網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Lydia; and was bounded by the river Halys. It was of a most inflammable soil; and there were many fiery eruptions about Caroura, and in Hyrcania, which latter was styled by the Greeks xxQUEn. Hence, doubtless, the region had the name of 98 Asia, or the land of fire. One of its most antient cities, and most reverenced, was Hierapolis, famous for its hot 99 fountains. Here was also a sacred cavern, styled by 10 Strabo Plutonium, and Charonium; which sent up pestilential effluvia. Photius, in the life of Isidorus, acquaints us, that it was the temple of Apollo at Hierapolis, within whose precincts these deadly vapours arose. * Εν Ιεραπόλει της Φρυγίας Ιερον ην Απολλωνος, υπο δε τον ναον καταβασιον ὑπεκειτο, θανασιμες αναπνοας παρεχομενον. He speaks of this cavity as being immediately under the edifice. Four caverns of this sort, and styled Charonian, are mentioned by Strabo in

2

98 The country about the Cäyster was particularly named Asia. Ασιῳ εν λειμώνι Καΰτρις αμφι ρεέθρα. Homer. Iliad. Β. v. 461. Of these parts see Strabo. 1. 13. p. 932.

99 Ιεράπολις—θερμων υδατων πολλων πλήθεσα, απο τα ιερα πολλά EXE. Stephanus Byzant.

100

Ιεράπολις, όπε τα θερμα ύδατα, και το Πλετωνιον, αμφω παρα δοξολογίαν τινα εχοντα. Strabo. 1. 13. p. 933.

[ocr errors]

Damascius apud Photium in Vitâ Isidor. c. 242.

2 At Hierapolis, Acharaca, Magnesia, and Myus. Strabo.

[blocks in formation]

Αχαρακα, εν η το Πλετωνίου, έχον και αλσος πολυτελες, και νεων Πλε

this part of the world. Pliny, speaking of some Charonian hollows in Italy, says, that the exhalations were insupportable. 3 Spiracula vocant, alii Charoneas scrobes, mortiferum spiritum exhalantes. It may appear wonderful; but the Amonians were determined in the situation both of their cities and temples by these strange phænomena. They esteemed no places so sacred as those where there were fiery eruptions, uncommon steams, and sulphureous exhalations. In Armenia, near Comana, and Camisena, was the temple of Anait, or fountain of the Sun. It was a

4

τωνος τε και Ηρας και το ΧΑΡΩΝΊΟΝ αντρον υπερκειμενον το άλσες, Davμasov th Quoεi. Strabo. 1. 14. p. 960.

3 Plin. H. N. L. 2. c. 93. Spiritus lethales alibi, aut scrobibus emissi, aut ipso loci situ mortiferi: alibi volucribus tantum, ut Soracte vicino urbi tractu: alibi præter hominem cæteris animantibus nonnunquàm et homini; ut in Sinuessano agro, et Puteolano. Spiracula vocant, alii Charoneas scrobes, mortiferum spiritum exhalantes. Strabo of the same: Θυμβρία, παρ ̓ ἦν Αορνον εσι σπηλαιον ἱερον, ΧΑΡΩΝΙΟΝ λεγομενον, ολεθριες εχον αποφόρας. 1. 14. p. 943.

4 Απαντα μεν εν τα των Περσων ἱερα και Μηδοι και Αρμενιοι τετιμηκασι τα δε της Αναΐτιδος διαφεροντως Αρμενιοι. Strabo. 1. 11. p. 805.

5 Anait signifies a fountain of fire; under which name a female Deity was worshipped. Wherever a temple is mentioned, dedicated to her worship, there will be generally found some hot streams, either of water or bitumen; or else salt, and nitrous pools. This is observable at Arbela. Περι Αρβηλα δε επι και Δημη

Persic and Babylonish Deity, as well as an Armenian, which was honoured with Puratheia, where the rites of fire were particularly kept up. The city itself was named Zela; and close behind it was a large nitrous lake. In short, from the Amonian terms, Al-As, came the Grecian άλος, άλας, ἅλς ; as, from the same terms reversed (As-El), were formed the Latine Sal, Sol, and Salum. Wherever the Amonians found places with these natural or præternatural properties, they held them sacred, and founded their temples near them. • Selenou. sia, in Ionia, was upon a salt lake, sacred to Artemis. In Epirus was a city called Alesa, Elissa, and Lesa: and hard by were the Alesian plains; similar to the Elysian in Egypt: in these was produced a great quantity of fossil 7 salt. There was an Alesia in Arcadia, and a mountain Alesium

