his posterity. Hence both his images and priests were styled Chamin: and many princes assumed this title, just as they did that of Orus, and Arez. Ilis posterity esteemed themselves of the Solar race, by way of eminence: and the great founder of the Persic Monarchy was styled Achamin, rendered by the Greeks Axauerns, Achæmenes and all of his family afterwards had the title of Αχαιμενιοι, and Αχαιμενίδαι, from the same pretensions. They all of them universally esteemed themselves the children of the Sun; though they were likewise so called from their worship. Hence Lutatius Placidus in his Scholia upon Statius interprets the word Achæmenidæ by 18 Solis Cultores. This may

serve to authenticate my etymology, and shew, that the term is derived from Cham, the Sun: but the purport of it was generally more limited, and the title confined to the royal race of the Persians, who were looked upon as the offspring of the Sun. The Cuthites of Ethiopia Africana had the same high opinion of themselves: hence Calasiris in Heliodorus invokes the Sun as his great ancestor. 12 Επικεκλησθω μάρτυς Γενάρχης ήμων Ήλιος and Chariclea in another place

18 Lutatius Placidus upon Statius. Theb. 1. 1. v. 718. 19 Heliodori Æthiopica. 1. 4. p. 175.

20

makes use of a like invocation: 4 Ήλιε, Γεναρχα #goɣown nμwv. O, Sun, the great source of my ancestry. The Amonians, who settled at Rhodes, styled themselves 'Haada, the Solar 21 race. Those who settled upon the Padus did the "same. Hyde mentions a people in Diarbeker, called 23 Chamsi; and says, that the meaning of the word is Solares; and the same in purport as Shemsi and, Shamsi of the Arabians.

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

20 Heliodori Ethiopica. 1. 10. p. 472.

21 Diodorus Siculus. 1. 5. p. 327.

22

Apollonius Rhod. of the Heliadæ. 1. 4. v. 604.

13 Chamsi, seu Solares, sunt Arabice Shemsi vel Shamsi.

Hyde Religio Vet. Pers. p. 523. and 575.

Cham being pronounced Sham, and Shem, has caused some of

his posterity to be referred to a wrong line.

the Sun: of El-Uc-Aon, Lycaon: of El-Uc-Or, Lycorus, and Lycoreus:

24 Η κιθαριν, η τοξα Λυκωρεος εντεα Φοιβε.

So from Uc-Ait, another title of the God, they formed Hecatus, and a feminine, Hecate. Hence Nicander speaks of Apollo by this title:

25 Εζόμενος τριποδεσσι παρα Κλαρίοις Εκάτοιο.

And Herophile the Sibyl of the same Deity:

26 Μοιραν έχουσ' Εκατῳ της τοτ ̓ Ανακτορίης.

The only person who seems knowingly to have retained this word, and to have used it out of composition, is 27 Homer. He had been in Egypt; and was an admirer of the theology of that nation. He adhered to antient 28 terms

24 Callimachus. Hymn to Apollo. v. 19.

25 Nicander Alexipharmica. v. 14.

26 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 827.

27 It is, however, to be found in Euripides, under the term xos. Theseus says to Adrastus:

Εκ τε δ' ελαυνεις ἑπτα προς Oncas Oxes. Supplices. v. 131. 28 From Uc and Uch came the word euge: also su, euxouai, EUXwan, of the Greeks. Callimachus abounds with antient

with a degree of enthusiasm; and introduced them at all hazards, though he many times did not know their meaning. This word, among others, he has preserved; and he makes use of it adverbially in its proper sense, when he describes any body superlatively great, and excellent. Thus he speaks of Calchas as far superior to every body else in prophetic knowledge, and styles him oχ' αριςος :

29

Καλχας Θεσορίδης οιωνοπόλων όχ' αριςος,
Ὡς ήδη τα τ' εόντα, τα τ' εσσομενα, προ

έοντα.

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

30 Πριαμίδης Έλενος οιωνοπόλων οχ αριςος.

Amonian terms, He bids the young women of Argos to receive

From Uc-El came Euclea Sacra, and Evxλos Zeus. Euxλelα, Άρτεμις.

so

Εύκλος, Διος ἱερεύς, εν Μεγάροις και εν Κορινθῳ. Hesychius, s0 amended by Albertus and Hemsterhusius.

. In these and in all other instances of this term. occurring in: Homer, it is observable, that it is. always in the same acceptation, and uniformly. precedes the same word, apisos. It is indeed to be found in the poetry ascribed to 34 Orpheus: but as those verses are manifestly imitations of Homer, we must not look upon it as a current term of the times, when that poetry was composed: nor was it ever, I believe, in common use, not even in the age of Homer. It was an Amonian term, joined inseparably with another borrowed from the same people. For agisos was

3. Iliad. P. v. 307.

32 Iliad. O. v. 282.

93 Iliad. H. v. 221. It occurs in other places: Λευσσει, όπως οχι αρισα μετ' αμφοτεροισι γενηται.

Iliad. T. v. 110.

Τις τ' αρ των όχ' αριςος την, συ μου εννεπε, Μεσα.

34 In the Hymn to Silenus; that God is called in ox agise. And in the poem de Lapidibus, the Poet, speaking of heroic persons, mentions their reception in heaven:

Αμώμητοι Διος οικού

Χαίροντας δεξαντο θεηγενέων οχ' αρίτες.

Hymn 35. v. 2. and regi Abwr. Proem. v. 14.