A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume Ii Part 11

[703]F???? ?a? ????? ?????s??e?, e?et' e?e????, ??et' ep' ?f??s? ?e???t?da? et?efe? ?ppa?, ???e?? ?p' e??t? ?e?a?e??? ?d?t???.

These Hippai, misconstrued mares, were priestesses of the G.o.ddess Hippa, who was of old wors.h.i.+pped in Thessaly, and Thrace, and in many different regions. They chanted hymns in her temples, and performed the rites of fire: but the wors.h.i.+p growing obsolete, the very terms were at last mistaken. How far this wors.h.i.+p once prevailed may be known from the many places denominated from Hippa. It was a t.i.tle of Apollo, or the Sun, and often compounded Hippa On, and contracted Hippon: of which name places occur in Africa near Carthage[704]. ?te d? ???ta p???? e?ta??a ?a? ?? d??

?pp??e?. Argos was of old called Hippeion; not from the animal ?pp??, but [705]ap? ?pp?? t?? ?a?a??, _from Hippa the daughter of Danaus_. That is from a priestess, who founded there a temple, and introduced the rites of the G.o.ddess whom she served. As it was a t.i.tle of the Sun, it was sometimes expressed in the masculine gender Hippos: and Pausanias takes notice of a most curious, and remarkable piece of antiquity, though he almost ruins the purport of it by referring it to an horse. It stood near mount Taygetus in Laconia, and was called the monument of Hippos. The author tells us, [706]_that at particular intervals from this monument stood seven pillars, ?ata t??p?? ??a? a??a???, placed_, says he, _as I imagine, according to some antient rule and method; which pillars were supposed to represent the seven planets_. If then these exterior stones related to the [707]seven erratic bodies in our sphere, the central monument of Hippos must necessarily have been designed for the Sun. And however rude the whole may possibly have appeared, it is the most antient representation upon record, and consequently the most curious, of the planetary system.

It is from hence, I think, manifest, that the t.i.tles Hippa, and Hippos, related to the luminary Osiris; and betokened some particular department of that Deity, who was the same as Dionusus. He was undoubtedly wors.h.i.+pped under this appellation in various regions: hence we read of Hippici Montes in Colchis: ?pp?? ??? in Lycia: ?pp?? a??a in Libya: ?pp?? ???? in Egypt: and a town Hippos in Arabia Felix. There occur also in composition[708], Hippon, Hipporum, Hippouris, Hippana, Hipponesus, Hippocrene. This last was a sacred fountain, denominated from the G.o.d of light, who was the patron of verse, and science: but by the Greeks it was referred to an animal, and supposed to have been produced by the hoof of an horse. The rites of Dionusus Hippius were carried into Thrace, where the horses of Diomedes were said to have been fed with human flesh. Deianira is introduced by Ovid, as asking Hercules, if he did not well remember this practice.

[709]Non tibi succurrit crudi Diomedis imago, Efferus humana qui dape pavit equos?

Abderus, the founder of Abdera, is supposed to have been a victim to these animals: of which Scymnus Chius gives the following account.

[710]??? d' ep? ?a?att? ?e?e??? est?? p????

?d??', ap' ?d???? e? ???ase??, ??? ?a? ?t?sa?t?? p??te??? a?t??? ?? d??e?

?p? t?? ????d??? ?ste??? ?e???t????

?pp?? f?a???a?.

These horses, ?e???t????, which fed upon the flesh of strangers, were the priests of Hippa, and of Dionusus, styled Hippus, or more properly Hippius.

They seem to have resided in an island, and probably in the Thracian Chersonese: which they denominated [711]Diu-Medes, or the island of the Egyptian Deity Medes. From hence the Grecian Poets have formed a personage Diomedes, whom they have made king of the country. There were opposite to Apulia islands of the same name, where similar rites prevailed. The priests were here Cycneans, and described as a species of swans, who were kind to people of their own race, but cruel to [712]strangers. A Diomedes is supposed to have been a king in these parts, and to have given name to these islands. It is said by Scymnus Chios above, that Abderus, who was devoured by the horses of Diomedes in Thrace, built the city, which bore his name. The Grecians continually supposed the personage, in whose honour a city was built, to have been the founder. I have mentioned, that Abderus signifies the place of Abdir, which is a contraction of Abadir, the serpent Deity Ad-Ur, or Adorus. And it is plain from many pa.s.sages in antient writers, that human sacrifices were common at his shrine; and particularly those of infants. By Abdera being a victim to the horses of Diomedes is meant that the natives of that place, which stood in the vicinity of the Chersonesus, were obliged to submit to the cruel rites of the Diomedean [713]priests. The very name must have come from them; for they wors.h.i.+pped the Deity under the t.i.tles of Meed, Hippa, and Abadir; and various other appellations.

