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

S?fe?t?? de ?a?a.s.sa? ef???se s????? Ga??, ?a? p?ta??? p??????e?? ep' a?d??e? de et?p?

?a???f??? ??f??t? ?e?asf???? e?????? e????.

?a? p?at?? pa?a pe?a? e????st??? ??t????

O?ea??? ?????se pe??d???? a?t??a ??s??.

All this relates to a painting, either at Sidon or Berytus; which was delineated in a tower, or temple, sacred to Hermon.

Orpheus alludes to a Pharos of this sort, and to the paintings and furniture of it, in his description of the robes with which Apollo, or Dionusus, is invested. He speaks of them as the same Deity.

[228]?a?ta de pa?ta te?e?? ?e?? s?e?? p??asa?ta, S?a ?e?? p?atte?? pe??a????? ?e?????.

???ta e? a???fea?? e?a??????? a?t??ess?

?ep??? f?????e??, p??? e??e???, af?a?es?a?.

??ta? ?pe??e ?e???? pa?a????? ???? ?a?a?a?

?e?a p???st??t?? ????? ?ata de???? ???, ?st??? da?da?e?? ??', ?e??? te p?????.

??ta d' ?pe??e ?e??? ???se?? ??st??a a?es?a?, ?afa????ta, pe??? ste???? f??ee??, e?a s?a.

?????, ?t' e? pe?at?? ?a??? Fae??? a?????s??

???se?a?? a?t?s? a?? ???? O?ea????, ???? d' aspet?? ?, a?a de d??s? af???e?sa, ?a?a??? d???s?? ???ss?e?? ?ata ??????

???s?e ?e??, ???e d' a?' ?p? ste???? aet??t??

Fa??et' a?' ??ea??? ??????, e?a ?a?' es?des?a?.

When the poet has thus adorned the Deity, we find, towards the conclusion, that these imaginary robes never shew to such advantage as in the morning.

_When the sun_, says he, _rises from the extremities of the earth, and enlightens the ocean with his horizontal rays; then they appear in great splendour, which is increased by the morning dew._ All this invest.i.ture of the Deity relates to the earth and the heavens, which were delineated upon a [229]skin, de?a p???st??t?? ?????, styled pep???. This is described, ?st??? da?da?e?? ??', ?e??? te p?????: _as a copy and imitation of all the celestial appearances_. The whole was deposited in a Pharos upon the sea sh.o.r.e, upon which the sun, at his rising, darted his early rays; and whose turrets glittered with the dew: ?p? ste???? aet??t?? fa??et' a?'

??ea??? ??????: from the upper story of the tower, which was of an unmeasurable height, there was an unlimited view of the ocean. This vast element surrounded the edifice like a zone; and afforded a wonderful phaenomenon. Such, I imagine, is the solution of the enigma.

TAR, TOR, TARIT.

I have taken notice of the fears and apprehensions, under which the first navigators must necessarily have been, when they traversed unknown seas; and were liable to be entangled among the rocks, and shelves of the deep: and I mentioned the expedients of which they made use to obviate such difficulties, and to render the coast less dangerous. They built upon every hill, and promontory, where they had either commerce or settlement, obelisks, and towers, which they consecrated to some Deity. These served in a twofold capacity, both as seamarks by day, and for beacons by night. And as people in those times made only coasting voyages, they continually went on sh.o.r.e with offerings, in order to gain the a.s.sistance of the G.o.d, whoever there presided; for these towers were temples, and oftentimes richly furnished and endowed. They were built sometimes on artificial mounds; but generally on natural eminences, that they might be seen at a great distance. They were called by the Amonians, who first erected them, [230]Tar, and Tor; the same as the ??? of the Chaldees, which signified both a hill and tower. They were oftentimes compounded, and styled Tor-Is, or fire towers: on account of the light which they exhibited, and the fires which were preserved in them. Hence came the turris of the Romans; and the t????, t?????, t??s??, t??s??, of the Greeks. The latter, when the word Tor occurred in antient history, often changed it to ta????, a bull; and invented a number of idle stories in consequence of this change. The Ophite G.o.d Osiris, the same as Apollo, was by the Amonians styled Oph-El, and Ope-El: and there was upon the Sinus Persicus a city Opis, where his rites were observed. There seems likewise to have been a temple sacred to him, named Tor-Opel; which the Greeks rendered ?a???p????. Strabo speaks of such an oracular temple; and says, that it was in the island Icaria, towards the mouth of the Tigris: [231]??s?? ??a????, ?a? ?e??? ?p??????? ????? e? a?t?, ?a? a?te??? ?a???p????. Here, instead of Osiris, or Mithras, the serpent Deity, the author presents us with Apollo, the manager of bulls.

