A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology Volume Ii Part 9

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Pl. X_]

OF

TEMPLE RITES

IN THE

FIRST AGES.

I must continually put the reader in mind how common it was among the Greeks, not only out of the t.i.tles of the Deities, but out of the names of towers, and other edifices, to form personages, and then to invent histories to support what they had done. When they had created a number of such ideal beings, they tried to find out some relation: and thence proceeded to determine the parentage, and filiation of each, just as fancy directed. Some colonies from Egypt, and Canaan, settled in Thrace; as appears from numberless memorials. The parts which they occupied were upon the Hebrus, about Edonia, Sithonia, and Mount Haemus. They also held Pieria, and Peonia, and all the sea coast region. It was their custom, as I have before mentioned, in all their settlements to form puratheia; and to introduce the rites of fire, and worship of the Sun. Upon the coast, of which I have been speaking, a temple of this sort was founded, which is called Torone. The name is a compound of Tor-On, as I have before taken notice. The words purathus, and puratheia, were, in the language of Egypt, Pur-Ath, and Por-Ait, formed from two t.i.tles of the G.o.d of fire. Out of one of these the Grecians made a personage, which they expressed ????t??, Prtus, whose daughters, or rather priestesses, were the Prtides. And as they followed the Egyptian rites, and held a Cow sacred, they were, in consequence of it, supposed to have been turned into [615]cows; just as the priestesses of Hippa were said to have been changed into mares; the notropae and Peleiadae into pigeons. Proteus of Egypt, whom Menelaus was supposed to have consulted about his pa.s.sage homeward, was a tower of this sort with a purait. It was an edifice, where both priests and pilots resided to give information; and where a light was continually burning to direct the ships in the night. The tower of Torone likewise was a Pharos, and therefore styled by Lycophron f?e??a?a ??????, the flaming Torone. The country about it was, in like manner, called [616]F?e??a, Phlegra, both from these flaming Towers, and from the worship there introduced. There seems to have been a fire-tower in this region named Proteus; for, according to the antient accounts, Proteus is mentioned as having resided in these parts, and is said to have been married to Torone. He is accordingly styled by the Poet,

[617]f?e??a?a? p?s??

St????? ???????, ? ?e??? ape??eta?, ?a? da???.

The epithet st?????, gloomy, and sad, implies a bad character, which arose from the cruel rites practised in these places. In all these temples they made it a rule to sacrifice strangers, whom fortune brought in their way.

Torone stood near [618]Pallene, which was styled [619]G??e??? t??f??, _the nurse of the earth-born, or giant brood_. Under this character both the sons of Chus, and the Anakim of Canaan are included. Lycophron takes off from Proteus the imputation of being accessary to the vile practices, for which the place was notorious; and makes only his sons guilty of murdering strangers. He says, that their father left them out of disgust,

[620]?e???? a???a? ta? ?e???t??a? pa?a?.

In this he alludes to a custom, of which I shall take notice hereafter.

According to Eustathius, the notion was, that Proteus fled by a subterraneous pa.s.sage to Egypt, in company with his daughter Eidothea.

[621]?p??atest? e?? Fa??? eta t?? ???at??? ??d??ea?. He went, it seems, from one Pharos to another; from Pallene to the mouth of the Nile. The Pharos of Egypt was both a watch-tower, and a temple, where people went to inquire about the success of their voyage; and to obtain the a.s.sistance of pilots. Proteus was an Egyptian t.i.tle of the Deity, under which he was worshipped, both in the Pharos, and at [622]Memphis. He was the same as Osiris, and Can.o.bus: and particularly the G.o.d of mariners, who confined his department to the [623]sea. From hence, I think, we may unravel the mystery about the pilot of Menelaus, who is said to have been named Can.o.bus, and to have given name to the princ.i.p.al seaport in Egypt. The priests of the country laughed at the idle [624]story; and they had good reason: for the place was far prior to the people spoken of, and the name not of Grecian original. It is observable, that Stepha.n.u.s of Byzantium gives the pilot another name, calling him, instead of Can.o.bus, Fa???, Pharus. His words are Fa??? ? ????e?? ?e?a?a??, which are scarce sense. I make no doubt, from the history of Proteus above, but that in the original, whence Stepha.n.u.s copied, or at least whence the story was first taken, the reading was Fa???

? ???te?? ?e?e?a??; that is, the Proteus of Menelaus, so celebrated by Homer, who is represented, as so wise, and so experienced in navigation, whom they esteemed a great prophet, and a Deity of the sea, was nothing else but a Pharos. In other words, it was a temple of Proteus upon the Can.o.bic branch of the Nile, to which the Poet makes Menelaus have recourse.

