A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume Ii Part 3

The whole of this relates to a choir of priests, who came over to settle at Delos, and to serve in the newly erected temple. They circled the island seven times; because seven, of old, was looked upon as a mysterious and sacred number.

[190]?d?? e?? a?a????, ?a? ?d?? est? ?e?e???.

?d?? e? p??t??s?, ?a? ?d?? est? te?e??.

?d?at? d? ?? tete?ese?a pa?ta tet??ta?.

?pta de pa?ta tet??ta? e? ???a?? aste??e?t?.

The birds in the island of Diomedes, which were said to have been originally companions of that hero, were undoubtedly priests, and of the same race as those of whom I have been treating. They are represented as gentle to good men, and averse to those who are bad. Ovid describes their shape and appearance: [191]Ut non cygnorum, sic albis proxima cygnis; which, after what has been said, may, I think, be easily understood.

If then the harmony of swans, when spoken of, not only related to something quite foreign, but in reality did not of itself exist, it may appear wonderful that the antients should so universally give into the notion. For not only the poets, but [192]Plato, Plutarch, Cicero, Pliny, with many others of high rank, speak of it as a circ.u.mstance well known. But it is to be observed, that none of them speak from their own experience: nor are they by any means consistent in what they say. Some mention this singing as a general faculty; which was exerted at all times: others limit it to particular seasons, and to particular places. Aristotle seems to confine it to the seas of [193]Africa: [194]Aldrovandus says, that it may be heard upon the Thames near London. The account given by Aristotle is very remarkable. He says, that mariners, whose course lay through the Libyan sea, have often met with swans, and heard them singing in a melancholy strain: and upon a nearer approach, they could perceive that some of them were dying, from whom the harmony proceeded. Who would have expected to have found swans swimming in the salt sea, in the midst of the Mediterranean? There is nothing that a Grecian would not devise in support of a favourite error. The legend from beginning to end is groundless: and though most speak of the music of swans as exquisite; yet some absolutely deny [195]the whole of it; and others are more moderate in their commendations. The watermen in Lucian give the preference to a jackdaw: but Antipater in some degree dissents, and thinks that the swan has the advantage.

[196]???te??? ?????? ????? ?????, ?e ???????

And Lucretius confesses, that the screaming of a crane is not quite so pleasing:

[197]Parvus ut est, Cygni melior canor, ille gruum quam Clamor:

Which however is paying them no great compliment. To these respectable personages I must add the evidence of a modern; one too of no small repute, even the great Scaliger. He says, that he made a strict scrutiny about this affair, when in Italy; and the result of his observations was this: [198]Ferrariae multos (cygnos) vidimus, sed cantores sane malos, neque melius ansere canere.

OF

TEMPLE SCIENCE.

The Egyptians were very famous for geometrical knowledge: and as all the flat part of their country was annually overflowed, it is reasonable to suppose that they made use of this science to determine their lands, and to make out their several claims, at the retreat of the waters. Many indeed have thought, that the confusion of property, which must for a while have prevailed, gave birth to practical [199]geometry, in order to remedy the evil: and in consequence of it, that charts and maps were first delineated in this country. These, we may imagine, did not relate only to private demesnes: but included also the course of the Nile in its various branches; and all the sea coast, and its inlets, with which lower Egypt was bounded.

It is very certain, that the people of Colchis, who were a colony from Egypt, had charts of this sort, with written descriptions of the seas and sh.o.r.es, whithersoever they traded: and they at one time carried on a most extensive commerce. We are told, says the [200]Scholiast upon Apollonius, that the Colchians still retain the laws and customs of their forefathers: and they have pillars of stone, upon which are engraved maps of the continent, and of the ocean: ??s? de, f?s?, ?a? ???? pa?' a?t??? t??

????????, ?a? St??a?, e? ??? ??? ?a? ?a?a.s.s?? a?a??afa? e?s?. The poet, upon whom the above writer has commented, calls these pillars, ???e??: which, we are told, were of a square figure, like obelisks: and on these, he says, were delineated all the pa.s.sages of the sea; and the boundaries of every country upon the earth.

[201]?? d? t?? ??apta? pate??? ??e? e?????ta?

???ea?, ??? e?? pasa? ?d??, ?a? pe??at' eas??

????? te, t?afe??? te, pe??? ep??e?ss?e???s??.

