vation, which was most religiously recorded, and became the principal subject of all their mysteries. The person in the shrine was their chief ancestor, and the whole process was a memorial of the deluge; the history of which must have been pretty recent when these works were executed in Egypt. From the shrines of Amon abovementioned we may derive the history of all oracles; which, from the Deity by whom they were supposed to be uttered, were called Omphi and Amphi, as I have shewn also, Alphi, Elphi, Orphi, Urphi, from El, and Orus. The Greeks adhered religiously to antient terms, however obsolete and unintelligible. They retained the name of Amphi, though they knew not the meaning: for it was antiquated before they had letters. That it originally related to oracular revelation is plain from its being always found annexed to the names of places famous on that account; and from its occurring in the names of men, renowned as priests and augurs, and supposed to have been gifted with a degree of foreknowledge. We read of Amphiaraus, Amphilocus, Amphimachus, persons represented as under particular divine influence, and interpreters of the will of the Gods. Amphion, though degraded to a harper, was AmphiOn, the oracle of Apollo, the Sun and there was a temple, one of the antient iraga, dedicated to him and Zethus, as we may read in Pausanias. Mopsus, the diviner, is styled Αμπυκίδης, Ampucides; which is not a patronymic, but a title of the oracular Deity. 49 Ενθα και Αμπυκίδην αυτῷ ενι ηματι Μοψον Μαντοσύναις· ε γαρ τις αποτροπιη θανατοιο. Idmon, the reputed son of Abas, was a prophet, as well as Mopsus: he was favoured with the divine Omphe, and, like the former, styled Ampucides. 5ο Ενθα μεν αισα παρεσχε καταφθίσθαι δυο φωτας, What his attainments were, the Poet mentions in another place. 5* Δη τοτ' Αβαντος παις νόθος ήλυθε καρτερος Ιδμων, 49 Apollonius Rhodius. 1. 4. v. 1052. Mopsus was the son of Ampycus. Hygin. Fab. c. cxxviii. By some he is said to have been the son of Apollo. Apollo and Ampycus were the same. Αμβρόσιον παρα κύμα φέρετριος Αντιανειρα, Τῳ και ΜΑΝΤΟΣΥΝΗΝ επορε, και θέσφατον ΟΜΦΗΝ. To say the truth, these supposed prophets were Deities, to whom temples were consecrated under these names; or, to speak more properly, they were all titles, which related to one God, the Sun. That they were reputed Deities, is plain, from many accounts. Dion Cassius speaks of Αμφίλοχο χρησήριον: and the three principal oracles mentioned by Justin Martyr are 53 μαντεία-Αμφι λοχες Δωδώνης, και Πυθες. We have a similar account from Clemens Alexandrinus. 54 Διηγησαι ήμιν και της αλλης μαντικης, μαλλον δε μανίκης, τα άχρηςα χρήσηρια, τον Κλαριον, τον Πυθιον, τον Αμφιάρεω, τον Αμφιλοχον. The Amphictuons were originally prophetic personages, who attended at the temple at Delphi. Hesychius observes : Αμφικτυονες-περίοικοι Δελφών, πυλαγόρας, ἱερομνημονες. Minerva, heavenly wisdom, is by Lycophron styled " Amphira; which is a compound of Amphi-Ur, the divine influence, or 55 53 Justin. Martyr. Apolog. p. 54. Amphilochus was the God of light and prophecy. Plutarch mentions εξ Αμφιλοχε μαντεία, in the treatise περι βραδέως τιμωρε μενων. p. 563. 54 Cohortatio. p. 10. 56 oracle of Orus. Of this name there was a city near Olympia in Elis: for many places were in this manner denominated, on account of their being esteemed the seat of prophecy. In Phocis was the city Hyampolis: and close to it 5 Amphissa, famous for the oracle of an unknown Goddess, the daughter of Macaria. Amphrysus, in Boeotia, was much famed for the influence of 57 Apollo; and Amphimallus, in Crete, was well known for its 58 oracle. Amphiclea, in "9 Phocis, had Dionusus for its guardian Deity, whose orgies were there celebrated; and whose shrine was oracular. I imagine that this sacred influence, under the name of Amphi, is often alluded to in the exordia of Poets, especially by the writers in Dithyrambic measure, when they address Apollo. Taken in its usual sense (au circum) the word has no meaning: and there is otherwise no accounting for its being chosen above all others in the lan 56 Pausanias. 1. 10. p. 896. 57 Hence the prophetic Sibyl in Virgil is styled Amphrysia vates. Virgil. Æn. 1. 6. v. 368. 53 Plin. l. 4. c. 12. Strabo. I. 10. Called Mallus, by Pausanias, Εν Μαλλῳ μαντείον αψευδέςατον. 1. 1. p. 84. και 59 Λεγεται δε ύπο των Αμφικλείεων μαντιν τε σφισι τον Θεον τέτον, βοηθον νόσοις καθιςαναι-προμαντευς δε ὁ ἱερευς επι 1. 10. p. 884. The city was also called Ophitea, Pausanias |