A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume I Part 5

Air is a city; often expressed Ar, and Ara. Hence Arachosia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha (Ar-Ham-aith), Archile, Arzilla, Arthedon: all which were cities, or else regions denominated from them.

Kir, Caer, Kiriath, are words of the like purport. We read in the Scriptures of Kiriath Sepher, Kiriath Arba, Kiriath Jearim. It was in some parts p.r.o.nounced Kirtha, and Cartha. Melicartus, the Hercules of the Phenicians and Cretans, was, properly, Melech-Carta, the Deity of the place. The city of Tigranes, in Armenia, was called Tigranocerta. One name of Carthage was ?a???d??, from Car-Chadon, the same as Adon. It was also called Carthada, from Cartha-Ada, the city of the queen or G.o.ddess, who was by the Romans supposed to be Juno, but was, properly, the Amonian Elisa.

Caer, among many antient nations, signified a city, or fortress; as we may learn from the places called Carteia, Carnaim, Caronium, Caroura, Carambis.

Among the Britons were, of old, places exactly a.n.a.logous; such as Caerlisle, Caerdiff, Caerphilly, Caernarvon, and Caeruriah in Cornwall.

Kir and Caer are the same term, differently expressed. In Scripture we meet with Kir Haresh, and Kir-Hareseth. Isaiah. c. 16. v. 7. and v. 11. and Kir Moab, c. 15. v. 1. and Kir Heres, of the same purport as Kir Haresh, is mentioned by Jeremiah, c. 48. v. 31. Upon the Euphrates was Cercusium and Carchemish. In Cyprus was Kironia, rendered ?e????a by [356]Ptolemy; whose true name was Kir-On, the city of the Sun; where was a temple to Our-Ain, styled Urania. Kir-On was often rendered Cironis, Coronis; and the Deity Coronus and [357]Cronus. By these means the place was subst.i.tuted for the Deity, and made an object of wors.h.i.+p. Of this abuse I shall often speak.

Artemis was, properly, a city, Ar-Themis, the same as Thamuz of Egypt. What was called Artemis, and Artemisium, was in some places reversed, and expressed by Kir subjoined: hence Themiscir, and Themiscura in Pontus.

Col, Cal, Calah, Calach, signify properly an eminence, like the Collis of the Romans; but are often used for a fortress so situated. We sometimes meet with a place styled absolute Calah: but the term is generally used in composition, as Cala Nechus, Cala-Anac, Cala-Chan, Cala-On, Cala-Es, Cala-Ait, Cala-Ur, Cala-Ope, Cala-Ham, Cala-Amon, Cala-Adon: whence came the names of people and places styled [358]Callinicus, Calachene, [359]Colonae, Cales, Calathe, Calistae, Calathusa, Calauria, Coloriua, Caliope, Calama, Calamos, [360]Calamon, Calymna, Calydnus, Calycadnus; all which were places in Phrygia, Bithynia, a.s.syria, Libya, denominated from their situation and wors.h.i.+p.

Comah is used for a wall; but seems to be sometimes taken for those sacred inclosures wherein they had their Puratheia; and particularly for the sacred mount which stood in those inclosures. From Comah came the Greek ??a, a round hill or mound of earth; called also Taph and taf??; and thence often mistaken for a tomb: but it was originally a high altar.

By Gib is meant a hill. Gibeon was the hill of the Sun; said to be famous for its springs. Gibethon is a compound of Gib-Ethon, or Ath-On, t.i.tles of the same Deity. Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baasha, at Gibethon, of the [361]Philistines.

Har and Hor signify a mountain; ???? of the Greeks.

Tin seems to have signified a sacred place, for sacrifice; a kind of high altar. The Greeks generally expressed it, in composition, ???? hence we read of Opheltis, Altis, Baaltis, Abantis, Absyrtis. It was in use among the antient Hetrurians and other nations: hence came the terms Aventinus, Palatinus, [362]Numantinus, &c. It seems to be the same as Tan in the east, which occurs continually in composition, as in Indos-tan, Mogolis-tan, Pharsis-tan, Chusis-tan.