These delineations had been made of old, and transmitted to the Colchians by their forefathers; which forefathers were from [202]Egypt.

If then the Colchians had this science, we may presume that their mother country possessed it in as eminent a degree: and we are a.s.sured, that they were very knowing in this article. Clemens Alexandrinus [203]mentions, that there were maps of Egypt, and charts of the Nile very early. And we are moreover told, that Sesostris (by which is meant the Sethosians) drew upon boards schemes of all the countries, which he had traversed: and copies of these were given both to [204]the Egyptians, and to the Scythians, who held them in high estimation. This is a curious account of the first delineation of countries, and origin of maps; which were first described upon [205]pillars. We may from hence be enabled to solve the enigma concerning Atlas, who is said to have supported the heavens upon his shoulders. This took its rise from some verses in Homer, which have been strangely misconstrued. The pa.s.sage is in the Odyssey; where the poet is speaking of Calypso, who is said to be the daughter of Atlas, ????f?????, a person of deep and recondite knowledge:

[206]?t?a?t?? ???at?? ????f?????, ?ste ?a?a.s.s??

?as?? e??ea ??de?, e?e? de te ?????S a?t??

?a??a?, ?? Ga?a? te ?a? ???a??? af?? e???s??.

It is to be observed, that when the antients speak of the feats of Hercules, we are to understand the Herculeans; under the name of Cadmus is meant the Cadmians; under that of Atlas, the Atlantians. With this allowance how plain are the words of Homer! The [207]Atlantians settled in Phrygia and Mauritania; and, like the Colchians, were of the family of Ham.

They had great experience in sea affairs: and the poet tells us, that they knew all the soundings in the great deep.

??e? de te ????a? a?t??

?a??a?, ?? Ga??? te ?a? ???a??? af?? e???s??.

_They had also long pillars, or obelisks, which referred to the sea; and upon which was delineated the whole system both of heaven and earth_; af??, _all around, both on the front of the obelisk, and on the other sides_. ????e? ??s?? were certainly maps, and histories of the universe; in the knowledge of which the Atlantians seem to have instructed their brethren the Herculeans. The Grecians, in their accounts, by putting one person for a people, have rendered the history obscure; which otherwise would be very intelligible. There is a pa.s.sage in Eusebius, which may be rendered very plain, and to the purpose, if we make use of the clue above-mentioned. [208]???d?t?? de ?e?e? t?? ??a??ea a?t?? ?a? f?s????

?e??e??? pa?a ?t?a?t?? t?? ?a?a??? t?? F????? d?ade?es?a? ta? t?? ??s??

????a?. This may be paraphrased in the following manner; and with such lat.i.tude will be found perfectly consonant to the truth. _The Herculeans were a people much given to divination, and to the study of nature. Great part of their knowledge they are thought to have had transmitted to them from those Atlantians, who settled in Phrygia, especially the history of the earth and heavens; for all such knowledge the Atlantians had of old consigned to pillars and obelisks in that country: and from them it was derived to the Herculeans, or Heraclidae, of Greece._ The Atlantians were esteemed by the Grecians as barbarous: but they were in reality of the same family. Their chief ancestor was the father of the Peleiadae, or Ionim; of whom I shall hereafter have much to say: and was the supposed brother of Saturn. The h.e.l.lenes, though they did not always allow it, were undoubtedly of his race. This may be proved from Diodorus Siculus, who gives this curious history of the Peleiadae, his offspring. [209]?a?ta? de ??e?sa?

t??? e?f?estat??? ???s? ?a? Te??? a??????? ?atast??a? t?? p?e?st?? ?e????

t?? a????p??, te???sa? t??? d?' a?et?? Te??? ?a? ???a?

???as?e?ta?.--?a?ap??se?? de ?a? ta? a??a? ?t?a?t?da? ?e???sa? pa?da?

ep?fa?e??, ?? t??? e? e????, t??? de p??e?? ?e?es?a? ?t?sta?? d??pe? ??