Such was the original history: but ???te?? ?e?e?a?? has been changed to p???e??; and the G.o.d Can.o.bus turned into a Grecian pilot. As these were Ophite temples, a story has been added about this person having been stung by a serpent. [625]????e?? e? t? ??s? d???e?? ?p? ?fe?? etaf?. _This Pilot was bitten by a serpent, and buried in the island_. Conformable to my opinion is the account given by Tzetzes, who says, that Proteus resided in the [626]Pharos: by which is signified, that he was the Deity of the place.

He is represented in the Orphic poetry as the first-born of the world, the chief G.o.d of the sea, and at the same time a mighty [627]prophet.

The history then of Menelaus in Egypt, if such a person ever existed, amounts to this. In a state of uncertainty he applied to a temple near Can.o.bus, which was sacred to Proteus. This was one t.i.tle out of many, by which the chief Deity of the country was worshipped, and was equivalent to On, Orus, Osiris, and Can.o.bus. From this place Menelaus obtained proper advice, by which he directed his voyage. Hence some say, that he had F???t??, Phrontis, for his pilot. [628]??e???t?? a??st?? ?e?e?a?? ?

F???t??, ???? ???t????. _Menelaus had an excellent pilot, one Phrontis, the son of Onetor._ This, I think, confirms all that I have been saying: for what is Phrontis, but advice and experience? and what is Onetor, but the Pharos, from whence it was obtained? Onetor is the same as Torone, ??????, only reversed. They were both temples of Proteus, the same as On, and Orus: both F?e??a?a?, by which is meant temples of fire, or light-houses. Hence we may be pretty certain, that the three pilots, Can.o.bus, Phrontis, Pharos, together with Onetor, were only poetical personages: and that the terms properly related to towers, and sanctuaries, which were of Egyptian original.

These places were courts of justice, where the priests seem to have practised a strict inquisition; and where pains and penalties were very severe. The notion of the Furies was taken from these temples: for the term Furia is from Ph'ur, ignis, and signifies a priest of fire. It was on account of the cruelties here practised, that most of the antient judges are represented as inexorable; and are therefore made judges in h.e.l.l. Of what nature their department was esteemed may be learned from Virgil,

[629]Gnossius haec Rhadamanthus habet durissima regna: Castigatque, auditque dolos, subigitque fateri, &c.

The temple at Phlegya in Botia was probably one of these courts; where justice was partially administered, and where great cruelties were exercised by the priests. Hence a person, named Phlegyas, is represented in the shades below, crying out in continual agony, and exhorting people to justice.

[630]--Phlegyasque miserrimus omnes Admonet, et tristi testatur voce per umbras, Discite just.i.tiam moniti, et non temnere Divos.

Excellent counsel, but introduced rather too late. Phlegyas was in reality the Sun; so denominated by the aethiopes, or Cuthites, and esteemed the same as Mithras of Persis. They looked up to him as their great benefactor, and lawgiver: for they held their laws as of divine original. His worship was introduced among the natives of Greece by the Cuthites, styled Ethiopians, who came from Egypt. That this was the true history of Phlegyas we may be a.s.sured from Stepha.n.u.s, and Phavorinus. They mention both Phlegyas, and Mithras, as men deified; and specify, that they were of Ethiopian original.

[631]????a?, ?a? F?e??a?, a?d?a? ?????pa? t? ?e???. Minos indeed is spoken of, as an upright judge: and the person alluded to under that character was eminently distinguished for his piety, and justice. But his priests were esteemed far otherwise, for they were guilty of great cruelties. Hence we find, that Minos was looked upon as a judge of h.e.l.l, and styled Quaesitor Minos. He was in reality a Deity, the same as Menes, and Menon of Egypt: and as Manes of Lydia, Persis, and other countries. And though his history be not consistently exhibited, yet, so much light may be gained from the Cretans, as to certify us, that there was in their island a temple called Men-Tor, the tower of Men, or Menes. The Deity, from a particular [632]hieroglyphic, under which the natives worshipped him, was styled Minotaurus. To this temple the Athenians were obliged annually to send some of their prime youth to be sacrificed; just as the people of Carthage used to send their children to be victims at [633]Tyre. The Athenians were obliged for some time to pay this tribute, as appears from the festival in commemoration of their deliverance. The places most infamous for these customs were those, which were situated upon the seacoast: and especially those dangerous pa.s.ses, where sailors were obliged to go on sh.o.r.e for a.s.sistance, to be directed in their way. Scylla upon the coast of Rhegium was one of these: and appears to have been particularly dreaded by mariners. Ulysses in Homer says, that he was afraid to mention her name to his companions, lest they should through astonishment have lost all sense of preservation.

[634]S?????? d' ???et' e??e??? ap???t?? a????, ??p?? ?? de?sa?te? ap?????e?a? ?ta????, ???es???, e?t?? de p??a???e? sfea? a?t???.