Tor is a hill or tower. Many places in Greece had it in their composition; such as Torone, Torete, Toreate: also in Hetrura, Torchonium. Turzon, in Africa, was a tower of the [363]Sun. It was sometimes expressed Tar; hence Tarcunia, Taracena, Tarracon in Spain, Tarne (Tar-ain) which gave name to a fountain in Lydia; Taron (Tar-On) in Mauritania. Towers of old were either Prutaneia, or light-houses, and were styled Tor-Is: whence came the Turris of the Romans. Sometimes these terms were reversed, and the tower was called Astur. Such a one was near some hot streams, at no great distance from Cicero's Villa. It is thus described by Plutarch: ?st??a--??????

pa?a???? ???e?????. The river, too, was called Astura. There was also a place of this name opposite to the island Lesbos, undoubtedly denominated from the like circ.u.mstances in its situation; as may be learned from Pausanias, who had seen it. ?d?? de ap? p???? a?e???e??? e?a? ?d?? ??da e? ?st?????? tade ?st??a apa?t???? est? ?es??? ???t?a est? ?e?a e? t?

?ta??e? ?a???e??.

Caph, Cap, and Cephas, signify a rock; and also any promontory or headland.

As temples used to be built upon eminences of this sort; we find this word often compounded with the t.i.tles of the Deity there wors.h.i.+pped, as Caph-El, Caph-El-On, Caph-Aur, Caph-Arez, Caph-Is, Caph-Is-Ain, Caph-Ait; whence came Cephale, Cephalonia, Caphareus, Capisa, Cephisus, Cap.i.s.sene, Cephene, Caphyatae, Capatiani. In Iberia was a wonderful edifice upon the river Btis, mentioned by Strabo, and called Turris Capionis. It was a Pharos, dedicated, as all such buildings were, to the Sun: hence it was named Cap-Eon, Petra Solis. It seems to have been a marvellous structure. Places of this sort, which had towers upon them, were called Caphtor. Such an one was in Egypt, or in its [364]vicinity; whence the Caphtorim had their name.

It was probably near [365]Pelusium, which they quitted very early for the land of Canaan.

Diu sometimes, but sparingly, occurs for an island; and is generally by the Greeks changed to Dia, ??a. The purport of it may be proved from its being uniformly adapted to the same object. The Scholiast upon Theocritus takes notice that the island Naxos was called Dia: [366]??a? t?? ??? ?a???e???

?a???; and he adds, p???a? de ?a? ?te?a? e?s? ??s?? ??a? ?a???e?a?, ?te p?? t?? ???t??--?a? ? pe?? ?????, ?a? ? pe?? ??????, ?a? ? t?? ?e?

?e?????s??, ?a? ? ?e??p????s??. All these were islands, or peninsula regions.

BETH.

Beth is a house or temple; as in [367]Beth-El, Beth-Dagon, Beth-Shemesh, Beth-Oron, or Beth-Or-On, &c. &c. It is sometimes subjoined, as in Phar-beth, and Elisa-beth; the latter of which is the house of [368]Elisa, the same as Elusa of Idume, and Eleusa of Egypt. Beth was in different countries expressed Bat, Bad, Abad. Hence we meet at this day with Pharsabad, Astrabad, Amenabad, Moustafabad, Iahenabad in Persia, India, and other parts of the east. Balbec in Syria is supposed to be the same as Balbeth, the temple of Bal, or the Sun. _There are_, says [369]Dr. Poc.o.c.k, _many cities in Syria, that retain their antient names. Of this Balbeck, or rather Balbeit, is an instance; which signifies the house or temple of Baal_. Gulielmus Tyrius, so called from being bishop of Tyre, who wrote of the Holy war, alludes to Baalbec, under the name of [370]Balbeth. He lived in the eleventh century, and died anno 1127. According to Iablonsky, Bec and Beth are of the same meaning. Atarbec in Egypt is the temple of Atar or Athar; called Atarbechis by [371]Herodotus. The same is Athyr-bet, and styled Athribites (???e??t??) by [372]Strabo. The inner recess of a temple is by Phavorinus and Hesychius called ?a?t??, ?et??, ?et??, similar to ???

?? among the Chaldeans. It was the crypta or sacred place, where of old the everlasting fire was preserved. Hesychius observes, ?et??, t? ap????f??

e??? t?? ?e???. Bet-Is signifies the place of fire.

It is said of Horapollo by Suidas, that he was a native of Phainubuth in Egypt, belonging to the nome of Panopolis: ??ap????? Fa?????e?? ???? t??

?a??p???t?? ????. Phainubuth is only Phainabeth varied, and signifies the place sacred to Phanes; which was one of the most antient t.i.tles of the Deity in Egypt. So Pharbeth was an abbreviation of Pharabeth, or the house of Pharaoh.

