nis vel lucis dominus: and we may know the department of the God from the name of the priest. He was no other than the supreme Deity, the Sun: from whom all were supposed to be derived. Hence Poseidon or Neptune, in the Orphic verses, is, like Zeus, styled the father of Gods and men. Ουρανίων, Μακάρων τε Θεων πατερ, ηδε και ανδρων. In the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon the chief deity went by the name of "Ourchol, the same as Archel and Arcles of Egypt, whence came the 'Hoaxins, and Hercules of Greece and Rome. Nonnus, who was deeply read in the mythology of these countries, makes all the various departments of the other Gods, as well as their titles, centre in him. He describes him in some good poetry as the head of all. 20 Αεροχίτων Ἡρακλες, Αναξ πυρος, Ορχαμε κοσμα, 18 Orphic. Hymn. in Poseidon. xvi. p. 208. * Selden de Diis Syris. p. 77. and additamenta. He was of old styled Arcles in Greece; and supposed to have been the son of Xuth. Καθος και Αρκλης, δι Χυθε παιδες. Plutarch. Quæstiones Græcæ. v. 1. p 296. 20 Nonnus. I. 40. p. 1038. Ἱππευων ἑλικηδον όλον πολον αιθοπι δίσκω, Κύκλου αγεις μετα κυκλον Ομβρον αγεις φερεκαρπον, επ' ευωδίνι δε γαιη Βηλος επ' Ευφρηταο, Λιβυς κεκλημενος Αμμων, ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ. ΔΕΛΦΟΣ All the various titles, we find, are at last comprised in Apollo, or the Sun. It may appear strange, that Hercules, and Jupiter, or whomever we put for the chief Deity, should be of all ages. This must have been the case, if they were the same as the boy of love, and Bacchus ever young; and were also the representatives of Cronus, and Saturn. But the antients went farther; and described the same Deity under the same name in various stages of life and 21 : Ulpian speaking of Dionusus, says that he was represented of all ages. Και γαρ παίδα, και πρεσβύτην, 21 In Demosthenem Κατα Μειδία. Παν σχημα περιτιθεασιν αυτῷ. p. 647. See also Macrob. Sat. 1. 1. c. 18. Αυτον τον Δια και τον Διόνυσον παιδας και νεως ή θεολογία καλεί. Proclus upon Plato's Parmenides. See Orphic Fragments. p. 406. και ανδρα γραφεσιν αυτον. But the most extraordi circumstance was, that they represented the sa e Deity of different sexes. A bearded Apollo was uncommon; but Venus with a beard must have been very extraordinary. Yet she is said to have been thus exhibited in Cyprus, under the name of Aphroditus, Αφροδιτος : παγωνίαν ανδρος την Θεον εσχηματισθαι εν Κύπρῳ. The same is mentioned by Servius: "Est etiam in Cypro simulacrum barbala Veneris, corpore et veste muliebri, cum sceptro, et natura virili, quod Αφροδιτον vocant. She was also looked upon as prior to Zeus, and to most other of the Gods. 34 Αφροδίτη ου μονον Αθήνας, και Ήρας, αλλα και ΔΙΟΣ εςι πρεσβυτερα. The poet Calvus speaks of her as masculine: 25 Polientemque Deum Venerem. Valerius Soranus among other titles calls Jupiter the mother of the Gods. 24 22 Hesychius. The passage is differently read. Kuster exhibits it Αφροδιτος. Οδε τα περι Αμαθόντα γεγραφως Παιαν, ὡς ανδρα την θεον εσχηματίσθαι εν Κύπρω φησιν. 23 Servius upon Virgil. Æneid. 1. 2. v. 632. 24 Scholia upon Apollon. Rhod. 1. 3. v. 52. Των καλεμένων Μοιρων είναι πρεσβυτεραν. In some places of the east, Venus was the same as Cybele and Rhea, the Mother of the Gods: Περι της χώρας ταυτης σεβεσι μεν ὡς επι παν την Αφροδίτην, ὡς μητέρα θεων, ποικίλαις και εγχωρίοις ονόμασι προσαγορεύοντες. Ptol. Tetrabibl. 1. 2. 25 Apud Calvum Acterianus. Macrob. Sat. 1. 3. c. 8. Putant eandem marem esse ac fœminam. Ibidem. 26 Jupiter omnipotens, Regum Rex ipse, Deûmque Progenitor, Genetrixque Deum; Deus unus et idem. Synesius speaks of him in nearly the same manner. And the like character is given to the antient Deity Μητις. 28 Αρσην μεν και θηλυς έφυς, πολυωνυμε Μητι. In one of the fragments of the Orphic poetry there is every thing, which I have been saying comprehended within a very short compass. 26 Apud Augustin. de Civitate Dei. 1. 4. c. 11. and 1. 7. c. 9. The author of the Orphic verses speaks of the Moon as both male and female. Αυξομένη και λειπομενη, θηλύστε και αρσην. the east. Hymn 8. v. 4, Edessa, and all over 27 Synesius. Hymn 3. p. 26. Edit. H. Steph. The Orphic verses Tepi Quoews are to the same purpose. 29 Ζευς αρσην γενετο, Ζευς αμβροτος επλετο Νύμφη, Ζευς πυθμην γαίης τε και ουρανε αςερόεντος. 30 Ζευς ποντε ρίζα, Ζευς 3ο Ήλιος, ηδε Σεληνη, Whom he meant under the title of Zeus, he explains afterwards in a solemn invocation of the God Dionusus. 31 Κεκλυθι τηλεπορε δίνης έλικαυγέα κυκλον As we have seen how the father of the Gods 29 Orphic Fragment. vi. p. 366. Gesner's Edit. from Proclus on Plato's Alcibiades. See also Poesis Philosophica H. Stephani. p. 81. 30 Jupiter Lucetius, or God of light. Macrob. Sat. l. 1. c. 15. p. 182. 31 Orphic Fragm. vii. p. 371. See Poesis Philosoph. H. Stephani. p. 85. Orpheus of Protogonus. Πρωτογον, Ηρικαπαιε, θεων πατερ, ηδε και ύιε. Hyunn. 51. p. 246. |