One of the princ.i.p.al and most antient settlements of the Amonians upon the ocean was at Gades; where a prince was supposed to have reigned, named Geryon. The harbour at Gades was a very fine one; and had several Tor, or Towers to direct s.h.i.+pping: and as it was usual to imagine the Deity, to whom the temple was erected, to have been the builder, this temple was said to have been built by Hercules. All this the Grecians took to themselves: they attributed the whole to the hero of Thebes: and as he was supposed to conquer wherever he came, they made him subdue Geryon; and changing the Tor, or Towers, into so many head of cattle, they [232]describe him as leading them off in triumph over the Pyranees and Alpes, to Hetruria, and so on to Calabria. From thence, for what reason we know not, he swims them over to Messana in Sicily: and after some stay he swims with them through the sea back again, all the while holding by one of their horns. The bulls of Colchis, with which Jason was supposed to have engaged, were probably of the same nature and original. The people of this country were Amonians, and had once a [233]mighty trade; for the security of which they erected at the entrance of the Phasis towers. These served both as light-houses, and temples; and were sacred to Adorus. They were on this account called Tynador, whence the Greeks formed Tyndarus, Tyndaris, and Tyndaridae. They were built after some, which stood near the city [234]Paraetonium of Egypt; and they are alluded to by the geographer Dionysius:

[235]?a? de ???? ???t???, eta ????a ???da??da??, ?????? ?a?eta??s?? ep???de? ????pt???.

Colchis was styled Cutaia, and had been early occupied by the sons of Chus.

The chief city, whence the country has been in general denominated, was from its situation called Cal-Chus, and Col-Chus, the hill, or place of Chus. This by the Greeks was rendered Colchis: but as travellers are not uniform in expressing foreign terms, some have rendered what was Colchian, Chalcian, and from Colchus they have formed ?a????, bra.s.s. The Chalcian towers being moreover interpreted ta????, bulls, a story took its rise about the brazen bulls of Colchis. Besides this, there was in these towers a constant fire kept up for the direction of s.h.i.+ps by night: whence the bulls were said to breath fire.

We however sometimes meet with sacred towers, which were really denominated Tauri from the wors.h.i.+p of the mystic bull, the same as the Apis, and Mneuis of Egypt. Such was probably the temple of Minotaurus in Crete, where the [236]Deity was represented under an emblematical figure; which consisted of the body of a man with the head of a bull. In Sicily was a promontory Taurus, mentioned by Diodorus Siculus; which was called also Tauromenium.

He acquaints us, that Hanno the Carthaginian sent his Admiral with orders pa?ap?e?? ep? t?? ??f?? ?a???e??? ?a????, _to sail along the coast to the promontory named Taurus_. This Taurus, he thinks, was afterwards named ?a???e????, Tauromenium, from the people who settled, and [237]remained there: as if this were the only place in the world where people settled and remained. It was an antient compound, and no part of it of Grecian [238]original. Tauromenium is the same as Menotaurium reversed: and the figure of the Deity was varied exactly in the same manner; as is apparent from the coins and engravings which have been found in Sicily. The Minotaur is figured as a man with the head of a bull; the Tauromen as a bull with the face of a [239]man.

Among the [240]Hetrurians this term seems to have been taken in a more enlarged sense; and to have signified a city, or town fortified. When they settled in Italy, they founded many places of strength; and are reputed to have been the first who introduced the art of fortification. [241]???s????

p??t?? efe???? t?? te???p???a?. Hence the word Tar, and Tur, is often found in the composition of names, which relate to people of this country. They wors.h.i.+pped the Sun, styled Zan, and Zeen; whose temples were called Tur-Zeen: and in consequence of it one of the princ.i.p.al names by which their country was distinguished, was Turzenia. The Scholiast upon Lycophron mentions it as [242]???a? ap? ???s???? ????e?sa? ???s???a?, _a region, which from Tur-Seen was named Tursenia_. The Poet above takes notice of two persons by the names of Tarchon, and Turseen. [243]?a???? te, ?a? ???s????, a????e? ?????. From Tarchon there was a city and district named [244]Tarcunia; from whence came the family of the Tarquins, or Tarquinii, so well known in the history of [245]Rome. The Amonians esteemed every emanation of light a fountain; and styled it Ain, and Aines: and as they built lighthouses upon every island and insular promontory, they were in consequence of it called Aines, Agnes, Inis, Inesos, Nesos, Nees: and this will be found to obtain in many different countries and languages. The Hetrurians occupied a large tract of sea-coast; on which account they wors.h.i.+pped Poseidon: and one of their princ.i.p.al cities was Poseidonium.