GAU, expressed CAU, CA, and CO.

Gau likewise is a term which signifies a house; as we learn from Plutarch.

The great and decisive battle between Alexander and Darius is generally said to have been fought at Arbela. But we are a.s.sured by this writer, that it was decided at Gaugamela[373]. He says, that Gau signified in the language of the country a house: and that the purport of the word Gaugamela was the house of a camel. This name, it seems, was given to the town on account of a tribute exacted for the maintenance of a camel, which had saved the life of some king, when he fled from battle: and the reason why the victory of Alexander was adjudged to Arbela, arose from its being more famous than the other place: for Gaugamela was not of sufficient repute: therefore the honour of this victory was given to Arbela, though it was according to some five hundred, according to others six hundred stadia[374]

from the field of battle. I have not now time, nor is it to my purpose, to enter into a thorough discussion of this point: I will only mention it as my opinion, that Arbela and Gaugamela were the same place. The king alluded to is said by [375]Strabo to have been Darius the son of Hystaspes. But is it credible, that so great a prince, who had horses of the famous breed of Nysa, as well as those of Persis and Arabia, the most fleet of their kind, should be so circ.u.mstanced in battle, as to be forced to mount a camel, that could scarce move six miles in an hour: and this at a time when the greatest dispatch was necessary? This author gives a different reason for the place being thus denominated. He says, that it was allotted for the maintenance of a camel, which used to bring the king's provisions from Scythia, but was tired and failed upon the road. I know not which of the two circ.u.mstances in this short detail is most exceptionable; a king of Persia's provisions being brought to Babylon, or Sushan from Scythia; or a tired camel having such a pension. The truth is this: the Grecians misinterpreted the name, and then forged these legendary stories to support their [376]mistake. Had they understood the term, they would have been consistent in their history. Gau, and, as it was at times expressed, Cau, certainly signifies a house, or temple: also a cave, or hollow; near which the temple of the Deity was founded. For the Amonians erected most of their sacred edifices near caverns, and deep openings of the earth. Gaugamela was not the house of a camel, as Plutarch and Strabo would persuade us, notwithstanding the stories alleged in support of the notion: but it was the house and temple of Cam-El, the Deity of the country. Arbela was a place sacred to Bel, called Arbel, ??? ?? of the Chaldeans. It was the same as Beth Arbel of [377]Hosea: and Gaugamela is of the same purport, relating to the same G.o.d under different t.i.tles. The Grecians were grossly ignorant in respect to foreign events, as Strabo repeatedly confesses: and other writers do not scruple to own it. Lysimachus had been an attendant upon Alexander during the whole series of his conquests in Asia: there had been nothing of moment transacted, in the success of which he had not partaken.

Yet even in his days, when he was king of Thrace, the accounts of those great actions had been so misrepresented, that when a history of them was read in his presence, they seemed quite new to him. It is all very fine, says the prince; but where was I when all this happened? There was a series of events exhibited, with which the person most interested was least acquainted. We may then well imagine, that there existed in the time of Plutarch many mistakes, both in respect to the geography of countries very remote, and to the [378]language of nations, with whom the Romans were little acquainted. The great battle, of which we have been speaking, was confessedly fought at Gaugamela. Ptolemy Ceraunus, who was present, averred it: as did Aristobulus: and it has been recorded by Plutarch and others. It is also adjudged to Arbela by persons of equal credit: and it must certainly have been really there transacted: for notwithstanding the palliating excuse of Plutarch, it is utterly incredible in respect to so great a victory, that the scene of action should be determined by this place, if it were sixty, or, as some say, seventy miles out of the way. But in reality it was at no such distance. Diodorus Siculus says, that Alexander immediately after the victory attacked Arbela, and took it: and found in it many evidences of its being a place of consequence. [379]Ta?a?

t??? tete?e?t???ta? epea?e t??? ???????, ?a? p????? e? ???e? af????a?

t?? t??f??, ??? ?????? de ??s??, ?a? ?a?a? a?a?????, a??????? de ta?a?ta d?s????a. The battle was fought so near the city, that Alexander was afraid of some contagion from the dead bodies of the enemy, which lay close by it in great abundance.

I have mentioned, that Gaugamela was the temple of Cham-El, or Cham-Il.

