A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume I Part 16

OF THE

G.o.dS OF GREECE;

_To shew that they were all originally one_ G.o.d, _the_ SUN.

As I shall have a great deal to say concerning the Grecian Theology in the course of this work, it will be necessary to take some previous notice of their G.o.ds; both in respect to their original, and to their purport. Many learned men have been at infinite pains to cla.s.s the particular Deities of different countries, and to point out which were the same. But they would have saved themselves much labour, if, before they had bewildered themselves in these fruitless inquiries, they had considered whether all the Deities of which they treat, were not originally the same: all from one source; branched out and diversified in different parts of the world. I have mentioned that the nations of the east acknowledged originally but one Deity, the Sun: but when they came to give the t.i.tles of Orus, Osiris, and Cham, to some of the heads of their family; they too in time were looked up to as G.o.ds, and severally worshipped as the Sun. This was practised by the Egyptians: but this nation being much addicted to refinement in their worship, made many subtile distinctions: and supposing that there were certain emanations of divinity, they affected to particularize each by some t.i.tle; and to worship the Deity by his attributes. This gave rise to a multiplicity of G.o.ds: for the more curious they were in their disquisitions, the greater was the number of these subst.i.tutes. Many of them at first were designed for mere t.i.tles: others, as I before mentioned, were ap?????a?, derivatives, and emanations: all which in time were esteemed distinct beings, and gave rise to a most inconsistent system of Polytheism. The Grecians, who received their religion from Egypt and the east, misconstrued every thing which was imported; and added to these absurdities largely. They adopted Deities, to whose pretended attributes they were totally strangers; whose names they could not articulate, or spell. They did not know how to arrange the elements, of which the words were composed. Hence it was, that Solon the Wise could not escape the bitter, but just censure of the priest in Egypt, who accused both him, and the Grecians in general, of the grossest puerility and ignorance. [917]O S????, S????, ?????e? este pa?de? ae?, ?e??? de ????? ??? est?, ?e?? te ???a? ?pa?te?? ??de?a? ?a? e? ?a?t??? e?ete pa?a?a? d??a?, ??de a??a ????? p????? ??de?. The truth of this allegation may be proved both from the uncertainty, and inconsistency of the antients in the accounts of their Deities. Of this uncertainty Herodotus takes notice. [918]???e?de e?e?et?

??ast?? t?? ?e??, e?te d' ae? ?sa? pa?te?, ?????? de t??e? ta e?dea, ???

?p?steat? e??? ?? p???? te ?a? ??e?, ?? e?pe?? ????. He attributes to Homer, and to Hesiod, the various names and distinctions of the G.o.ds, and that endless polytheism which prevailed. [919]??t?? de e?s?, ?? p???sa?te?

?e?????a? ????s?, ?a? t??s? Te??s? ta? ep????a? d??te?, ?a? t?a? te ?a?

te??a? d?e???te?, ?a? e?dea a?t?? s???a?te?. This blindness in regard to their own theology, and to that of the countries, whence they borrowed, led them to misapply the terms, which they had received, and to make a G.o.d out of every t.i.tle. But however they may have separated, and distinguished them under different personages, they are all plainly resolvable into one Deity, the Sun. The same is to be observed in the G.o.ds of the Romans. This may in great measure be proved from the current accounts of their own writers; if we attend a little closely to what they say: but it will appear more manifest from those who had been in Egypt, and copied their accounts from that country. There are few characters, which at first sight appear more distinct than those of Apollo and Bacchus. Yet the department, which is generally appropriated to Apollo, as the Sun, I mean the conduct of the year, is by Virgil given to Bacchus, or Liber. He joins him with Ceres, and calls them both the bright luminaries of the world.

[920]Vos, O, clarissima Mundi Lumina, labentem Clo qui ducitis annum, Liber, et alma Ceres.

[921]Quidam ipsum solem, ipsum Apollinem, ipsum Dionysium eundem esse volunt. Hence we find that Bacchus is the Sun, or Apollo; though supposed generally to have been a very different personage. In reality they are all three the same; each of them the Sun. He was the ruling Deity of the world:

[922]???e pa??e?et??, pa?a???e, ???se?fe??e?.

He was in Thrace esteemed, and worshipped as Bacchus, or Liber. [923]In Thracia Solem Liberum haberi, quem illi Sebadium nuncupantes magna religione celebrant: eique Deo in colle [924]Zemisso aedes dicata est specie rotunda. In short, all the G.o.ds were one, as we learn from the same Orphic Poetry:

[925]??? ?e??, ??? ??de?, ??? ?????, ??? ?????s??, ??? ?e?? e? pa?tess?.