There is an account given by [714]Palaephatus of one Metra, who in the more authentic ma.n.u.scripts is called ??st?a, Meestra. It is said of her, that she could change herself into various forms, particularly e? ????? ?e?es?a?

???, ?a? a???? ???a, ?a? ???e??, _that she would instead of a young woman appear an ox, or a cow; or else be in the shape of a dog, or of a bird_.

She is represented as the daughter of Eresicthon: and these uncommon properties are mentioned by Ovid[715], who sets them off with much embellishment. The story at bottom is very plain. Egypt, the land of the Mizraim, was by the Greeks often styled [716]Mestra and [717]Mestraia: and by the person here called Mestra we are certainly to understand a woman of that country. She was sometimes mentioned simply as a Cahen, or priestess, which the Grecians have rendered ???a, a dog. Women in this sacred capacity attended at the shrine of Apis, and Mneuis; and of the sacred heifer at Onuphis. Some of them in different countries were styled Cygneans, and also Peleiadae, of whom the princ.i.p.al were the women at [718]Dodona. Many of them were priestesses of Hippa, and upon that account styled Hippai, as I have shewn. Hence the mythologists under the character of Meestra have represented an Egyptian priestess, who could a.s.sume many departments, which were misconstrued different shapes. She could become, if we may credit Ovid,

Nunc equa, nunc ales, modo bos.

or according to Palaephatus, ???, ???a, ?a? ???e??: _a cow, a dog, and a bird_. The whole of this related to the particular service of the priestess; and to the emblem under which the Deity was wors.h.i.+pped.

RITES

OF

DAMATER, OR CERES.

I shall now proceed to the rites of Ceres: and the general character of this G.o.ddess is so innocent, and rural, that one would imagine nothing cruel could proceed from her shrine. But there was a time, when some of her temples were as much dreaded, as those of Scylla, and the Cyclops. They were courts of justice; whence she is often spoken of as a lawgiver.

[719]Prima Ceres unco terram dimovit aratro, Prima dedit leges.

She is joined by Cicero with Libera, and they are styled the Deities, [720]a quibus initia vitae, atque victus, _legum, morum_, mansuetudinis, humanitatis, exempla hominibus, et civitatibus data, ac dispert.i.ta esse dicantur. The Deity, to whom she was a subst.i.tute, was El, the Sun. He was primarily wors.h.i.+pped in these temples: and I have shewn, that they were from Achor denominated Acherontian; also temples of Ops, and Oupis, the great serpent G.o.d. Hence it is said by Hesychius, that Acheron, and Ops, and h.e.l.le, and [721]Gerys, and Terra, and Demeter, were the same. ?

[722]??e??, ?a? Op??, ?a? ????, ?a? G????, ?a? G?, ?a? ???t??, [723]t?

a?t?. Ceres was the Deity of fire: hence at Cnidus she was called ???a, [724]Cura, a t.i.tle of the Sun. Her Roman name Ceres, expressed by Hesychius Gerys, was by the Dorians more properly rendered [725]Garys. It was originally a name of a city, called ?a???: for many of the Deities were erroneously called by the names of the places where they were wors.h.i.+pped.