This was a t.i.tle of the Deity brought from Chaldea to Egypt; and from thence to Greece, Hetruria, and other regions. The Greeks, out of different t.i.tles, and combinations, formed various Deities; and then invented different degrees of relation, which they supposed to have subsisted between them. According to Acusilaus Cham-Il was the Son of Vulcan, and Cabeira. [380]????s??a?? de ? ???e??? e? ?ae???? ?a? ?fa?st?? ?a????

?e?e?. He was, by others, rendered Camillus, whose attendants were the Camilli; and he was esteemed the same as Hermes of Egypt. [381]Statius Tullia.n.u.s de vocabulis rerum libro primo ait dixisse Callimachum, Tuscos Camillum appellare Mercurium, &c. Romani quoque pueros et puellas n.o.biles et investes Camillos et Camillas appellant, Flaminicarum et Flaminum praeministros. Servius speaks to the same purpose. [382]Mercurius Hetrusca lingua Camillus dicitur. The reason of the attendants being also called Camilli was in consequence of a custom among the antients of conferring generally upon the priests the t.i.tle of the Deity whom they served. The Camilli were commonly young persons of good family, as we learn from Plutarch, and were to be found in the temples of Jupiter, or Zeus: for Zeus and Hermes were originally the same: [383]?a? t?? ?p??et???ta t? ?e?? t??

???? af??a?? pa?da ?e?es?a? ?a?????, ?? ?a? t?? ????? ??t?? e???? t??

??????? ?a????? ap? t?? d?a????a? p??s????e???. He mentions ????--?a????? ap? t?? d?a????a?, and supposes that Camillus had the name of Hermes from the similarity of his office, which was waiting upon the G.o.ds. But the Chaldeans and Egyptians, from whom these t.i.tles were borrowed, esteemed Hermes as the chief Deity, the same as Zeus, Bel, and Adon. They knew nothing of Mercurius pedissequus, nor Hermes the lacky.

They styled their chief G.o.d Cam-Il, or Camillus, and his priests had the same t.i.tle. He did not borrow it from them; but they received it from him.

The name is sometimes expressed Camulus: and the Amonians, who travelled westward, brought his rites and wors.h.i.+p into the western parts of Europe: hence there are inscriptions to be found inscribed [384]Camulo Sancto Fortissimo. He was sometimes taken for Mars: as we may learn from an inscription in Gruter:

[385] MARTI CAMULO Ob Salutem Tiberi Claud. Caes. Cives Remi posuerunt.

Such is the history of this Deity; whose wors.h.i.+p was better known in the more early ages; and whose temple was styled Gau-Camel, by the Greeks rendered Gaugamela. I make no doubt but that Arbela was the same place: for places had as many names as the Deity wors.h.i.+pped had t.i.tles. Arbela was probably the city, and Gaugamela the [386]temple; both sacred to the same Deity, under different names.

It is remarkable that Syncellus, speaking of Venephres, King of Egypt, says, that he built the pyramids of [387]Co-Chone; which are the princ.i.p.al pyramids of that country. Eusebius before him had taken notice of the same history: [388]??e?ef???, ef' ?? ? ???? ?ates?e t?? ???a?, ?? ?a? ta?

???a?da? pe?? ??????? ??e??e?. _Venephres was a prince, in whose time happened a famine in the land of Egypt. He was the same, who built the Pyramids about Cochone_. Now Co-Chone, a.n.a.logous to Beth-El, Beth-Shan, Beth-Dagon, signifies the temple of the Deity; the house of the great king, or ruler: for such is the purport of Con, and Conah. Hercules, the chief Deity of Tyre, and who was also highly reverenced in Egypt, was Styled Con.

[389]??? ??a???? f?s? ?ata t?? ????pt??? d?a?e?t?? ???a ?e?es?a?. From hence we find, that it was a sacred Egyptian t.i.tle. According to some readings the place is expressed Cocome; which is of the same purport.

Co-Chome, the same as Cau-Come, signifies the house of Chom, or the Sun; and seems to betray the purpose for which the chief pyramid was erected: for it was undoubtedly nothing else but a monument to the Deity, whose name it bore. According to [390] Herodotus the great pyramid was built by Cheops; whom others called Chaops. But Chaops is a similar compound; being made up of the terms Cha-Ops, and signifies ????? ???????, domus Opis Serpentis. It was the name of the pyramid, which was erected to the Sun, the Ophite Deity of Egypt, wors.h.i.+pped under the symbol of a serpent.

a.n.a.logous to Cau-Come in Egypt was a place in Ethiopia, called [391]Cuscha: doubtless so named from Chus, the great ancestor from whom the Ethiopians were descended.