Some Deities changed with the season.

[926]?e???? de ?e????, et?p???? d' ???? ?a?.

It was therefore idle in the antients to make a disquisition about the ident.i.ty of any G.o.d, as compared with another; and to adjudge him to Jupiter rather than to Mars, to Venus rather than Diana. [927]??? ?s???? ??

e? Se?ap??, ??de ?????s??, ??de ????t??a, t??e? de ??a, p?????de ?a?a ?e????as?. _Some_, says Diodorus, _think that Osiris is Serapis; others that he is Dionusus; others still, that he is Pluto: many take him for Zeus, or Jupiter, and not a few for Pan_. This was an unnecessary embarra.s.sment: for they were all t.i.tles of the same G.o.d, there being originally by no means that diversity which is imagined, as Sir John Marsham has very justly observed. [928]Neque enim tanta p????e?t?? Gentium, quanta fuit Deorum p???????a. It is said, above, that Osiris was by some thought to be Jupiter, and by others to be Pluto. But Pluto, among the best theologists, was esteemed the same as Jupiter; and indeed the same as Proserpine, Ceres, Hermes, Apollo, and every other Deity.

[929]????t??, ?e?sef???, ???t??, ??p???, ???te?, ???t??e?, ???e??, ????? ?a? ??a???a?t??, ???? ?', ?fa?st?? te ???t??, ?a?, ?e?? te, ?a? ???, ??te??, ?d' ??ae???? ?p?????, ??? Te?? est??.

There were to be sure a number of strange attributes, which by some of the poets were delegated to different personages; but there were other writers who went deeper in their researches, and made them all centre in one. They sometimes represented this sovereign Deity as Dionusus; who, according to Ausonius, was worshipped in various parts under different t.i.tles, and comprehended all the G.o.ds under one character.

[930]Ogygia me Bacchum vocat; Osyrin aegyptus putat: Mysi Phanacem nominant: Dionyson Indi existimant: Romana Sacra Liberum; Arabica Gens Adoneum; Lucania.n.u.s Pantheon.

Sometimes the supremacy was given to Pan, who was esteemed Lord of all the elements.

[931]?a?a ?a??, ??ate??? ?????, ??s??? te s?pa?, ???a???, ?de ?a?a.s.sa?, ?de ????a paas??e?a?, ?a? p?? a?a?at??, tade ?a? e?? est? ta ?a???.

??s???at??, a???ta, faesf??e, ?a?p?e ?a?a?, ??t???a?e?, a??????, ???T?S ???S ? ????S??S.

More generally it was conferred upon Jupiter:

[932]?e?? est?? a????, ?e?? de ??, ?e?? d' ???a????

?e?? t?? ta pa?ta.

Poseidon, G.o.d of the sea, was also reputed the chief G.o.d, the Deity of Fire. This we may infer from his priest. He was styled a Purcon, and denominated from him, and served in his oracular temples; as we learn from Pausanias, who says, [933]??se?d??? d' ?p??et?? e? ta a?te?ata e??a?

??????a. He mentions a verse to the same purpose. S?? de te ??????

af?p???? ???t?? ????s??a???. P'urcon is Ignis vel lucis dominus: and we may know the department of the G.o.d 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 G.o.ds and men.

[934] ?????, ??se?da??---- ???a????, ?a?a??? te Te?? pate?, ?de ?a? a?d???.

In the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon the chief deity went by the name of [935]Ourchol, the same as Archel and Aides of Egypt, whence came the ??a????, 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 G.o.ds, as well as their t.i.tles, centre in him. He describes him in some good poetry as the head of all.

[936]?st????t?? ??a??e?, ??a? p????, ???ae ??s??, ??a ?????? ???aa?ta d??de?a???? ???ss??, ?ppe??? ?????d?? ???? p???? a???p? d?s??, ?????? a?e?? eta ??????---- ???? a?e?? fe?e?a?t??, ep' e??d??? de ?a??

?e???? ???? e?e??eta? a?d?? ee?s??.---- ????? ep ??f??ta?, ???? ?e???e??? ???, ?p?? ef?? ?e????? ??a? ??????, ?ss????? ?e??.---- ??te Sa?ap?? ef?? ????pt???, a?efa??? ?e??, ?? ??????, e? Fae??? p????????, e?te s? ??????, ?????S ???Y?O??S, e? ???ad? ???F?S ?????O?.