They erected upon their sh.o.r.es towers and beacons for the sake of their navigation, which they called Tor-ain: whence they had a still farther denomination of Tur-aini, and their country was named Tur-ainia; the ???????a of the later Greeks. All these appellations are from the same object, the edifices which they erected: even Hetruria seems to have been a compound of Ai-tur; and to have signified the land of Towers. Another name for buildings of this nature was Turit, or Tirit; which signified a tower or turret. I have often mentioned that temples have been mistaken for Deities, and places for persons. We have had an instance of this above; where Tarchon, and Tursenus are supposed to have been founders of colonies.

Torone was a place in Macedonia; and signifies literally the Tower of the Sun. The Poets have formed out of it a female personage; and supposed her to have been the wife of [246]Proteus. So Amphi-Tirit is merely an oracular tower. This too has by the Poets been changed to a female, Amphitrite; and made the wife of Neptune. The name of Triton is a contraction of Tirit-On; and signifies the tower of the Sun, like Torone: but a Deity was framed from it, who was supposed to have had the appearance of a man upwards, but downwards to have been like a fish. From this emblematical representation we may judge of the figure of the real Deity; and be a.s.sured that it could be no other than that of Atargatis and Dagon. The [247]Hetrurians were thought to have been the inventors of trumpets: and in their towers upon the sea-coast there were people appointed to be continually upon the watch both by day and night; and to give a proper signal, if any thing happened extraordinary. This was done by a blast from the trumpet; and Triton was hence feigned to have been Neptune's trumpeter. He is accordingly described by Nonnus,

[248]???s???? ?a??d??p?? e??? sa?p???a ?a?a.s.s???

_as possessing the deep toned trumpet of the Hetrurian main_. However in early times these brazen instruments were but little known: and people were obliged to make use of what was near at hand, the conchs of the sea, which every strand afforded. By sounding these, they gave signals from the top of the towers when any s.h.i.+p appeared: and this is the implement with which Triton is more commonly furnished. The antients divided the night into different watches; the last of which was called c.o.c.kcrow: and in consequence of this they kept a c.o.c.k in their Tirat, or Towers, to give notice of the dawn. Hence this bird was sacred to the Sun, and named Alector, ??e?t??: which seems to be a compound out of the t.i.tles of that Deity, and of the tower set apart for his service: for all these towers were temples. Those styled Tritonian were oracular; as we may infer from the application made by the Argonauts. What Homer attributes to Proteus, Pindar ascribes to Triton. [249]?a?te?eta? de ?? pa?' ???? ???te??, ?a?

pa?a ???da?? ???t?? t??? ?????a?ta??. Pausanias mentions a tradition of a [250]Triton near Tanagra, who used to molest women, when they were bathing in the sea; and who was guilty of other acts of violence. He was at last found upon the beach overpowered with wine; and there slain. This Triton was properly a Tritonian, a priest of one of these temples: for the priests appear to have been great tyrants, and oftentimes very brutal. This person had used the natives ill; who took advantage of him, when overpowered with liquor, and put him to death.

The term Tor, in different parts of the world, occurs sometimes a little varied. Whether this happened through mistake, or was introduced for facility of utterance, is uncertain. The temple of the Sun, Tor Heres, in Phenicia was rendered ???????, Trieres; the promontory Tor-Ope-On, in Caria, Triopon; Tor-Hamath, in Cyprus, Trimathus; Tor-Hanes, in India, Trinesia; Tor-Chom, or Chomus, in Palestine, Tricomis. In antient times the t.i.tle of Anac was often conferred upon the Deities; and their temples were styled Tor-Anac, and Anac-Tor. The city Miletus was named [251]Anactoria: and there was an Heroum at Sparta called ??a?t????, Anactoron; where Castor and Pollux had particular honours, who were peculiarly styled Anactes. It was from Tor-Anac that Sicily was denominated Trinacis and Trinacia. This, in process of time, was still farther changed to Trinacria; which name was supposed to refer to the triangular form of the island. But herein was a great mistake; for, the more antient name was Trinacia, as is manifest from Homer:

[252]?pp?te d? p??t?? pe?as?? e?e??ea ??a ????a??? ??s?.

And the name, originally, did not relate to the island in general, but to a part only, and that a small district near aetna. This spot had been occupied by the first inhabitants, the Cyclopians, Lestrygons, and Sicani: and it had this name from some sacred tower which they built. Callimachus calls it, mistakenly, Trinacria, but says that it was near aetna, and a portion of the antient Sicani.

