because they were sacred to the Deity so called. Pliny takes notice of the Saronian bay near Corinth, and of the oaks which grew near it.

[284]Portus Cnitis, Sinus Saronicus olim querno nemore redimitus; unde nomen. Both the oaks and the place were denominated from the Deity Sar-On, and Chan-Ait, by the Greeks rendered Sa???, and ????e?t??, which are t.i.tles of nearly the same purport. Saron was undoubtedly an antient G.o.d in Greece.

[285]Lilius Gyraldus styles him Deus Marinus; but he was, properly, the Sun. Diana, the sister of Apollo, is named [286]Saronia: and there were Saronia sacra, together with a festival at [287]Trzen; in which place Orus was supposed to have been born. [288]O??? ?e?es?a? sf?s?? e? ?? p??t??.

Orus was the same as Sar-On, the Lord of light. [289]Rocks were called Saronides, from having temples and towers sacred to this Deity: just as groves of oaks were, of which I took notice above. This interpretation is given by [290]Hesychius; and by the Scholiast, upon the following verse of Callimachus:

[291]? p???a? ?pe?e??e Sa????da? ????? ?a??

?e??e?.

As oaks were styled Saronides, so likewise were the antient Druids, by whom the oak was held so sacred. Hence Diodorus Siculus, speaking of the priests of Gaul, styles them [292]F???s?f??, ?e??????--pe??tt?? t??e???, ???

S??O????S ???a???s?. This is one proof, out of many, how far the Amonian religion was extended; and how little we know of Druidical wors.h.i.+p, either in respect to its essence or its origin.

UCH.

Uch, ??, expressed also Ach, Och, ??a, was a term of honour among the Babylonians, and the rest of the progeny of Chus; and occurs continually in the names of men and places which have any connection with their history. I have shewn, in a former [293]treatise, that the shepherds who ruled in Egypt were of that race, and that they came from Babylonia and Chaldea.

Eusebius informs us, that their national t.i.tle was [294]????s??; or, as it was undoubtedly expressed by the people themselves, ?????s??, Uc-Cusus. It is a term taken notice of by Apion and Manethon, and they speak of it as a word in the sacred language of the country, which signified a king: [295]??

?a?' ?e?a? ???ssa? as??ea s?a??e?. I wonder that this word has been pa.s.sed over with so little notice; as it is of great antiquity; and, at the same time, of much importance in respect to etymology. Uc-Cusus signified the royal, or n.o.ble, Cusean: and, as it was a word in the sacred language of Egypt, we may from hence learn what that language was; and be a.s.sured that it was the primitive language of Chus, the same as the antient Chaldac. It was introduced among the Mizram by the Auritae, or Cuthites, together with their rites and religion: hence it obtained the name of the sacred language. Diodorus Siculus affords [296]evidence to the same purpose: and it is farther proved by Heliodorus; who says that the sacred characters of Egypt and those of the Cuthites in Ethiopia were the [297]same. This term occurs very often among the t.i.tles of which the Babylonish names arc composed; such as Ochus and Belochus. Among the Egyptians it is to be found in Acherez and Achencherez; which are the names of two very antient princes. Acherez is a compound of Ach-Ares, Magnus Sol; equivalent to Achorus, another name of the same Deity, a.s.sumed in like manner by their kings. The latter was sometimes expressed [298]Achor, Achoris. Ochuras, Uch.o.r.eus; which are all the same name, diversified in different ages and by different writers. As priests took the t.i.tles of the Deities whom they served, Lucan has, very properly, introduced a priest of Egypt under the name of Ach.o.r.eus:

[299]quos inter Ach.o.r.eus, Jam placidus senio, fractisque modestior annis.

The name of Osiris seems to have been Uc-Sehor, and Uc-Sehoris. According to h.e.l.lanicus, if a person had in Egypt made inquiry about the term Osiris, he would not have been understood: for the true name was [300]Usiris. Philo Biblius, from Sanchoniathon, calls the same Deity [301]Isiris; and adds, that he was the brother of Cna, or Canaan; and the inventor of three letters. ?s????, t?? t???? ??aat?? ???et??, ade?f?? ??a t?? F???????. I take Isiris and Usiris, as well as Osiris, to be all Uc-Sehoris softened, and accommodated to the ears of Greece.

The Sun was styled El-Uc, which the Grecians changed to ?????, Lucos; as we learn from [302]Macrobius. He was also styled El-Uc-Or, which was changed to ?????e??; and El-Uc-Aon, rendered Lycaon[303], ???a??. As this personage was the same as El-Uc, ?????, it was fabled of him that he was turned into a wolf. The cause of this absurd notion arose from hence: every sacred animal in Egypt was distinguished by some t.i.tle of the Deity. But the Greeks never considered whether the term was to be taken in its primary, or in its secondary acceptation; whence they referred the history to an animal, when it related to the G.o.d from whom the animal was denominated.

