contracted into Nupon, a Nymph, and supposed such a person to be an inferior goddess, who prefided over the waters. I. 276. AIR, Is a City; often expreffed Ar and Ara; hence Arachofia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha, (Ar-Ham-Aith) Argile, Arzella, Arthedon, cities or regions. I. 91. AIT, AITH, Were titles of Ham, or the Sun; terms of great confequence respecting etymology, and continually occurring in Egyptian names of places, deities and men. Many ancient words in the Greck language were derived from them; e. g. Αιθαλον (κεκαυμένον) a compound of Aith-El, Αιθωνα (μελανα, πυρώδη) compound of Aith-On; and others enumerated by Hefychius. The Sun's difk was filed Aday. Ἱππευων ἑλικηδον ὅλον πολον Αιθοπι Δισκῳ. Nonnus. L. 40. v. 371. Ham, as the Sun, was ftiled Ait, and fo was Egypt, the land of Ham; rendered by the Greeks Αέλια; it was alfo called Αιθιοπία, Αεριά and Пolapa. One of the most ancient names of the Ποταμια. Nile was Alος. Ait relates alfo to Fire, Light, Heat, and to the confequences of Heat. As the Heart is to the body, what the Sun is to the world, the fource of heat and life, fo it was called He Ionice, which the Dorians with more propriety would have called Ath. I. 18. As Egypt was called Ait and Ai-Ait, by the Greeks expreffed Alia, fo, in confequence, the natives were called Adio and Ada, which was interpreted Eagles. Hence we are told by Plutarch, that fome Eagles or Swans came from the remote parts of the earth, and fettled at Delphi. By these birds were undoubtedly meant colonies from Egypt and Canaan. I. 378. Which former was Ai-Gupt alfo; Gupt, a Vulture; an Eagle and Vulture being among among the Infignia of that country. I. 426. And as Ait fignified among the Egyptians the Heart, this over burning coals was an emblem of Egypt. Ib. AITHYIA, A bird fo called, probably a fpecies of Seacoot. It was held very facred, as feveral perfonages were fo called, or had it in the compofition of their names; e. g. Minerva, Orithyia, Idithyia, Ilythyia. II. 454. AL Or El, is to this day an Arabian prefix. The Sun is there called Al-Achor (or Alachar). It is in compofition fo like to Ha, the name of 'Halos, the Sun, that it is not always easy to distinguish one from the other. I. 118. AL-AS, Amonian terms; hence Gr. Αλος, Αλας, Αλς. And from the fame terms reverfed (As-El) were formed, Lat. Sol, Sal, Salum. I. 30. ALBA, Near mount Albanus (denominated Al-Ban from its fountains and baths) was anciently Alban; for the Romans dropped the final n; fo Cuma was Cuman, Pifa Pifan. I. 201. ALBANI, Places fo called feem to have had the name from Al-Laban, the Moon, the object of worship, contracted to Alban, and rendered with a termination Albanus. There feems no doubt, but that the Arkite idolatry prevailed in most of these places. Ιερον Μηνος Αρκαίου εν τοις Αλβανοις. Stra. 1. 12. Upon mount Albanus in Latium a facred fhip was reverenced; which Dion. Caf. 1. 39. calls the fhip of of Juno, or Jonah. From hence we may infer, that it was a copy of the fhip of Ifis, called Baris; that memorial of the Ark in Egypt. II. 446. ALECTOR. The ancients divided the night into different watches; the last of which was called cock-crow: wherefore they kept a cock in their Tirit, or towers, to give notice of the dawn. Hence this bird was facred to the Sun, and named Axsxlwę ; which feems to be a compound out of the titles of that deity, and of the tower fet apart for his fervice: for thefe towers were temples. I. 406. ALESA, A city and fountain in Sicily. The fountain was of a wonderful nature. I. 32. n. A city in Epirus called alfo Eliffa, and Lafa: hard by were the Alefian plains, fimilar to the Elyfian in Egypt; in thefe was produced a great quantity of fofil falt. There was Alefia in Arcadia, and a mountain Alefium, with a temple upon it; here an ancient perfonage, putus, was faid to be fuffocated with falt water. There was a tradition, that anciently there had been an eruption of falt water in the temple. I. 31. There was in Gaul, an Alefia, faid to be founded by Hercules, of which there are traditions to this day. II. 75. ALEXANDER, Upon his expedition to the temple of Ammon, is faid to have been conducted by two crows. (Strabo. L. 17.) Curtius fays (1. 4. c. 7.) that a good number went out to meet him. Thefe were undoubtedly the priests of the place, who, from their complexion, were called Crows or Ravens. II. 291. ΑΛΛΑΛΑ, An idolatrous invocation, originally made to the god of war, which Mahomet changed to Allah. It was not unknown to the Greeks. Plut. de Amor. Frat. makes the deity feminine, Kave' Araña, πολεμου θυγατερ. Hence Αλαλάζει, επινικίως έχει, Αλαλαγμος, επινικιος ύμνος, Ελελευ, επιφώνημα πολεμικόν, Hefych. It is probably the fame as in Ifaiah, xiv. 12. I. 15. ALMON, A city fo named, by which was meant a city of the Deus Lunus. There were feveral of this name. It was also called Minua, q. v. There was a river Almon near Rome, which was held very facred. In the waters of this ftream . they used annually with great reverence to láve the image of Cybele, the mother of the gods. Ovid. Faft. L. 4. v. 337. Eft locus in Tiberim, quo lubricus influit Almon, Almonis dominam facraque lavit aquâ. The ceremony feems to have been accompanied with lamentations, like the rites of Ifis in Egypt. People of confequence were ufually called by fome title of the deity: accordingly Virgil, to give an air of authenticity to his poem, often confers fome of the antient provincial names upon his heroes; among others he introduces this, which he gives to the fon of Tyrrhius, an Hetrurian. Æn. L. 7.. v. 531. Hic juvenis primam ante aciem stridente fagittâ, It was properly a façred title. II. 448. I. ALORUS, The first king of Chaldæa, meaning Nimrod. 9. This word and Elorus, were names both of perfons and places. 14. Nimrod by Abydenus and Apollodorus is called Alorus, which was often ren dered with the Amonian prefix Pelorus. 413. AL-OURAH, The cat. From whence the Greeks formed Aλoupos. I. 333. v. Egyptians. ALPHI. An Oracle was fo termed by the Amonians; and Alpha, the voice of God. The facred animals Apis and Mneuis were ftiled Alphi and Alpha; which name was current among the Tyrians and Sidonians. Hence Plutarch (Sympof. L. 9. c. 3.) fpeaking of the letter Alpha, fays, Φοινικας δύω καλειν TOU BOUT. Alpha was therefore both an Oracle and an Oracular Animal: the Græcians took it in the latter, acceptation; and inftead of faying that the Cadmians acted in obedience to an oracle, they gave out that Cadmus followed a Cow. II. 161. In a fecondary fense it fignified a Leader. As it was a leading letter in the Alphabet, it was conferred as a title upon any perfon who took the lead, and ftood foremost upon any emergency. Ib. n. Al-Ompha; hence came Lympha. This dif fered from Aqua, or common water, as being of a facred and prophetic nature. The ancients thought that all mad perfons were gifted with divination; and they were, in confequence of it, 'ftiled Lymphati. I. 280. Alphi is in acceptation the fame as Amphi. Ham being by his pofterity esteemed the Sun or El; and likewife Or, the fame as Orus, his oracles. were in confequence ftiled not only Amphi, and Omphi, but Alphi, Elphi, Orphi, Urphi. I. 244. Alphira |