επι της συμπασης

-ΕΝΟΜΙΣΘΗ δη και οικεμενης" και

έκάλεσαν της γης ΟΜΦΑΛΟΝ. Varro very sensibly refutes this idle notion in some 19 strictures upon a passage in the poet Manilius to the purpose above.

O, sancte Apollo,

Qui umbilicum certum terrarum obtines.

Upon which he makes this remark: Umbilicum dictum aiunt ab umbilico nostro, quod is medius locus sit terrarum, ut umbilicus in nobis: quod utrumque est falsum. Neque hic locus terrarum est medius; neque noster umbilicus est hominis medius. Epimenides long before had said the

same:

20 Ούτε γαρ ην γαίης μεσος ομφαλος, ουδε θαλασσης.

But supposing that this name and character had

19 Varro de Ling. Lat. 1. 6. p. 68.

Pausanias gives this account of the omphalus at Delphi. Τον δε ἱπο Δελφων καλεμενον ομφαλον λίθε πεποιημενον λευκε, τούτο είναι το εν μεσῳ γης πάσης αυτοι λεγεσιν δι Δελφοι· δείκνυται τε και ομφαλος ΤΙΣ εν τῷ ναῷ τιταινωμένος. Pausan. 1. 10. p. 835.

It is described by Tatianus, but in a different manner.

Εν τω

Τεμενει το Λητοίδε καλείται τις ομφαλος. Ο δε ομφαλος τάφος εσιν

Διονυσε. p. 251. Oratio contra Græcos.

20 Plutarch περι λελοιπ. Χρησης.

some relation to Delphi, how are we to account for other places being called after this manner? They could not all be umbilical: the earth cannot be supposed to have different centres: nor could the places thus named be always so situated, as to be central in respect to the nation, or the province in which they were included. Writers try to make it out this way: yet they do not seem satisfied with the process. The contradictory accounts shew the absurdity of the notion. It was a term borrowed from Egypt, which was itself an Omphalian region. Horus Apollo not knowing the meaning of this has made Egypt the centre of the earth: Αιγυπτων γη μεση της οικεμένης. Pausanias mentions an Omphalus in the Peloponnesus, which was said to have been the middle of that country. He seems however to doubt of this circumstance, as he well may ". O πορρω δε εσιν ὁ καλεμενος Ομφαλος, Πελοποννησε δε πασης μεσον, εν δη τα οντα ειρηκασι. At no great distance is a place called the Omphalus, or navel; which is the centre of the whole Peloponnesus, if the people here tell us, the truth. At Enna in "Sicily was an Omphalus :

20

20 Horus Apollo. § 21. p. 30. edit. 1729.

2 Pausanias. 1. 2. p. 141. It is spoken of Phliuns, far removed from the centre of the Peloponnesus.

22 This omphalus was near the Plutonian cavern. Diodorus.

1.5.

23

and the island of Calypso is represented by Homer as the umbilicus of the sea. The Goddess resided— Νησῳ εν αμφιρύτη όθιτ' ομφαλος εςι θαλασσης. The Etolians were styled umbilical; and looked upon themselves as the central people in Greece, like those of Delphi. But this notion was void of all truth in every instance which has been produced and arose from a wrong interpretation of antient terms. What the Grecians styled Omphalus was certainly Ompha-El, the same as AlOmpha; and related to the oracle of Ham or the Sun: and these temples were Prutaneia, and Puratheia, with a tumulus or high altar, where the rites of fire were in antient times performed. As a proof of this etymology most of the places styled Olympian, or Omphalian, will be found to have a reference to an oracle.

Epirus was cele

brated for the oracle at Dodona: and we learn from the antient poet, Reianus, that the natives were of old called Omphalians:

24

* Συν τε Παραυαιοι, και αμύμονες Ομφαλιπεις.

Τεις

επι καλλίςης νήσου δραμες ομφαλον Εννης.

Callimachus: Hymn to Ceres. Cicero in Verrem, 4. c. 48. 23 Homer. Odyss. 1. a. v. 50.

24 Stephanus Byzantinus. The natives were also styled Pyrrhidæ, and the country Chaonia from the temple Cha-On, oixos 8.

There was an Omphalia in Elis; and here too was an oracle mentioned by 25 Pindar and Strabo: 26 Την δε επιφανειαν εσχεν (ή Ολυμπια) εξ αρχής δια το μαντείον τ8 Ολυμπικ Διος. The place derived all its lustre originally from the oracular temple of Olympian Jove. In this province was an antient city 27 Alphira; and a grove of Artemis 28 Alpheionia, and the whole was watered by the sacred river Alpheus. All these are derived from El, the prophetic Deity, the Sun; and more immediately from his oracle, Alphi. The Greeks deduced every place from some personage: and Plutarch accordingly makes Alpheus"Εις των το γενος αφ' ήλιε καταγοντων, one of those who derived their race from the Sun. The term Alphi, from whence the Greeks formed Alphira, Alpheionia, and Alpheüs, is in acceptation the same as Amphi. For Ham being by his posterity esteemed the Sun, or El;

25 Pindar. Olymp. Ode 7.

25 Strabo. 1. 8. p. 542.

27 By Livy called Aliphira. 1. 32. c. 5.

In Messenia was a city Amphia-Πολισμα επι λοφο υψηλε XEμLEVOV. Pausan. 1. 4. p. 292. The country was called Amphia. 28 Αλφειόνιας Αρτεμιδος, η Αλφειεσης αλσος. Strabo. l. 8. p. 528. 29 Plutarch de Fluminibus-AλQe6o5.

Alpheus, said to be one of the twelve principal and most antient Deities, called ovμlμ; who are enumerated by the Scholiast upon Pindar. Βωμοι δίδυμοι, πρωτος Διος και Ποσειδώνος—κτλ.

Olymp. Ode. 5.

and likewise Or, the same as Orus; his oracles were in consequence styled not only Amphi, and Omphi, but Alphi, Elphi, Orphi, Urphi.

I have taken notice of several cities called Omphalian, and have observed, that they generally had oracular temples: but by the Greeks they were universally supposed to have been denominated from a navel. There was a place called 30 Omphalian in Thessaly and another in Crete, which had a celebrated "oracle. It is probably, the same that is mentioned by Strabo, as being upon mount Ida, where was the city Elorus. Diodorus speaks of this oracle, named Omphalian; but supposes that the true name was ομφαλος, οπphalus and says, that it was so called (strange to : tell) because Jupiter, when he was a child, lost his navel here, which dropped into the river. Triton : 37 Απο τετε τοτε συμβαντος Ομφαλον προσαγο βευθηναι το χωριον : from this accident the place had the name of Omphalus, or the navel. Callimachus in his hymn to Jupiter dwells upon this circum

stance:

32

30 Stephanus Byzant. Oupanov. It was properly in Epirus, where was the oracle of Dodona, and whose people were styled Ομφαλιπείς above.

31 Ομφάλιον, τοπος Κρητης-Steph. Byzant. Es δε εν Κρητικοι ορεσι και κατ' εμε ἔτι Ελώρος πολις. Strabo. 1. 10. p. 834. Eluros

.אל אור

32 Diodorus Siculus, 1. 5. p. 337.