?????, Lucos, was, as I have shewn, the name of the Sun: hence, wherever this term occurs in composition, there will be commonly found some reference to that Deity, or to his subst.i.tute Apollo. We read of [304]?????? ?p??????? ?e???: of [305]Lycorus, a supposed son of Apollo: of [306]Lycomedes, another son: of [307]Lycosura, the first city which the Sun beheld. The people of Delphi were, of old, called [308]Lycorians: and the summit of Parna.s.sus, [309]Lycorea. Near it was a [310]town of the same name; and both were sacred to the G.o.d of light. From Lucos, in this sense, came lux, luceo, lucidus, and Jupiter Lucetius, of the Latines; and ??????, ?????a, ????e??, of the Greeks; also ???aa?, and af??????, though differently expressed. Hence it was that so many places sacred to Apollo were styled Leuce, Leuca, ????a, Leucas, Leucate.

Mox et Leucatae nimbosa cac.u.mina montis, Et formidatus nautis aperitur [311]Apollo.

Hence also inscriptions [312]DEO LEUCANIae: which term seems to denote, Sol-Fons, the fountain of day. The name Lycophron, ????f???, which some would derive from ?????, a wolf, signifies a person of an enlightened mind.

Groves were held very sacred: hence lucus, which some would absurdly derive a non lucendo, was so named from the Deity there wors.h.i.+pped: as was ????, a word of the same purport among the Greeks.

This people, who received their theology from Egypt and Syria, often suppressed the leading vowel; and thought to atone for it by giving a new termination: though to say the truth, this mode of abbreviation is often to be observed in the original language, from whence these terms are derived.

?????, the name of Cyrus, seems to have suffered an abridgment of this nature. It was probably a compound of Uch-Ur, the same as Achor, and Achorus of Egypt, the great luminary, the Sun. In antient times all kings, priests, and people of consequence took to themselves some sacred t.i.tle.

But as Aneith was abbreviated to Neith, Acherez to Cherez; so Achorus was rendered Chorus, Curus. Thus far is manifest, that Curus signified the Sun.

[313]? e? ??? ????? ap? ????? t?? pa?a??? ???a es?e?? e?e??? de ap? t??

????? ?e?es?a? fas?? ????? ?a? ?a?e?? ?e?sa? t?? ?????. Ctesias likewise informs us that the name of Cyrus had this signification. [314]?a? t??eta?

t? ???a a?t?? ap? t?? ?????: _He was denominated Cyrus from the Sun, which was so called_. It was the same as Orus: and according to Strabo it is sometimes so expressed; as we may infer from a river of this name, of which he says, [315]??a?e?t? de p??te??? ?????. We find it sometimes rendered ?????, Curis: but still with a reference to the Sun, the Adonis of the east. Hesychius explains ?????, ? ?d????. In Phocis was [316]????a, Currha, where Apollo ????a??? was honoured; which names were more commonly expressed ????a and ????a???. The people of Cyrene are said by Palaephatus to have been originally Ethiopians or Cuthites. They, as well as the Egyptians, wors.h.i.+pped the Sun under the t.i.tle of Achur, and Achor: and like them esteemed him the [317]Te?? ap?????. From the G.o.d Achur we may infer that their country was at first called Acurana; which is a compound of Achur-Ain, and betokens the great fountain of light. Acurana was abbreviated to Curane and Curene; but was always supposed to relate to the Sun, and Heaven. Hence the Greeks, who out of every obsolete term formed personages, supposed Cyrene to have been the daughter of the supreme Deity.

[318]??????, p???? ?????, ap? ??????? t?? ??e??. _The city Cyrene in Libya was denominated from Cyrene, the daughter of the most High_. There was a fountain here of great sanct.i.ty, which was in like manner denominated from the Sun. It was called [319]???? p???, which terms are equivalent to Kur-Ain, and Achurain of the Amonians, and signify the fountain of the Sun.

Pliny proves, that this was the purport of the terms, when he describes this part of the world. [320]Cyrenaca, eadem Tripolitana regio, ill.u.s.tratur Hammonis oraculo--et _Fonte Solis._ The like account is to be found in Pomponius Mela[321]. Ammonis oraculum, fidei inclytae; et fons, quem Solis [322]appellant. As Achor was a term, which related to the Sun; we find it often compounded with O?, On, another name of that Deity; from whence was formed Acharon. This was the true name of the city in Palestine, called in Scripture, according to our version, [323]Ekron. It was denominated from Achor, the G.o.d of flies, wors.h.i.+pped also under the name of Baal-zebub with the same attribute. The Caphtorim brought the wors.h.i.+p of this G.o.d from Egypt; where was a river called Acharon; so denominated from the Deity of the country. This river, and the rites practised in its vicinity, are mentioned in a beautiful fragment from some Sibylline poetry, but when, or by whom composed, is uncertain. The verses are taken notice of by Clemens Alexandrinus, and what is remarkable, are certainly quoted long before the completion of what is portended. However the purport may perhaps be looked upon rather as a menace, than a prophecy.