The Sun was styled by the Amonians, among other t.i.tles, Zan; as I have before shewn: and he was wors.h.i.+pped under this denomination all over Syria and Mesopotamia; especially at Emesa, Edessa, and Heliopolis. One region was named Gauzanitis, from a city Gauzan, the Gosan of the [392]Scriptures.

Strabo calls it [393]?a????, Cha-Zene, and places it near Adiabene. Gauzan, or Go-zan, is literally the house of the Sun. I once thought that the land of Goshen, in Egypt, was of the same purport as Cushan; and have so mentioned it in a former [394]treatise. So far is true: the land of Goshen was the land of Cushan, and possessed by the sons of Chus: but the two terms are not of the same meaning. Goshen, or Goshan, like Gauzan in Mesopotamia, signifies the temple of the Sun: hence it was as a city, rendered by the Greeks Heliopolis. Artapa.n.u.s, as we learn from Eusebius, expresses it Caisan, ?a?sa?. Go-Shan, Gau Zan, Caisan, Cazena, all denote a place sacred to the Sun; and are such variations in rendering the same term, as must be expected in an interval of fifteen hundred years, and from different transcribers. This luminary was also called Abor, the parent of light; and his temple Cha-Abor, and Cho-Abor, contracted Chabor and Chobar.

Of this name both a city and river were to be found in Gauzanitis; as well as in Susiana, and other parts: for rivers often took their names from some temple, or city, by which they ran. The temple at Dodona was, of old, called Cha-On, or house of the Sun; as we may infer from the country having the name of Chaonia; for Chaonia is the land of Chaon. The priests and inhabitants were called [395]Chaones, from their place of wors.h.i.+p: and the former had also the name[396] of Selli, which signifies the priests of the Sun. In Arcadia, near the eruption of the river Erasinus, was a mountain, clothed with beautiful trees, and sacred to Dionusus. This, also, was called [397]Chaon, _the place of the Sun_; and was, undoubtedly, so named from the antient wors.h.i.+p; for Dionusus was, of old, esteemed the same as Osiris, the Sun. There was also a place called [398]Chaon in Media and Syria; Chaonitis in Mesopotamia: and in all these places the same wors.h.i.+p prevailed. So Caballis, the city of the Solymi, was named from Ca-bal, the place of the G.o.d Bal, or Baal. It is mentioned by Strabo. In like manner Caballion, in Gallia Narbonensis, is a compound of Ca-Abelion, a well known Deity, whose name is made up of t.i.tles of the Sun. The priests of this place were styled [399]Salies; the region was called ?a??a?a; undoubtedly from Cha-Our (???), some temple of Ur, erected by the Amonians, who here settled. Canoubis in Egypt was a compound of Ca-Noubis; Cabasa, in the same country, Ca-Basa; called by many Besa, the Beseth of the Scriptures, a G.o.ddess well known in Egypt. She had a temple in Canaan, called [400]Beth Besa. Cuamon, near Esdraelon, is a compound of Cu-Amon, the place or house of Amon: [401]??? t?? ??a????. There was a temple in Attica called Cuamites; and a personage denominated from it. The history of the place, and the rites, in time grew obsolete; and Pausanias supposes that the name was given from ??a??, Cuamos, a bean. [402]Safe? de ??de? e?? ?e?e??, e?te p??t?? ??a??? espe??e? ??t??. _I have not authority for the supposition, but it seems probable that this temple was erected to the memory of some person who first sowed beans_. And here it is proper to take notice of a circ.u.mstance of which I must continually put the reader in mind, as it is of great consequence towards decyphering the mythology of antient times.

The Grecians often mistook the place of wors.h.i.+p for the Deity wors.h.i.+pped: so that the names of many G.o.ds are, in reality, the names of temples where they were adored. Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Thamis; the Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks expressed ??te??; and made it the name of a G.o.ddess. Kir-On was the city and temple of the Sun, in Cyprus and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted Cronus; and out of it made a particular G.o.d. From Cha-Opis they formed a king Cheops; from Cayster, the same as Ca Aster, they fancied a hero, Caystrius; from Cu-Bela, Cybele; from Cu-Baba, Cybebe. Cerberus, the dog of h.e.l.l, was denominated from Kir-Abor; as I shall hereafter [403]shew.

