ters, who professedly dealt in fiction without any pretensions to the truth, were regarded, they thought that they should make their writings equally acceptable, if in the system of their history they were to introduce circumstances, which they had neither seen nor heard, nor received upon the authority of another person; proceeding merely apon this principle, that they should be most likely to please people's fancy by having recourse to what was marvellous and new. On this account we may more safely trust to Hesiod and Homer, when they present us with a list of Demigods and Heroes, and even to the tragic poets, than to Ctesias, Herodotus, and Hellanicus, and writers of that class. Even the generality of historians, who wrote about Alexander, are not safely to be trusted: for they speak with great confidence, relying upon the glory of the monarch, whom they celebrate; and to the remoteness of the countries, in which he was engaged; even at the extremities of Asia; at a great distance from us and our concerns. This renders them very secure. For what is referred to a distance is difficult to be confuted. In another place, speaking of India, he says, that it was very difficult to arrive at the truth: for the "writers, who must necessarily be appealed περι των 32 Αλλα έκαςος ἑκατῳ τ' αναντία λέγει πολλακις· ὁπε δε ὄρασθέντων ὕτω διαφέρονται, τι δεν νομίζειν περι των εξ ακοής. Strabo, 1.15. p. 1006, to, were in continual opposition, and contradicted one another. And how, says Strabo, could it be otherwise? for if they erred so shamefully when they had ocular proof, how could they speak with certainty, where they were led by hearsay? In another place" he excuses the mistakes of the antient poets, saying, that we must not wonder if they sometimes deviated from the truth, when people in ages more enlightened were so ignorant, and so devoted to every thing marvellous and incredible. He had above given the poets even the preference to other writers: but herein his zeal transported him too far. The first writers were the poets; and the mischief began from them. They first infected tradition; and mixed it with allegory and fable. Of this Athenagoras accuses them very justly ; and says, 34 that the greatest See also 1. 771, 2, 3, 4. And Diodorus Siculus. 1. 1. p. 63. Of Herodotus and other writers-Εκουσιώς προκρίναντες της αλη θείας το παραδοξολογειν. 33 Ου θαυματον δ' ειναι είναι περί τε Όμηρους και γαρ τις ετι νεώτερες εκεινα πολλα αγνοειν, και τερατολεγειν. Strabo. 1. 7. p. 458. 34 Φημι ουν Ορφέα και Ομηρον και Ἡσίοδον είναι τους ονόματα και γεννὴ δοντας τοις ὑπ' αυτων λεγομενοις θεοις· μαρτυρεί δε και Ἡσίοδον γας και Ηρόδοτος Όμηρον ἡλικίην τετρακοσίοις έτεσι δοκέω πρεσβυτέρες, εμε γενεσθαι, και ου πλείοσι. Ουτοι δε εἰσιν, οι ποιήσαντες θεογονίαν Έλλησι, και τοισι θεοισι τας επωνυμιας δοντες, και τιμας και τεχνάς διελοντες, και είδεα αυτών σημαίνοντες· &ι δε εικονες μέχρι μηπω πλατική και γραφική, και ανδριαντοποιητικη ησαν, ουδέ ενομίζοντο. Athenagora. Legatio. p. 292: See Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 53. He abuses of true knowledge came from them. I insist, says this learned father, that we owe to Orpheus, Homer, and Hesiod, the fictitious names and genealogies of the Pagan Damons, whom they are pleased to style Gods: and I can produce Herodotus for a witness to what I assert. informs us, that Homer and Hesiod were about four hundred years prior to himself; and not more. These, says he, were the persons who first framed the theogony of the Greeks; and gave appellations to their Deities; and distinguished them according to their several ranks and departments. They at the same time described them under different appearances: for till their time there was not in Greece any representation of the Gods, either in sculpture or painting; not any specimen of the statuary's art exhibited: no such substitutes were in those times thought of. The antient history and mythology of Greece was partly transmitted by the common traditions of the natives and partly preserved in those original Doric hymns, which were universally sung in their Prutaneia and temples. These were in the antient Amonian language; and said to have been introduced by " Pagasus, Agyieus, and 35 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 809. Clemens mentions Ayvia Ougwgon Egun. Cohort. p. 44. Olen. This last some represent as a Lycian, others as an Hyperborean: and by many he was esteemed an Egyptian. They were chanted by the Purcones, or priests of the Sun and by the female, Hierophants: of whom the 36 37 chief upon record were " Phaënnis, " Phæmonoë, and Bæo. The last of these mentions Olen, as the inventor of verse, and the most antient priest of Phoebus. 38 Ωλην δ' ός γενετο πρωτος Φοίβοιο προφήτης, These hymns grew, by length of time, obsolete; and scarce intelligible. They were, however, translated, or rather imitated, by Pamphos, Rhianus, Phemius, Homer, Bion Proconnesius, Onomacritus, and others. Many of the sacred terms could not be understood, nor interpreted; they were however "9 retained with great reve Όσα μεν αδουσιν ἐν τω Πρυτανείω, φωνή μεν εςιν αυτών ή Δωρική. Pausanias. 1. 5, p. 416. 36 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 823. of Phaënnis and the Sibyls, 37 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 809. of Phæmonoë and antient hymns. 38 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 809, $10. Nanv. 39 Jamblichus de Mysteriis. Sect. vii. č. 5. p. 156, In like manner in Samothracia, the ancient Orphic language was obsolete, yet they retained it in their temple rites: ExnxaJ rence and many which they did attempt to décipher, were misconstrued and misapplied. Upon this basis was the theology of Greece founded: from hence were the names of Gods taken: and various departments attributed to the several Deities. Every poet had something different in his theogony and every variety, however inconsistent, was admitted by the Greeks without the least hesitation: 4 φύσει γαρ Έλληνες νεοτροποι Έλλησιν αταλαιπωρος της αληθείας ζητησις. The Gre cians, says Jamblichus, are naturally led by novelty: The investigation of truth is too fatiguing for a Grecian. From these antient hymns and misconstrued 'terms "Pherecydes of Syrus planned his history of the Gods: which, there is reason to think, was the source of much error. Such were the principles which gave birth to the mythology of the Grecians; from whence their antient history was in great measure derived. As their traditions were obsolete, and filled with extraneous matter, it rendered it impossible for them τη παλαίαν ίδιαν διαλεκτον ἅι' Αυτοχθονες (εν Σαμοθρακη) ἧς πολλά 50 ταις θυσίαις μέχρι το νυν τήρηται. Diodorus. l. 5. p. 322. 40 Jamblichus de Myster. sect. 7. c. 5. See notes. p. 295. 41 Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. 1. 5. p. 676. Such was Aristaus Proconneisius: Ang yong "Tis alles." Strabo. I. 13. |