[324]?s?, ?ea, t??ta?a??a, e?e?? ep? ?e?as? ?e????, ?????, a??a?, a??d??, ep? ?aa???? ??e???t??.

The Deity was likewise called Achad, and Achon: and many cities and countries were hence [325]denominated. Acon in Palestine is said to have been so named in honour of Hercules, the chief Deity in those [326]parts.

I have mentioned, that Ham, styled also Cham, was looked up to as the Sun, and wors.h.i.+pped by his posterity. Hence both his images and priests were styled Chamin: and many princes a.s.sumed this t.i.tle, just as they did that of Orus, and Arez. His posterity esteemed themselves of the Solar race, by way of eminence: and the great founder of the Persic Monarchy was styled Achamin, rendered by the Greeks ??a?e???, Achaemenes: and all of his family afterwards had the t.i.tle of ??a?e????, and ??a?e??da?, from the same pretensions. They all of them universally esteemed themselves the children of the Sun; though they were likewise so called from their wors.h.i.+p. Hence Lutatius Placidus in his Scholia upon Statius interprets the word Achaemenidae by [327]Solis Cultores. This may serve to authenticate my etymology, and shew, that the term is derived from Cham, the Sun: but the purport of it was generally more limited, and the t.i.tle confined to the royal race of the Persians, who were looked upon as the offspring of the Sun. The Cuthites of Ethiopia Africana had the same high opinion of themselves: hence Calasiris in Heliodorus invokes the Sun as his great ancestor. [328]?p??e???s?? a?t?? ? Ge?a???? ??? ?????? and Chariclea in another place makes use of a like invocation: [329]???e, Ge?a??a p???????

???. _O, Sun, the great source of my ancestry_. The Amonians, who settled at Rhodes, styled themselves ???ada?, _the Solar [330]race_. Those who settled upon the Padus did the [331]same. Hyde mentions a people in Diarbeker, called [332]Chamsi; and says, that the meaning of the word is Solares; and the same in purport as Shemsi and Shamsi of the Arabians.

The term ??, of which I have been treating, was obsolete, and scarce known in the times when Greece most flourished: yet some traces of it may be found, though strangely perverted from its original meaning. For the writers of this nation, not knowing the purport of the words, which they found in their antient hymns, changed them to something similar in sound; and thus retained them with a degree of religious, but blind reverence. I have shewn, that of El-Uc they formed ?????, Lucus, which was acknowledged to be the name of the Sun: of El-Uc-Aon, Lycaon: of El-Uc-Or, Lycorus, and Lycoreus:

[333]? ???a???, ? t??a ?????e?? e?tea F????.

So from Uc-Ait, another t.i.tle of the G.o.d, they formed Hecatus, and a feminine, Hecate. Hence Nicander speaks of Apollo by this t.i.tle:

[334]???e??? t??p?dess? pa?a ??a????? ??at???.

And Herophile the Sibyl of the same Deity:

[335]????a? e???s' ??at? t?? t?t' ??a?t?????.

The only person who seems knowingly to have retained this word, and to have used it out of composition, is [336]Homer. He had been in Egypt; and was an admirer of the theology of that nation. He adhered to antient [337]terms with a degree of enthusiasm; and introduced them at all hazards, though he many times did not know their meaning. This word, among others, he has preserved; and he makes use of it adverbially in its proper sense, when he describes any body superlatively great, and excellent. Thus he speaks of Calchas as far superior to every body else in prophetic knowledge, and styles him ??' a??st??:

[338]?a??a? Test???d?? ?????p???? ??' a??st??, ?? ?d? ta t' e??ta, ta t' ess?e?a, p?? t' e??ta.

So on the Trojan side Helenus is spoken of in the same light:

[339]???a?d?? ??e??? ?????p???? ??' a??st??.

So [340]F????? ??' a??st??, [341]??t???? ??' a??st??, and [342]??????--S??t?t??? ??' a??st??.

In these and in all other instances of this term occurring in Homer, it is observable, that it is always in the same acceptation, and uniformly precedes the same word, a??st??. It is indeed to be found in the poetry ascribed to [343]Orpheus: but as those verses are manifestly imitations of Homer, we must not look upon it as a current term of the times, when that poetry was composed: nor was it ever, I believe, in common use, not even in the age of Homer. It was an Amonian term, joined inseparably with another borrowed from the same people. For a??st?? was from Egypt, and Chaldea.