I have mentioned Caucon, or Caucone, in Egypt: there was a place of the same name in Greece. It was, originally, sacred to the Sun; and the priests and inhabitants were called Cancones. Instead of Con, which signifies the great Lord, the Greeks subst.i.tuted a hero [404]Caucon, who was supposed to have first introduced those Orgies practised by the Messenians. It was, properly, a temple of the Sun; and there was another of the same name in Bithynia, and from thence the country was called Cauconia. I shall hereafter treat at large of Cuthite colonies, which went abroad and settled in different parts. One of the first operations when they came on sh.o.r.e was to build temples, and to found cities, in memory of their princ.i.p.al ancestors, who, in process of time, were wors.h.i.+pped as Deities. A colony of this people settled at Colchis, which they called Cutaia[405], from the head of their family, styled both Chus and Cuth. We may infer, that they built a temple which was called Ca-Cuta; and from which the region was also denominated: for it is certain that it has that name at this [406]day.

Cocutus, which we render Cocytus, was undoubtedly a temple in Egypt. It gave name to a stream, on which it stood; and which was also called the Charonian branch of the Nile, and the river Acheron. It was a foul ca.n.a.l, near the place of Sepulture, opposite to Memphis, and not far from Cochone.

Cocutus was the temple of Cutus, or Cuth; for he was so called by many of his posterity. A temple of the same was to be found in Epirus, upon a river Cocutus. Here was also a river Acheron, and a lake Acherusia: for a colony from Egypt settled here; and the stream was of as foul a nature as that near Memphis. [407]?e? de ?a? ????t?? ?d?? ate?pestat??.

Juno is by Varro styled Covella. [408]Dies quinque te kalo, Juno Covella; Juno Covella, dies septem te kalo. Here, as in many instances, the place of wors.h.i.+p is taken for the person, to whom the wors.h.i.+p is directed. Covella is only a variation for Cou-El, or Co-El, the house or region of the Deity, and signifies heavenly. It is accordingly by Varro interpreted Urania, ???a??a: whence Juno Covella must be rendered Clestis. From the substantive, Cou-El, the Romans formed Coel, heaven; in aftertimes expressed Coelus, and Clum. I say, in aftertimes: for they originally called it Co-el, and Co-il, and then contracted it to Cl. Hence Ausonius in his Grammaticomastix mentions a pa.s.sage to this purpose.

Unde Rudinus ait Divom domus altisonum Cl: or as Ennius, to whom he alludes, has rendered it, according to the present MSS. altisonum [409]Coil. He sometimes subjoins the Latine termination:

Coilum prospexit stellis fulgentibus aptum.

Olim de Coilo laivum dedit inclytus signum.

Saturnus, quem Coilus genuit.

Unus erit, quem tu tollas in Coirila Coili Templa.

Clus in aftertimes was made a Deity: hence there are inscriptions dedicated [410]Clo aeterno. The antient Deity Celeus, mentioned by [411]Athenagoras, and said to have been wors.h.i.+pped at Athens, was the same as the above.

Many places and regions, held sacred, and called Coel by the Amonians, were by the Greeks rendered ????a, cava. Hence we read of ????? ?a?eda???, ????e ????, and the like. Syria was by them styled ?????, the hollow: but the true name was Coela, the heavenly or sacred. It was so denominated from the Cuthites, who settled there, on account of the religion established.

Hence it was also named Shem, and Shama; which are terms of like purport, and signify divine, or heavenly. It is a name, which it retains at this day; as we are informed by [412]Abulfeda, and others. Elis Coela was the most sacred part of Greece; especially the regions of Olympia, Cauconia, and Azania. It was denominated Elis from ??, Eel, the Sun: and what the Greeks rendered ????? of old meant [413]heavenly. Hence Homer styleth it peculiarly [414]???da d?a?, _Elis the sacred_. As Coele Syria was styled Sham, and Sama; so we find places, which have a reference to this term, in Elis. A town of great antiquity was named [415]Samicon, which signifies Cli Dominus. Here was also a temple of Poseidon Samius, surrounded with a grove of olives; and there were festivals observed, which were called Samia. There was likewise of old a city named Sama, or Samos: which Strabo imagines, might have been so named from its high situation: _for high places were called [416]Samia_. It certainly signifies in some degree high; but the true meaning of Sama was heavenly, similar to Sam, Sham, Shamem, of the eastern nations. Hence Same, Samos, Samothrace, Samacon, were denominated on account of their sanct.i.ty. Strabo supposes, that the city Samos in Elis was situated in the Samian plain: it therefore could not well have this name from its high situation. It is moreover inconsistent to suppose regions called ????a, or cava, to have been denominated from Sama, high. In short both terms have been mistaken: and Coilus in the original acceptation certainly signified heavenly: whence we read in Hesychius, as also in Suidas, ???????, ? ?e?e??. By which we learn, that by Coioles was meant a sacred or heavenly person; in other words, a priest of Clus. In Coioles there is but a small variation from the original term; which was a compound from Coi-El, or Co-El, the Clus of the Romans.

