SHORT ACCOUNT

OF THE

HELLADIANS,

AND THEIR ORIGIN;

In order to obviate some Objections.

As I have mentioned that the Helladians came from Egypt, and the east; it may be proper to obviate an objection which may be made, to the account I give; as if it were contradictory to the tenor of the scriptures, as they are in general understood. Greece, and the islands of Greece, are continually supposed, from the account given by Moses 59, to have been peopled by the sons of Japhet; and there is scarce any body, either antient or modern, who has touched upon this subject, but has imagined Javan to have been the same as Ion, the son of Xuth, from whom the Ionians were descended. This latter point I shall

VOL. I.

59 Genesis. c. 10. v. 5.

not controvert at present. In respect to the former, the account given in the scriptures is undoubtedly most true. The sons of Japhet did people the isles of the Gentiles; by which is meant the regions of Greece and Europe, separated in great measure from the Asiatic continent by the intervention of the sea. They certainly were the first inhabitants of those countries. But the Helladians, though by family Ionians, were not of this race. They came afterwards; and all their best writers agree, that when their ancestors made their way into these provinces, they were possessed by a prior people. Who these were is no where uniformly said: only they agree to term them in general Bagßagos, or a rude, uncivilized people. As my system depends greatly upon this point; to take away every prejudice to my opinion, I will in some degree anticipate, what I shall hereafter more fully prove. I accordingly submit to the reader the following evidences; which are comparatively few, if we consider what might be brought to this purpose. These are to shew, that the Helladians were of a different race from the sons of Japhet: and that the country, when they came to it, was in the possession of another people: which people they distinguished from themselves by the title of Bagbago.

:

I

Εκαταίος μεν ουν ὁ Μιλησιος περί της Πελοποννησε φησιν, ότι προ των Ἑλληνων ᾤκησαν αυτην Βαρβαροι σχεδόν δε τι

και ἡ σύμπασα Ελλας κατοικια Βαρβαρων ὑπηρξατο παλαιον. Strabo. 1.7. p. 321.

ΤΟ

Εισι δε ήμων αρχαιότεροι Βαρβαροι. Plato in Cratylo. vol. 1. p. 425.

Παλαί τῆς νυν καλεμένης Ελλαδος Βαρβάροι τα πολλα ᾤκησαν. Pausanias. l. 1. p. 100.

Αρκαδίαν Βαρβαροι ωκησαν. Scholia Apollonii Rhod. 1. 3. v. 461.

Diodorus mentions, Αθηναίες-αποικες Σαΐτων των ἐξ Αιγύπτε. 1. 1. p. 24.

Again-Γενομεναι δε και των ἡγεμόνων τινάς Αιγυπτιες παρα τοις Αθηναιοις. ibidem.

Africanus having spoken of the Egyptian rites, says, Ότι τε Αθηναίες των αυτών Αιγυπτίοις απολαύειν αποικες εκείνων απονουμενες, ὡς φασιν αλλοι τε, και εν τῷ Τρικαρηνῳ Θεοπομπος. Apud Euseb. Præp. Evan. 1. x. c. x. p. 491..

είκος ην,

Concerning persons from Egypt.

Κέκροψ, Αιγυπτιος ων, δυο γλώσσας ηπιςατο. Cedrenus. P. 82.

Κεκροψ, Αιγυπτιος το γενος, ώκισε τας Αθήνας. Scholia Aristoph. Pluti.

Ωσδε από Σαεως πολεως Αιγυπτίας,

Μετα τον κατα Ωγυγον κατακλυσμον εκείνον,

Ο Κέκροψ παρεγεγονεν Αθήναις της Ελλαδος. J. Tzetzes. Chil. v. hist. 18.

Κέκροψ, Αιγύπτιος το γενος, ώκησε τας Αθήνας. Suidas. Pausanias mentions Λελεγα αφικόμενον ἐξ Αιγύπτε. 1. 1. p. 95.

Erectheus from Egypt. Και τον Ερεχθεα λεγωσι το γενος Αιγύπτιον οντα. Diodorus. 1. 1. p. 25. Triptolemus from thence, who had been the companion of Osiris. Diodorus. 1. 1. p. 17. He gave the Athenians laws. Porphyry mentions Των Αθήνησι νομοθετων Τριπτολεμον. Abstinent. 1. 4. p. 431.

It is said, that Danaus was a native of the city Chemmis; from whence he made his expedition to Greece. Aavaos Xeμμτns. Herodotus. 1. 2. c. 91.

Navem primus ex Ægypto Danaus advexit. Pliny. 1. 7. c. 56. He brought a colony with him. Λεγεσι δε τους περι Δαναον ὁρμηθέντας ὁμοιως εκειθεν, scil. Ayuπ8. Diodorus. 1. 1. p. 24.

All the heads of the Dorian race from Egypt. Φαινοίατο αν εοντες δι των Δωριέων ἡγεμονες Αιγυπτιοι DayEVE. Herodotus. 1. 6. c. 53.

The Lacedæmonians esteemed themselves of the same family as the Caphtorim of Palestine: hence they surmised, that they were related to the Jews. 1 Maccabees. c. 12. v. 20, 21. Josephus: A. J. 1. 12. c. 4. p. 606. Perseus was supposed to have. been a foreigner. Ως δε ὁ Περσεων λόγος λεγεται, αυτος ὁ Περσεύς των Ασσύριος εγενετο Ελλην. Herodotus, 1. 6. c. 54.

It is said of Cadmus, that he came originally from Egypt, in company with Phoenix. Kados και Φοινιξ απο Θηβων των Αιγυπτίων. Euseb. Chron. P. 15.

he

Eusebius in another place mentions the arrival of Cadmus with a company of Saïtæ. They. founded Athens, the principal city of Greece: also Thebes in Boeotia. They were of Egypt; but says, that they came last from Sidon. It is in a passage, where he speaks of a former race in Attica before those of Egypt called Saitæ: Πλήν των μετοίκησαντων ύσερον εκει Σαΐτων, και κατοικησαντων την της Ελλαδος μητροπολιν Αθήνας, και τας Θήβας. Σιδωνίων yag έτοι αποικοι εκ Καδμε το Αγήνορος.. Chron. p. 14. The antient Athenians worshipped Isis: and were in their looks, and in their manners particularly like the Egyptians. Και ταις ιδέαις, και τοις ήθεσιν ὁμοιοτατες είναι τοις Αιγυπτίοις. The whole of their polity was plainly borrowed from that country. Diod. Sic. 1, 1. p. 94, 25, 26.

It is said by Sanchoniathon, that Cronus, in his travels over the earth in company with his daughter Athena, came to Attica; which he bestowed upon her. Euseb. P. E. lib. 1. c. 10. p. 38.

This is not unlike the account given by the Scholiast upon Lycophron concerning Cecrops: from whence the legend may receive some light. Ελθων αρ' (ὁ Κεκροψ) απο Σαεως πολεως Αιγυπτε τας Αθηνας συνώκισε. Σαϊς δε κατ' Αιγυπτιες ή Άθηνα λεγεται, ὡς φησιν Χαραξ. Lycoph. v. 111. Schol.

Hence it is, that almost the whole of the my