[253]??e d' a?' ??t?a, ??e de ????a???? S??a??? ?d??.

The island Rhodes was called [254]Trinacia, which was not triangular: so that the name had certainly suffered a variation, and had no relation to any figure. The city Trachin, ??a???, in Greece, was properly Tor-chun, turris sacra vel regia, like Tarchon in Hetruria. Chun and Chon were t.i.tles, said peculiarly to belong to Hercules: [255]??? ??a???? f?s? ?ata t?? ????pt??? d?a?e?t?? ???a ?e?es?a?. We accordingly find that this place was sacred to Hercules; that it was supposed to have been [256]founded by him; and that it was called [257]Heraclea.

I imagine that the trident of Poseidon was a mistaken implement; as it does not appear to have any relation to the Deity to whom it has been by the Poets appropriated. Both the towers on the sea-coast, and the beacons, which stood above them, had the name of Tor-ain. This the Grecians changed to Triaina, ???a??a, and supposed it to have been a three-p.r.o.nged fork. The beacon, or Torain, consisted of an iron or brazen frame, wherein were three or four tines, which stood up upon a circular basis of the same metal. They were bound with a hoop; and had either the figures of Dolphins, or else foliage in the intervals between them. These filled up the vacant s.p.a.ce between the tines, and made them capable of holding the combustible matter with which they were at night filled. This instrument was put upon a high pole, and hung sloping sea-ward over the battlements of the tower, or from the stern of a s.h.i.+p: with this they could maintain, either a smoke by day, or a blaze by night. There was a place in Argos named [258]Triaina, which was supposed to have been so called from the trident of Neptune. It was undoubtedly a tower, and the true name Tor-ain; as may be shewn from the history with which it is attended. For it stood near a fountain, though a fountain of a different nature from that of which we have been speaking.

The waters of Amumone rose here: which Amumone is a variation from Amim-On, _the waters of the Sun_. The stream rose close to the place, which was named Tor-ain, from its vicinity to the fountain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A _The ancient Tower at Torone_ B _Tower of Cronus in Sicily_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Ancient Triainae_]

Cerberus was the name of a place, as well as Triton and Torone, though esteemed the dog of h.e.l.l. We are told by [259]Eusebius, from Plutarch, that Cerberus was the Sun: but the term properly signified the temple, or place, of the Sun. The great luminary was styled by the Amonians both Or and Abor; that is, _light_, and _the parent of light:_ and Cerberus is properly Kir-Abor, the place of that Deity. The same temple had different names, from the diversity of the G.o.d's t.i.tles who was there wors.h.i.+pped. It was called TorCaph-El; which was changed to t???efa???, just as Cahen-Caph-El was rendered ?????efa???: and Cerberus was hence supposed to have had three heads. It was also styled Tor-Keren, Turris Regia; which suffered a like change with the word above, being expressed t???a?????: and Cahen Ades, or Cerberus, was hence supposed to have been a triple-headed monster. That these idle figments took their rise from names of places, ill expressed and misinterpreted, may be proved from Palaephatus. He abundantly shews that the mistake arose hence, though he does not point out precisely the mode of deviation. He first speaks of Geryon, who was supposed to have had three heads, and was thence styled t???efa???. [260]?? de t????de t??t?? p????

est?? e? t? ?????? p??t? ????a????a ?a???e?? ??. _The purport of the fable about Geryones is this: There was, upon the Pontus Euxinus, a city named Tricarenia; and thence came the history_ G??????? t?? ????a?????, _of Geryon the Tricarenian; which was interpreted, a man with three heads._ He mentions the same thing of Cerberus. [261]?e???s? pe?? ?e?e???, ?? ????

??, e??? t?e?? ?efa?a?? d???? de ?t? ?a? ??t?? ap? t?? p??e?? e?????

????a?????, ?spe? ? G???????. _They say of Cerberus, that he was a dog with three heads: but it is plain that he was so called from a city named Tricaren, or Tricarenia, as well as Geryones_. Palaephatus says, very truly, that the strange notion arose from a place. But, to state more precisely the grounds of the mistake, we must observe, that from the antient Tor-Caph-El arose the blunder about t???efa???; as, from Tor-Keren, rendered Tricarenia, was formed the term t???a?????: and these personages, in consequence of it, were described with three heads.