Concerning the term Cl in Ennius, [417]Ja.n.u.s Gulielmus takes notice, that this poet copied the Dorians in using abbreviations, and writing Cl for Clus and Clum. But herein this learned person is mistaken. The Dorians were not so much to be blamed for their abbreviating, as the other Greeks were for their unnecessary terminations, and inflexions. The more simple the terms, the more antient and genuine we may for the most part esteem them: and in the language of the Dorians we may perceive more terms relative to the true mythology of the country, and those rendered more similar to the antient mode of expression, than are elsewhere to be found.

We must, therefore, in all etymological inquiries, have recourse to the Doric manner of p.r.o.nunciation, to obtain the truth. They came into Greece, or h.e.l.lotia, under the name of Adorians; and from their simplicity of manners, and from the little intercourse maintained with foreigners, they preserved much of their antient tongue. For this there may be another additional reason obtained from Herodotus; who tells us, that they were more immediately descended from the people of the [418]east. The antient hymns, sung in the Prutaneia all over Greece, were [419]Doric: so sacred was their dialect esteemed. Hence they cannot but afford great help in inquiries of this nature. What was by others styled ?????, they expressed ??a?a: Cheops they rendered Chaops: Zeen, Zan: ?a????, ?a?a?a: ???, ?a?: Menes, Manes: Orchenoi, Orchanoi: Neith, Naith: ????s??, ?a??s??: Hephaestus, Hephastus: Caiete, Caiate: Demeter, Damater: all which will be found of great consequence in respect to etymology. And if they did not always admit of the terminations used by their neighbours: they by these means preserved many words in their primitive state: at least they were nearer to the originals. They seem to have retained the very term, of which I have been treating. It was by them styled ?a?, Cai; and signified a house, or cave: for the first houses in the infancy of the world are supposed to have been caves or grottos[420]. They expressed it Cai, Caia, Caias, similar to the cava, cavus, and cavea of the Romans. When these places were of a great depth, or extent, they were looked upon with a kind of religious horror. A cavern of this sort was at Lacedaemon, with a building over it; of which in aftertimes they made use to confine malefactors. It was called ?a?ad??, or as the Spartans expressed it, ?a?ada?, the house of death. [421]?a?ada? des?t?????--t? pa?a ?a?eda???????. Cai signified a cavern: Adas, which is subjoined, was the Deity, to whom it was sacred, esteemed the G.o.d of the infernal regions. He was by the Ionians, &c. expressed Ades, and Hades; and by other nations Ait, and Atis. Hence these caverns were also styled ?a?ete?, and ?a?et??.

The author above quoted gives us the terms variously exhibited: [422]?a?et??.--?? ap? t?? se?s?? ????? ?a?et?? ?e???ta?. ?a? ?a?ada? t?

des?t????? e?te??e?, t? pa?a ?a?eda???????, sp??a???. Hesychius renders it in the plural, and as a neuter: ?a?ata, ????ata. Whether it be compounded Cai-Ait, Cai-Atis, or Cai-Ades, the purport is the same. The den of Cacus was properly a sacred cave, where Chus was wors.h.i.+pped, and the rites of fire were [423]practised. Cacus is the same name as Cuscha in Ethiopia, only reversed. The history of it was obsolete in the days of Virgil; yet some traces of it still remained.

Strabo says that many people called these caves ????. [424]????? ?????

a???? ta t??a?ta ?????ata ?e?es?a? fas??. Hence he very truly explains a pa.s.sage in Homer. The poet, speaking of Theseus, Dryas, Polyphemus, and other heroes of the Mythic age, mentions their encountering with the mountaineers of Thessaly, whom he styles f??e? ??es????:

[425]?a?t?st?? d? ?e???? ep???????? t?afe? a?d???, ?a?t?st?? e? esa?, ?a? ?a?t?st??? ea???t?