Some suppose Scylla to have been a dangerous rock; and that it was abominated on account of the frequent shipwrecks. There was a rock of that name, but attended with no such peril. We are informed by Seneca, [635]Scyllam saxum esse, et quidem non terribile navigantibus. It was the temple, built of old upon that [636]eminence, and the customs which prevailed within, that made it so detested. This temple was a Petra: hence Scylla is by Homer styled S????? ?et?a??; and the dogs, with which she was supposed to have been surrounded, were Cahen, or priests.

As there was a Men-tor in Crete, so there was a place of the same name, only reversed, in Sicily, called Tor-men, and Tauromenium. There is reason to think, that the same cruel practices prevailed here. It stood in the country of the Lamiae, Lestrygons, and Cyclopes, upon the river On-Baal, which the Greeks rendered On.o.ballus. From hence we may conclude, that it was one of the Cyclopian buildings. Homer has presented us with something of truth, though we receive it sadly mixed with fable. We find from him, that when Ulysses entered the dangerous pa.s.s of Rhegium, he had six of his comrades seized by Scylla: and he loses the same number in the cavern of the Cyclops, which that monster devoured. Silenus, in a pa.s.sage before taken notice of, is by Euripides made to say, that the most agreeable repast to the Cyclops was the flesh of strangers: n.o.body came within his reach, that he did not feed upon.

[637]G????tata, f?s?, ta ??ea t??? ?e???? fe?e???

??de?? ???? de??', ?st?? ?? ?atesfa??.

From these accounts some have been led to think, that the priests in these temples really fed upon the flesh of the persons sacrificed: and that these stories at bottom allude to a shocking depravity; such, as one would hope, that human nature could not be brought to. Nothing can be more horrid, than the cruel process of the Cyclops, as it is represented by Homer. And though it be veiled under the shades of poetry, we may still learn the detestation, in which these places were held.

[638]S?? de d?? a??a? ?ste s???a?a? p?t? ?a??

??pt', e? d' e??efa??? ?aad?? ?ee, de?e de ?a?a?.

???? te d?ae?e?st? ta?? ?p??ssat? d??p???

?s??e d' ?ste ?e?? ??es?t??f??, ??d' ape?e?pe?

???ata te, sa??a? te, ?a? ?stea ?e??e?ta.

?e?? de ??a???te? a?es?e??e? ??? ?e??a?, S?et??a e??' ?????te?, a??a??? d' e?e ????.

[639]He answered with his deed: his b.l.o.o.d.y hand s.n.a.t.c.h'd two unhappy of my martial band, And dash'd like dogs against the rocky floor: The pavement swims with brains, and mingled gore.

Torn limb from limb, he spreads the horrid feast, And fierce devours it like a mountain beast.

He sucks the marrow, and the blood he drains; Nor entrails, flesh, nor solid bone remains.

We see the death, from which we cannot move, And humbled groan beneath the hand of Jove.

One would not be very forward to strengthen an imputation, which disgraces human nature: yet there must certainly have been something highly brutal and depraved in the character of this people, to have given rise to this description of foul and unnatural feeding. What must not be concealed, Euhemerus, an antient writer, who was a native of these parts, did aver, that this b.e.s.t.i.a.l practice once prevailed. Saturn's devouring his own children is supposed to allude to this custom. And we learn from this writer, as the pa.s.sage has been transmitted by [640]Ennius, that not only Saturn, but Ops, and the rest of mankind in their days, used to feed upon human flesh.--[641]Saturnum, et Opem, caeterosque tum homines humanam carnem solitos esitare. He speaks of Saturn, and Ops, as of persons, who once lived in the world, and were thus guilty. But the priests of their temples were the people to be really accused; the Cyclopians, Lamiae, and Lestrygons, who officiated at their altars. He speaks of the custom, as well known: and it had undoubtedly been practised in those parts, where in aftertimes hie was born. For he was a native [642]of Zancle, and lived in the very country, of which we have been speaking, in the land of the Lestrygons, and Cyclopians. The promontory of Scylla was within his sight.

He was therefore well qualified to give an account of these parts; and his evidence must necessarily have weight. Without doubt these cruel practices left lasting impressions; and the memorials were not effaced for ages.

It is said of Orpheus by Horace, Caedibus, et victu fdo deterruit: by which one should be led to think, that the putting a stop to this unnatural gratification was owing to him. Others think, that he only discountenanced the eating of raw flesh, which before had been usual. But this could not be true of Orpheus: for it was a circ.u.mstance, which made one part of his inst.i.tutes. If there were ever such a man, as Orpheus, he enjoined the very thing, which he is supposed to have prohibited. For both in the [643]orgies of Bacchus and in the rites of Ceres, as well as of other Deities, one part of the mysteries consisted in a ceremony styled ??fa??a; at which time they eat the flesh quite crude with the blood. In Crete at the [644]Dionusiaca they used to tear the flesh with their teeth from the animal, when alive. This they did in commemoration of Dionusus. [645]Festos funeris dies statuunt, et annuum sacrum trieterica consecratione componunt, omnia per ordinem facientes, quae puer moriens aut fecit, aut pa.s.sus est.