All the various t.i.tles, 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 [937]Ulpian speaking of Dionusus, says that he was represented of all ages. ?a? ?a? pa?da, ?a? p?es?t??, ?a? a?d?a ??af??s?? a?t??. But the most extraordinary circ.u.mstance was, that they represented the same Deity of different s.e.xes. 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, ?f??d?t??: [938]p?????a?

a?d??? t?? Te?? es??at?s?a? e? ??p??. The same is mentioned by Servius: [939]Est etiam in Cypro simulacrum _barbatae_ Veneris, corpora et veste muliebri, c.u.m sceptro, et natura virili, quod ?f??d?t?? vocant. She was also looked upon as prior to Zeus, and to most other of the G.o.ds.

[940]?f??d?t? ?? ???? ????a?, ?a? ??a?, a??a ?a? ???S est? p?es?te?a. The poet Calvus speaks of her as masculine: [941]Polientemque Deum Venerem.

Valerius Sora.n.u.s among other t.i.tles calls Jupiter the mother of the G.o.ds.

[942]Jupiter omnipotens, Regum Rex ipse, Deumque Progenitor, _Genetrixque Deum_; Deus unus et idem.

Synesius speaks of him in nearly the same manner.

[943]S? pat??, s? d' ess? ?t??, S? d' a?s??, s? de ?????.

And the like character is given to the antient Deity ??t??.

[944]??s?? e? ?a? ????? ef??, p??????e ??t?.

In one of the fragments of the Orphic poetry there is every thing, which I have been saying comprehended within a very short compa.s.s.

[945]?e?? a?s?? ?e?et?, ?e?? a??t?? ep?et? ??f?, ?e?? p???? ?a??? te ?a? ???a??? aste??e?t??.---- ?e?? p??t?? ???a, ?e?? [946]?????, ?de Se????, ?e?? ?as??e??, ?e?? a?t?? ?pa?t?? a????e?e????---- ?a? ??t??, p??t?? ?e?et?? ?a? ???? p???te?p??.

?a?ta ?a? e? ????? e?a?? tade s?at? ?e?ta?.

?? ??at??, ??? ?a???, ?e?eta? e?a? a???? ?pa?t??.

Whom he meant under the t.i.tle of Zeus, he explains afterwards in a solemn invocation of the G.o.d Dionusus.

[947]?e????? t??ep???? d???? ????a??ea ??????

???a??a?? st??fa????? pe??d???? a?e? ???ss??, ???ae ???, ????YS?, pate? p??t??, pate? a???, ???e, pa??e?et??, pa?a???e, ???se?fe??e?.

As we have seen how the father of the G.o.ds was diversified, it may be worth while to hear what the supposed mother of all the Deities says of her t.i.tles and departments, in Apuleius. [948]Me primigenii Phryges Pessinuntiam nominant Deum Matrem: hinc Autochthones Attici Cecropiam Minervam: illinc fluctuantes Cyprii Paphiam Venerem: Cretes sagittiferi Dictynnam Dianam. Siculi trilingues Stygiam Proserpinam: Eleusinii vetustam Deam Cererem. Junonem alii: alii Bellonam: alii Hecaten: Rhamnusiam alii: et qui nascentis dei Solis inchoantibus radiis ill.u.s.trantur aethiopes, Ariique, priscaque doctrina pollentes aegyptii, ceremoniis me prorsus propriis percolentes, appellant vero nomine Reginam Isidem.

Porphyry acknowledged, that Vesta, Rhea, Ceres, Themis, Priapus, Proserpina, Bacchus, Attis, Adonis, Silenus, and the Satyrs, were all one, and the[949] same. n.o.body had examined the theology of the antients more deeply than Porphyry. He was a determined Pagan, and his evidence in this point is unexceptionable. The t.i.tles of Orus and Osiris being given to Dionusus, caused him in time to partake of the same worship which was paid to the great luminary; and as he had also many other t.i.tles, from them sprung a multiplicity of Deities. [950]Morichum Siculi Bacchum nominarunt: Arabes vero eundem Orachal et Adonaeum: alii Lyaeum, Erebinthium, Sabazium; Lacedaemonii Scytidem, et Milichium vocitarunt. But let Dionusus or Bacchus be diversified by ever so many names or t.i.tles, they all, in respect to worship, relate ultimately to the Sun. [951]Sit Osiris, sit Omphis, Nilus, Siris, sive quodcunque aliud ab Hierophantis usurpatum nomen, ad unum tandem _Solem_, antiquissimum Gentium numen, redeunt omnia.

END OF VOL. I.