Indeed, most of the irregular degrees of comparison are from that quarter; being derived from the Sun, the great Deity of the Pagan world, and from his t.i.tles and properties. Both a?e??? and a??st?? were from a???, the Arez of the east. From Bel, and Baaltis, came e?t???, and e?t?st??: ae???? is an inflection from Amon. From the G.o.d Aloeus came ?????, ???te???, and ???st??: from ?e?e? changed to ?e?a?, ?e?at??, were formed ??ess??, ??e?ss??, ??ate???, and ??at?st??.

PHI.

Phi signifies a mouth; also language, and speech. It is used by the Amonians particularly for the voice and oracle of any G.o.d; and subjoined to the name of that Deity. The chief oracle in the first ages was that of Ham, who was wors.h.i.+pped as the Sun, and styled El, and Or. Hence these oracles are in consequence called Amphi, Omphi, Alphi, Elphi, Urphi, Orphi. It is made to signify, in the book of [344]Genesis, the voice, or command of Pharaoh. From Phi, in this acceptation, came f??, f??, f???, fas??, fat??, fama, fari,--ita farier infit. I imagine that the term Pharaoh itself is compounded of Phi-Ourah, Vox Ori, sive Dei. It was no unusual thing among the antients to call the words of their prince the voice of G.o.d. Josephus informs us, that it signified a king: [345]? Fa?a?? pa?'

????pt???? as??ea s?a??e?: and Ouro in the Copto-Arabic Onomasticon is said to signify the same: but I should think, that this was only a secondary acceptation of the original term.

Phi is also used for any opening or cavity: whence we find the head of a fountain often denominated from it; at least the place, whence the fountain issued forth, or where it lost itself. And as all streams were sacred, and all cavities in the earth looked upon with a religious horror, the Amonians called them Phi-El, Phi-Ainon, Phi-Anes; rendered by the Greeks Phiale, Phaenon, Phanes, Phaneas, Paneas. The chief fountain of the river Jordan lost itself underground, and rose again at some miles distance. It sunk at Phiale, and rose again at [346]Paneas. Pliny speaks of a place of this sort at [347]Memphis, called Phiala; and, as he imagines, from its figure: but it was undoubtedly a covert aquaeduct, by which some branch of the river was carried. The Nile itself is said to be lost underground, near its fountains; and that place also was called Phiala. [348]Phialam appellari fontem ejus, mergique in cuniculos ipsum amnem. There was also a fountain of this name at [349]Constantinople. Sometimes it occurs without the aspirate, as in Pella, a city of Palestine, named, undoubtedly, from its fountains: for Pliny calls it Pellam aquis [350]divitem.

Mines were held sacred; and, like fountains, were denominated from aenon, and Hanes, those t.i.tles of the Sun. In Arabia, near Petra, was a mine, worked by condemned persons, which was named [351]Phinon, and Phaenon.

Epiphanius mentions [352]Fa??s?a eta??a, or the mines of Hanes; to which Meletius, a bishop of the Thebas, was condemned.

AI.

Ai, and Aia, signifies a district or province; and, as most provinces in Egypt were insular, it is often taken for an island. In other parts it was of much the same purport as a?a of the Greeks, and betokened any [353]region or country. It was from hence that so many places have been represented by the Greeks as plurals, and are found to terminate in _ai_; such as Athenai, Thebai, Pherai, Patrai, Amyclai, Therapnai, Clazomenai, Celaenai. There are others in _eia_; as Chaeroneia, Coroneia, Eleia. In others it was rendered short; as in Oropia, Ellopia, Ortygia, Olympia, aethiopia, Scythia, Caenia, Icaria. It is likewise found expressed by a single letter, and still subjoined to the proper name: hence we meet with aetna, Arbela, Larissa, Roma, Himera, Hemera, Nusa, Nyssa, Patara, Arena, [354]Cabasa, and the like. We may from hence prove, and from innumerable other instances, that among the people of the east, as well as among other nations, the word in regimine was often final. Thus the land of Ion was termed Ionia; that of Babylon, Babylonia; from a.s.sur came a.s.syria; from Ind, India; from Lud, Ludia; in all which the region is specified by the termination. To say Lydia tellus, a.s.syria tellus, is in reality [355]redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded, that country being styled Ai-Gupt, ????pt??, the land of the Gupti, called afterwards Cupti, and Copti.

COMMON NAMES RELATING TO PLACES.

As to the common names, which are found combined with additional terms, in order to denote the nature and situation of places; they are, for the most part, similar to those in the antient Chaldaic, and admit of little variation.