???? pa?' e????? t?? ?a?a???, a??a ?a? pa?a t??? ????s? t??? p?e?st???

t?? a??a??tat?? ????? e?? ta?ta? a?afe?e?? t? ?e???. _These daughters of Atlas, by their connections and marriages with the most ill.u.s.trious heroes, and divinities, may be looked up to as the heads of most families upon earth. And from them proceeded all those, who upon account of their eminence were in aftertimes esteemed G.o.ds and Heroes_. And having spoken of Maia, and her offspring, the author proceeds to tell us, that _the other Atlantides in like manner gave birth to a most n.o.ble race: some of whom were the founders of nations; and others the builders of cities: insomuch that most of the more antient heroes, not only of those abroad, who were esteemed Barbari, but even of the h.e.l.ladians, claimed their ancestry from them_. And they received not only their ancestry, but their knowledge also, t?? ??s?? ????a?; all the celestial and terrestrial phenomena, which had been entrusted to the sacred pillars of the Atlantes, ?? ?a??? te ?a?

???a??? af?? e???s??, which contained descriptions both of the heavens, and the earth. From Phrygia they came at last to h.e.l.las, where they were introduced by Anaximander, who is said, [210]?sd???a? p??t?? ?e???af????

p??a?a, _to have been the first who introduced a geographical chart_: or, as Laertius expresses it, [211]G?? ?a? Ta?att?? pe??et???, _the circ.u.mference of the terraqueous globe delineated_.

Though the origin of maps may be deduced from Egypt, yet they were not the native Egyptians, by whom they were first constructed. Delineations of this nature were the contrivance of the Cuthites, or Shepherds. They were, among other t.i.tles, styled Satae; and from them both astronomy and geometry were introduced in those parts. They, with immense labour, drained the lower provinces; erected stupendous buildings; and raised towers at the mouths of the river, which were opportunely situated for navigation. For, though the Mizraim were not addicted to commerce, yet it was followed by other families besides the Cuthites, who occupied the lower provinces towards the sea. The towers which were there raised served for lighthouses, and were, at the same time, temples, denominated from some t.i.tle of the Deity, such as Canoph, Caneph, Cneph; also Perses, Proteus, Phanes, and Can.o.bus. They were on both accounts much resorted to by mariners, and enriched with offerings. Here were deposited charts of the coast, and of the navigation of the Nile, which were engraved on pillars, and in aftertimes sketched out upon the Nilotic Papyrus. There is likewise reason to think that they were sometimes delineated upon walls. This leads me to take notice of a pa.s.sage from Pherecydes Syrus, which seems to allude to something of this nature: though, I believe, in his short detail that he has misrepresented the author from whom he copied. He is said, by Theopompus, [212]p??t?? pe?? t??

f?se??, ?a? Te??, ????s? ??afe??, _to have been the first who wrote for the benefit of his countrymen about nature and the G.o.ds_. Suidas [213]mentions, that he composed a theogony; all which knowledge, we are a.s.sured, came from Egypt. It is certain that he studied in that[214] country; whence we may conclude, that the following history is Egyptian. He says, that Zas, or Jupiter, composed a large and curious robe, upon which he described the earth, and the ocean, and the habitations upon the ocean. [215]?a? p??e?

fa??? e?a te, ?a? ?a???, ?a? e? a?t? p??????e? G??, ?a? O?????, ?a? ta O????? d?ata. Now, Zas, or, as it should be rendered, Zan, was the Dorian t.i.tle of Amon. And Ogenus, the Ocean, was the most antient name of the Nile; whence the Grecians borrowed their Ocea.n.u.s. [216]?? ?a? ????pt???

??????s?? ??ea??? e??a? t?? pa?' a?t??? p?ta?? ?e????. _The Egyptians, by the term Ocea.n.u.s, understand their own river Nilus_. The same author, in another place, calls this river Oceames[217]. ??? de p?ta?? a??a??tat??

e? ???a s?e?? O?ea??, ?? est?? ???e??st? ??ea???. The former term, Ogenus, whence the Greeks borrowed their Ocea.n.u.s, was a compound of Oc-Gehon, and Avas originally rendered Ogehonus. It signifies the n.o.ble Gehon, and is a name taken from one of the rivers of Paradise. The Nile was sometimes called simply Gehon, as we learn from the author of the Chronicon Paschale. [218]??e? de (? ????pt??) p?ta?? G???--?e???? ?a???e???. It was probably a name given by the Cuthites, from whom, as will be hereafter shewn, the river Indus had the name of Phison. [219]??ta?? ???ast??