Charis is Char-Is, the [726]city of fire; the place where Orus and Hephastus were wors.h.i.+pped. Hence as a personage she is made the wife of [727]Vulcan, on account of her relation to fire. Her t.i.tle of Damater was equally foreign to Greece; and came from Babylonia, and the east. It may after this seem extraordinary, that she should ever be esteemed the G.o.ddess of corn. This notion arose in part from the Grecians not understanding their own theology: which bad originally, became continually more depraved, through their ignorance. The towers of Ceres were P'urtain, or ???ta?e?a; so called from the fires, which were perpetually there preserved. The Grecians interpreted this p???? tae???; and rendered, what was a temple of Orus, a granary of corn. In consequence of this, though they did not abolish the antient usage of the place, they made it a repository of grain, from whence they gave largesses to the people upon any act of merit.

[728]??p?? ?? pa?' ????a????, e? ? ????a? s?t?se?? t??? d??s????

e?e??eta?? ed?d??t?? ??e? ?a? ???ta?e??? e?a?e?t?, ????e? p???tae????

p???? ?a? ? s?t??? In early times the corn there deposited seems to have been for the priests and [729]diviners. But this was only a secondary use, to which these places were adapted. They were properly sacred towers, where a perpetual fire was preserved. Pausanias takes notice of such a one in Arcadia. [730]???t???, ?a? ????? ?e???, p?? de e?ta??a ?a???s?, p????e???

f???t?da, ? ?a?? sf?s?? ap?ses?e?. He mentions a like circ.u.mstance at the Prutaneion in Elis[731]: ?st? de ? ?st?a tef?a? ?a? a?t? pep???e??, ?a?

ep' a?t?? p?? a?a pasa? te ?e?a?, ?a? e? pas? ???t? ?sa?t?? ?a?eta?.

Attica at first was divided into separate and independent hamlets: each of which had its own Prutaneion, and Archon. These Archons were priests of the [732]Prutaneia; and were denominated from their office. Archon is the same as Orchon, and like Chon-Or signifies the G.o.d of light, and fire; from which t.i.tle the priests had their name. In Babylonia, and Chaldea, they were called Urchani.

As in these temples there was always a [733]light, and a fire burning on the hearth, some of the Grecians have varied in their etymology, and have derived the name from p??, Pur. Suidas supposes it to have been originally called ????? tae???. [734]???ta?e???, p???? tae???, e??a ?? asest?? p??.

The Scholiast upon Thucydides speaks to the same purpose. [735]????? de fas??, ?t? t? ???ta?e??? p???? ?? tae???, e??a ?? asest?? p??. _Others tell us, that the Prutaneion was of old called Puros Tameion, from p??, pur: because it was the repository of a perpetual fire_. It was sacred to Hestia, the Vesta of the Romans; which was only another t.i.tle for Damater: and the sacred hearth had the same name. [736]?st?a? d' a? ?????tata ?a????? t?? e? ???ta?e??, ef' ?? t? p?? t? asest?? a?apteta?. I have mentioned, that these places were temples, and at the same time courts of justice: hence we find, that in the Prutaneion at Athens, the laws of Solon were [737]engraved. These laws were described upon wooden cylinders: some of which remained to the time of [738]Plutarch.

Many of these temples were dedicated to the Deity under the name of Persephone, or Proserpine, the supposed daughter of Ceres. They were in reality the same personage. Persephone was styled ???a, Cora; which the Greeks misinterpreted ?a??e???, the virgin, or damsel. How could a person, who according to the received accounts had been ravished by Pluto, and been his consort for ages; who was the reputed queen of h.e.l.l, be styled by way of eminence ?a??e???? ???a, Cora, which they understood was the same as Cura, a feminine t.i.tle of the sun: by which Ceres also was called at Cnidos. However mild and gentle Proserpine may have been represented in her virgin state by the Poets; yet her tribunal seems in many places to have been very formidable. In consequence of this we find her with Minos, and Rhadamanthus, condemned to the shades below, as an infernal inquisitor.

Nonnus says,

[739]?e?sef??? ?????e? ??????a?.

_Proserpine armed the furies_. The notion of which Furies arose from the cruelties practised in these Prutaneia. They were called by the Latines, Furiae; and were originally only priests of fire: but were at last ranked among the h.e.l.lish tormentors. Ceres the benefactress, and lawgiver, was sometimes enrolled in the list of these daemons. This is manifest from a pa.s.sage in Antimachus, quoted by Pausanias, where her temple is spoken of as the shrine of a Fury.