_Vivum laniant dentibus Taurum_, crudeles epulas annuis commemorationibus excitantes. Apollonius Rhodius speaking of persons like to Baccha.n.a.lians, represents them [646]T?as?? ??????? ??e?a?, as savage as the Thyades, who delighted in b.l.o.o.d.y banquets. Upon this the Scholiast observes, that the Maenadas, and Bacchae, used to devour the raw limbs of animals, which they had cut or torn asunder. [647]????a??? t? a??? ?atas??s?e?ta, ?a?

??spa?a?ta, es????s??. In the island of Chios it was a religious custom to tear a man limb from limb by way of sacrifice to Dionusus. The same obtained in Tenedos. It is Porphyry, who gives the account. He was a staunch Pagan, and his evidence on that account is of consequence. He quotes for the rites of Tenedos Euelpis the Carystian. [648]?????t? de ?a?

e? ??? t? Oad?? ?????s? a????p?? d?esp??te?? ?a? e? ?e?ed?, f?s?? ??e?p??

? ?a??st???. From all which we may learn one sad truth, that there is scarce any thing so impious and unnatural, as not at times to have prevailed.

We need not then wonder at the character given of the Lestiygones, Lamiae, and Cyclopians, who were inhabitants of Sicily, and lived nearly in the same part of the island. They seem to have been the priests, and priestesses, of the Leontini, who resided at Pelorus, and in the Cyclopian towers: on which account the Lamiae are by Lucilius termed [649]Turricolae.

They are supposed to have delighted in human blood, like the Cyclopians, but with this difference, that their chief repast was the flesh of young persons and children; of which they are represented as very greedy. They were priests of Ham, called El Ham; from whence was formed 'Lamus and 'Lamia. Their chief city, the same probably, which was named Tauromenium, is mentioned by Homer, as the city of Lamus.

[650]?d?at? d' ???es?a ?a?? a?p? pt???e????.

And the inhabitants are represented as of the giant race.

[651]F??t?? d' ?f???? ?a?st?????e?, a????e? a????, ??????, ??? a?d?ess?? e????te?, a??a G??as?.

Many give an account of the Lestrygons, and Lamiae, upon the Liris in Italy; and also upon other parts of that coast: and some of them did settle there.

But they were more particularly to be found in [652]Sicily near Leontium, as the Scholiast upon Lycophron observes. [653]?a?st?????e?, ?? ???

?e??t????. _The antient Lestrygons were the people, whose posterity are now called Leontini_. The same writer takes notice of their incivility to strangers: [654]??? ?sa? e???se??? ?e???? ?p?de?es?a?. That they were Amonians, and came originally from Babylonia, is pretty evident from the history of the Erythrean Sibyl; who was no other than a Lamian priestess.

She is said to have been the daughter of Lamia, who was the daughter of Poseidon. [655]S????a?--?a?a? ??sa? ???ate?a t?? ??se?d????. Under the character of one person is to be understood a priesthood: of which community each man was called Lamus, and each priestess Lamia. By the Sibyl being the daughter of Lamia, the daughter of Poseidon, is meant, that she was of Lamian original, and ultimately descended from the great Deity of the sea. Who is alluded to under that character, will hereafter be shewn.

The countries, to which the Sibyl is referred, point out her extraction: for she is said to have come from Egypt, and Babylonia. [656]?? de a?t??

?a?????a?, ?te??? de S????a? ?a???s?? ????pt?a?. If the Sibyl came from Babylonia and Egypt, her supposed parent, Lamia, must have been of the same original.

The Lamiae were not only to be found in Italy, and Sicily, but Greece, Pontus, and [657]Libya. And however widely they may have been separated, they are still represented in the same unfavourable light. Euripides says, that their very name was detestable.

[658]??? t' ????a t?d' ep??e?d?st?? ??t???

??? ??de ?a?a? t?? ???st???? ?e???.

Philostratus speaks of their b.e.s.t.i.a.l appet.i.te, and unnatural gluttony.

[659]?a?a? sa????, ?a? a??sta a????pe??? e???. And Aristotle alludes to practices still more shocking: as if they tore open the bodies big with child, that they might get at the infant to devour it. _I speak_, says he, _of people, who have brutal appet.i.tes_. [660]?e?? de ta? ?????de??, ????

t?? a????p??, t?? ?e???s? ta? ????sa? a?as?????sa? ta pa?d?a ?ates?ee??.