??d??, ? ?a? Fe?s??, ?e????, ? ?a? G???. _The two most celebrated rivers are the Indus, the same as the Phison, and the Nile, which is called the Gehon._ The river, also, of Colchis, rendered Phasis, and Phasin, was, properly, the Phison. The Nile, being of old styled Oc-Gehon, and having many branches, or arms, gave rise to the fable of the sea monster aegeon, whom Ovid represents as supporting himself upon the whales of the ocean.

[220]Balaenarumque prementem aegaeona suis immania terga lacertis.

The Scholiast upon Lycophron informs us farther, that the river had three names; and imagines that upon this account it was called Triton.

[221]???t?? ? ?e????, ?t? t??? et???as??? p??te??? ?a? O?ea??? a?

e?a?e?t?, de?te??? ?et???--t? de ?e???? ?e?? est?. I shall not at present controvert his etymology. Let it suffice, that we are a.s.sured, both by this author and by others, that the Nile was called Ocea.n.u.s: and what is alluded to by Pherecydes is certainly a large map or chart. The robe of which he speaks was indeed a Pharos, Fa???; but a Pharus of a different nature from that which he describes. It was a building, a temple, which was not constructed by the Deity, but dedicated to him. It was one of those towers of which I have before treated; in which were described upon the walls, and otherwise delineated, O????? ?a? O????? d?ata, the course of the Gehon, or Nile; and the towns and houses upon that river.

I imagine that the s.h.i.+eld of Achilles, in Homer, was copied from something of this sort which the poet had seen in Egypt: for Homer is continually alluding to the customs, as well as to the history, of that kingdom. And, it is evident, that what he describes on the central part of the s.h.i.+eld, is a map of the earth, and of the celestial appearances.

[222]?? e? Ga?a? ete??', e? d' ???a???, e? de ?a?a.s.sa?.

?? d' et??e? ???????? e?a s?e??? O???????.

The antients loved to wrap up every thing in mystery and fable: they have therefore described Hercules, also, with a robe of this sort:

[223]???????? ??a fe???, t?p?? ???e???, e????a ??s??:

_He was invested with a robe, which was a type of the heavens, and a representation of the whole world._

The garment of Thetis, which the poets mention as given her upon her supposed marriage with Peleus, was a Pharos of the same kind as that described above. We may learn, from Catullus, who copied the story, that the whole alluded to an historical picture preserved in some tower; and that it referred to matters of great antiquity, though applied by the Greeks to later times, and ascribed to people of their own nation.

[224]Pulvinar vero Divae geniale locatur Sedibus in mediis; Indo quod dente politum Tincta tegit roseo conchylis purpura fuco.

Haec vestis priscis hominum variata figuris Heroum mira virtutes indicat arte.

It contained a description of some notable achievements in the first ages; and a particular account of the Apotheosis of Ariadne, who is described, whatever may be the meaning of it, as carried by Bacchus to heaven. The story is said to have been painted on a robe, or coverlet; because it was delineated upon a Pharos: that word being equivocal, and to be taken in either sense. And here I cannot but take notice of the inconsistency of the Greeks, who make Theseus a partaker in this history; and suppose him to have been acquainted with Ariadne. If we may credit Plutarch[225], Theseus, as soon as he was advanced towards manhood, went, by the advice of his mother aethra, from Trzen, in quest of his father aegeus at Athens. This was some years after the Argonautic expedition; when Medea had left Jason, and put herself under the protection of this same aegeus. After having been acknowledged by his father, Theseus went upon his expedition to Crete; where he is said to have first seen Ariadne, and to have carried her away.

All this, I say, was done after Jason had married Medea, and had children by her; and after she had left him and was come to Athens. But the story of Ariadne, in the above specimen, is mentioned as a fact of far older date.

It was prior to the arrival of Medea in Greece, and even to the Argonautic expedition. It is spoken of as a circ.u.mstance of the highest antiquity: consequently, [226]Theseus could not any ways be concerned in it.

There, is an account in Nonnus of a robe, or Pharos, which Harmonia is supposed to have worn when she was visited by the G.o.ddess of beauty. There was delineated here, as in some above mentioned, the earth, and the heavens, with all the stars. The sea, too, and the rivers, were represented; and the whole was, at the bottom, surrounded by the ocean.

[227]???t?? Ga?a? epa.s.se es?fa???, af? de ?a??

???a??? esfa???se t?p? ?e?a?a?e??? ast???.