[740]???t???, t??? fas?? ???????? e??a? ede????.

The like is mentioned by the Scholiast upon Lycophron, [741]??????? ?

???t?? e? ???a?? p??e? t?? ???ad?a? t??ta?. Her temple stood upon the river Ladon, and she had this name given to her by the people of the place.

?a???s? de ??????? ?? Te?p??s??? t?? Te??. _The Thelpusians call the G.o.ddess Demeter a Fury_. Herodotus speaks of a Prutaneion in Achaia Pthiotic, called Letus; of which he gives a fearful account. _No person_, he says, _ever entered the precincts, who returned. Whatever person ever strayed that way, was immediately seized upon by the priests, and sacrificed. The custom so far prevailed, that many, who thought they were liable to suffer, fled away to foreign parts. And he adds, that after a long time, when any of them ventured to return, if they were caught, they were immediately led to the Prutaneion. Here they were crowned with garlands. and in great parade conducted to the altar_. I shall quote the author's words. [742]???t?? de ?a?e??s? t? ???ta????? ?? ??a???? ?? de ese???, ??? est?, ???? e?e?s?, p??? ? ??ses?a? e???? ?ste t? p??? t??t??s?

p????? ?de t?? e????t?? t??te?? ??ses?a?, de?sa?te? ?????t? ap?d?a?te? e?

a???? ?????. ?????? de p?????t??, ?p?s? ?ate????te?, ?? a??s???ta?, este????t? e? t? ???ta?????, ?? ??eta? te e???e??t?, steas? pa?

p??as?e??, ?a? ?? s?? p?p? e?a??e??. The people of Letus are said to have been the sons of Cutissorus. Herodotus speaks of the temple, as remaining in his time: and of the custom still subsisting. He farther mentions, that when Xerxes was informed of the history of this place, as he pa.s.sed through Thessaly, he withheld himself from being guilty of any violation. And he moreover ordered his army to pay due regard to its sanct.i.ty; so very awful, it seems, was mysterious cruelty.

I imagine, that the story of the Harpies relates to priests of the Sun.

They were denominated from their seat of residence, which was an oracular temple called Harpi, and Hirpi, a.n.a.logous to Orphi, and Urphi in other places. I have shewn, that the antient name of a priest was Cahen, rendered mistakenly ???, and canis. Hence the Harpies, who were priests of Ur, are styled by Apollonius, _the Dogs of Jove_. His accosting Calais, and Zethus, tells them, that it would be a profanation to offer any injury to those personages.

[743]?? ?e??, ? ??e?? ???e?? ??fees?? e?a.s.sa?

??p??a?, e?a???? ???? ?Y??S.

This term in the common acceptation is not applicable to the Harpies, either as birds, for so they are represented; or as winged animals. But this representation was only the insigne of the people, as the vulture, and eagle were of the Egyptians: a lion of the Persians. The Harpies were certainly a [744]college of priests in Bithynia; and on that account called Cahen. They seem to have been a set of rapacious persons, who, for their repeated acts of violence, and cruelty, were driven out of the country.

Their temple was styled Arpi; and the environs Arpi-ai: hence the Grecians formed [745]??p??a?. There was a region in Apulia named Arpi; and in its neighbourhood were the islands of Diomedes, and the birds, which were fabled to have been like swans. I have before shewn, that they were Amonian priests: so likewise were the Hirpi near Soracte in Latium. They were priests of fire: of whose customs I have taken notice.

The persons who resided in these temples are represented as persons of great strength and stature: for many of them were of the race of Anac.

There is reason to think, that a custom prevailed in these places of making strangers engage in fight with some of the priests trained up for that purpose. The manner of contention was either with the caestus, or by wrestling. And as the priest appointed for the trial was pretty sure of coming off the conqueror, the whole was looked upon as a more specious kind of sacrifice. Amycus, who was king of Bithynia, is represented as of a [746]gigantic size, and a great proficient with the caestus. He was in consequence of it the terror of all strangers who came upon the coast.

Cercyon of [747]Megara was equally famed for wrestling; by which art he slew many, whom he forced to the unequal contention. But Cercyon was the name of the [748]place; and they were the Cercyonians, the priests of the temple, who were noted for these achievements. Pausanias gives an account of them under the character of one person. [749]???a? de ? ?e????? ?e?eta?