As I often quote from Palaephatus, it may be proper to say something concerning him. He wrote early: and seems to have been a serious and sensible person; one, who saw the absurdity of the fables, upon which the theology of his country was founded. In the purport of his name is signified an antiquarian; a person, who dealt in remote researches: and there is no impossibility, but that there might have casually arisen this correspondence between his name and writings. But, I think, it is hardly probable. As he wrote against the mythology of his country, I should imagine that ?a?a?fat??, Palaephatus, was an a.s.sumed name, which he took for a blind, in order to screen himself from persecution: for the nature of his writings made him liable to much ill will. One little treatise of [262]Palaephatus about Orion is quoted verbatim by the Scholiast upon [263]Homer, who speaks of it as a quotation from Euphorion. I should therefore think, that Euphorion was the name of this writer: but as there were many learned men so called, it may be difficult to determine which was the author of this treatise.

Homer, who has constructed the n.o.blest poem that was ever framed, from the strangest materials, abounds with allegory and mysterious description. He often introduces ideal personages, his notions of which he borrowed from the edifices, hills, and fountains; and from whatever savoured of wonder and antiquity. He seems sometimes to blend together two different characters of the same thing, a borrowed one, and a real; so as to make the true history, if there should be any truth at bottom, the more extraordinary and entertaining.

I cannot help thinking, that Otus and Ephialtes, those gigantic youths, so celebrated by the Poets, were two lofty towers. They were building to Alohim, called [264]Aloeus; but were probably overthrown by an earthquake.

They are spoken of by Pindar as the sons of Iphimedeia; and are supposed to have been slain by Apollo in the island Naxos.

[265]?? de ?a??

Fa?t? ?a?e?? ??pa?? ?f?ede?a? pa?da?

Ot??, ?a? se, t??ae?? ?f?a?ta a?a?.

They are also mentioned by Homer, who styles them ???e?e??, or earthborn: and his description is equally fine.

[266]?a? ?' ete?e? d?? pa?de, ?????ad?? de ?e?es???, Ot?? t' a?t??e??, t??e??e?t?? t' ?f?a?t???

??? d? ???st??? ??e?e ?e?d???? a????a, ?a? p??? ?a???st??? eta ?e ???t?? O????a.

???e???? ?a? t?? ?e, ?a? e??eap??ee? ?sa?

?????, ata? ???? ?e ?e?es??? e??e???????.

Homer includes Orion in this description, whom he mentions elsewhere; and seems to borrow his ideas from a similar object, some tower, or temple, that was sacred to him. Orion was Nimrod, the great hunter in the Scriptures, called by the Greeks Nebrod. He was the founder of Babel, or Babylon; and is represented as a gigantic personage. The author of the Paschal Chronicle speaks of him in this light. [267]?e??d G??a?ta, t?? t??

?a?????a? ?t?sa?ta--??t??a ?a???s?? O????a. He is called Alorus by Abydenus, and Apollodorus; which was often rendered with the Amonian prefix Pelorus. Homer describes him as a great hunter; and of an enormous stature, even superior to the Aloeidae above mentioned.

[268]??? de et' O????a ?e?????? e?se???sa, T??a? ??? e??e??ta ?at' asf?de??? ?e???a.

The Poet styles him Pelorian; which betokens something vast, and is applicable to any towering personage, but particularly to Orion. For the term Pelorus is the name by which the towers of Orion were called. Of these there seems to have been one in Delos; and another of more note, to which Homer probably alluded, in Sicily; where Orion was particularly reverenced.

The streight of Rhegium was a dangerous pa.s.s: and this edifice was erected for the security of those who were obliged to go through it. It stood near Zancle; and was called [269]Pelorus, because it was sacred to Alorus, the same as [270]Orion. There was likewise a river named from him, and rendered by Lycophron [271]Elorus. The tower is mentioned by Strabo; but more particularly by Diodorus Siculus. He informs us that, according to the tradition of the place, Orion there resided; and that, among other works, he raised this very mound and promontory, called Pelorus and Pelorias, together with the temple, which was situated upon it. [272]O????a p??s??sa?

t? ?ata t?? ?e????ada ?e?e??? a???t?????, ?a? t? tee??? t?? ??se?d????

?atas?e?asa?, t??e??? ?p? t?? e??????? d?afe???t??. We find from hence that there was a tower of this sort, which belonged to Orion: and that the word Pelorion was a term borrowed from these edifices, and made use of metaphorically, to denote any thing stupendous and large. The description in Homer is of a mixed nature: wherein he retains the antient tradition of a gigantic person; but borrows his ideas from the towers sacred to him. I have taken notice before, that all temples of old were supposed to be oracular; and by the Amonians were called Pator and Patara. This temple of Orion was undoubtedly a Pator; to which mariners resorted to know the event of their voyage, and to make their offerings to the G.o.d. It was on this account styled Tor Pator; which being by the Greeks expressed t??pat??, tripator, gave rise to the notion, that this earthborn giant had three fathers.