6

with a temple upon it. Here an antient personage, Eputus, was said to have been suffocated with salt water; in which history there is an allusion to the etymology of the name. It is true that Pausanias supposes it to have been called

τριας πολις, ειθ ̓ ἡ τε ναφθα πηγη, και τα πυρά, και το της Αναίας (or Avaïtidos) ¡egov. Strabo. 1. 16. p. 1072.

Of Anait see Strabo. 1. 11. p.779. 1. 12. p. 838. l. 15. p. 1066. 6 Strabo. 1. 14. p. 951.

7 Εσι και Αλησιον πεδίον της Ηπειρς, ίνα πηγνυται άλας. Stephanus Byzantinus.

Alesia, from Rhea having wandered thither;

8

δια

την αλην, ώς φασι, καλούμενον την Ῥέας : but it was not ɑλn, but dñas, and dños, sal; and the Deity, to whom that body was sacred, from whence the place was named. And this is certain from another tradition, which there prevailed: for it is said that in antient times there was an eruption of sea water in the temple: 9 Θαλασσης δε αναφαίνεθαι κύμα εν τῷ Ἱερῷ τετῳ λόγος εσιν αρχαιος. Nor was this appellation confined to one particular sort of fountain, or water but all waters, that had any uncommon property, were in like manner sacred to Elees, or Eesel. It was an antient title of Mithras and Osiris in the east, the same as Sol, the Sun. From hence the priests of the Sun were called Soli and Solimi in Cilicia, Selli in Epirus, Salii at Rome, all originally priests of fire. As such they are described by Virgil:

10

Tum Salii ad cantus incensa altaria circum. In like manner the Silaceni of the Babylonians

Pausanias. 1. 8. p. 618.

Athanasius, who was of Egypt, speaks of the veneration paid to fountains and waters. Αλλοι ποταμες και κρηνας, και παντων μάλιςα Αιγυπτιοι το ύδως προτετιμηκασι, και θευς αναγορεύεσι. Oratio contra Gentes. p. 2. Edit. Commelin.

10 It was an obsolete term, but to be traced in its derivatives. From Ees-El came Acuhov, Asylum: from El-Ees, Elis, Elissa, Eleusis, Eleusinia Sacra, Elysium, Elysii campi in Egypt and elsewhere.

were worshippers of the same Deity, and given to the rites of fire, which accompanied the worship

of the Sun.

The chief city of Silacena was Sile or Sele, where were eruptions of fire. Sele is the place or city of the Sun. Whenever therefore Sal, or Sel, or the same reversed, occur in the composition of any place's name, we may be pretty certain that the place is remarkable either for its rites or situation, and attended with some of the circumstances "above-mentioned. Many instances may be produced of those denominated from the quality of their waters. In the river 1 Silarus of Italy every thing became petrified. The river " Silias in India

12

"Of those places called Lasa many instances might be produced. The fountain at Gortyna in Crete was very sacred, and called Lasa, and Lysa. There was a tradition, that Jupiter when a child was washed in its waters: it was therefore changed to Λουσα. Pausanias says, ύδωρ ψυχροτατον παρέχεται ποταμων. 1. 8ο 658.

p.

In Judea were some medicinal waters and warm springs of great repute, at a place called of old Lasa. Lasa ipsa est, quæ nunc Callirrhoë dicitur, ubi aquæ calidæ in Mare Mortuum defluunt. Hieron. in Isaiam. c. 17. 19.

Ηρώδης τοις κατα Καλλιρρόην θερμοις εκεχρητο. Josephus de B. J.

1. 1. c. 33.

Alesa, urbs et fons Siciliæ. Solinus. c. 11. The fountain was of a wonderful nature.

12 Strabo. 1. 5. p. 385.
33 Strabo. 1. 15. p. 1029.

« 上一頁繼續 »