?a? ta a??a ad???? e?? t??? ?e????, ?a? pa?a?e?? ?? ????e????. _Cercyon was in other respects lawless in his behaviour towards strangers; but especially towards those who would not contend with him in wrestling_.

These Cercyonians were undoubtedly priests of Ceres, or Damater: who seems to have been tired of their service, and glad to get rid of them, as we are informed by the poet.

[750]Quaeque Ceres laeto vidit pereuntia vultu Corpora Thesea Cercyonea manu.

Before most temples of old were areas, which were designed for Gumnasia, where these feats of exercise were performed. Lucian speaks of one before the temple of [751]Apollo Lucius. And Pausanias mentions that particular [752]parade, where Cercyon was supposed to have exhibited his art. It stood before the tomb of Alope, and was called the Palaestra of Cercyon even in the time of this writer, who takes notice of many others. He styles it taf?? ???p??, as if it were a tomb. But it was a Taph, or high altar, sacred to Al-Ope, Sol Pytho, who was the Deity of the place called Cer-Cuon. Before this altar was the palaestra; where the Cercyonian priests obliged people to contend with them. I have taken notice of a Pharos at [753]Torone, which Proteus is said to have quitted, that he might not be witness to the cruelties of his sons. He fled, it seems, to Egypt, ?e????

a???a? ta? ?e???t??a? pa?a?, to shun their wicked practices: for they were so skilled in the Palaestric art, that they slew all strangers whom they forced to engage with them. Taurus, called Minotaurus, was a temple in Crete: but by the Grecians is spoken of as a person. Under this character Taurus is represented as a [754]renowned wrestler, and many persons are said to have been sent from Athens to be victims to his prowess. Eusebius styles him, [755]??? ?a? a??e???, a man of a cruel and sour disposition.

After he had done much mischief, Theseus at length ?a???? ?atepa?a?se, foiled him in his own art, and slew him. He is supposed to have done the like by Cercyon. [756]?e?eta? de ? ?e????? t??? d?asta?ta? pa?ta? e? pa???

[757]d?af?e??a? p??? T?se??. _For it is said of Cercyon, that he slew every person who ventured to cope with him in wrestling, except Theseus_. In all these instances the place is put for the persons who resided in it: of which mistake I have been obliged often to take notice.

Antient history affords numberless instances of this ungenerous and cruel practice. The stranger, who stood most in need of courtesy, was treated as a profest enemy: and the rites of hospitality were evaded under the undue sanction of a sacrifice to the G.o.ds. In the history of Busiris we have an account of this custom prevailing in Egypt. [758]???s???? de ?ata t??

????pt?? t? ??? ?a???e?e?? sfa??a???ta t??? pa?ep?d????ta? ?????S. _It is said of Busiris, that he used to offer to Jupiter, as the most acceptable sacrifice, all the strangers, whom chance brought into his country_. There was a tradition concerning Antaeus, that he covered the roof of a temple, sacred to Poseidon, with the sculls of foreigners, whom he forced to engage with him. The manner of the engagement was by [759]wrestling. Eryx in Sicily was a proficient in this art, and did much mischief to strangers: till he was in his turn slain. The Deity was the same in these parts, as was alluded to under the name of Taurus, and Minotaurus, in Crete; and the rites were the same. Hence Lycophron speaks of Eryx by the name of Taurus; and calls the place of exercise before the temple,

[760]?a???? ???ada? ?a???e???

?a??? ????st?a?.

This the Scholiast interprets pa?a?st?a? t?? ?????? t?? ?e???t????, _The Gymnasium of Eryx, who used to murder strangers_. Androgeos the son of Minos came to the [761]like end, who had been superior to every body in this art. Euripides styles the hero Cycnus [762]?e??da??ta?, on account of his cruelty to strangers. He resided it seems near the sea-coast; used to oblige every person, who travelled that way, or whom ill fortune brought on sh.o.r.e to contend with him. And his ambition was to be able with the skulls of the victims, which he slew, to build a temple to Apollo. [763]?a???e???