Caph-El; which was changed to тpixepaλos, just as Cahen-Caph-El was rendered xuvoxɛpaños: and Cerberus was henee supposed to have had three heads. It was also styled Tor-Keren, Turris Regia; which suffered a like change with the word above, being expressed pixapnvos: and Cahen Ades, or Cerberus, was hence supposed to have been a triple-headed monster. That these idle figments took their rise from names of places, ill expressed and misinterpreted, may be proved from Palæphatus. He abundantly shews that the mistake arose hence, though he does not point out precisely the mode of deviation. He first speaks of Geryon, who was supposed to have had three heads, and was thence styled τρικέφαλος. 31 Ην δε τοιονδε τετο πολις εσιν εν τω Ευξίνῳ ποντῳ Τρικαρηνία και λurn xλ. The purport of the fable about Geryones is this: There was, upon the Pontus Euxinus, a city named Tricarenia; and thence came the history Inguove Te Teixagnus, of Geryon the Tricarenian; which was interpreted, a man with three heads. He mentions the same thing of Cerberus. 3* Λεγεσι περι Κερβερς, ὡς κυων ην, έχων τρεις κεφαλας· δηλον δε ότι και έτος απο της πολεως εκληθη Τρικαρηνος, ώσπερ ὁ Γηρυόνης. They say of Cerberus, that he was a dog with three 31 Palæphatus. p. 56. heads: but it is plain that he was so called from a city named Tricaren, or Tricarenia, as well as Geryones. Palæphatus says, very truly, that the strange notion arose from a place. But, to state more precisely the grounds of the mistake, we must observe, that from the antient Tor-Caph-El arose the blunder about rizçaños; as, from TorKeren, rendered Tricarenia, was formed the term Tips: and these personages, in consequence of it, were described with three heads. As I often quote from Palaphatus, it may be proper to say something concerning him. He wrote early and seems to have been a serious and sensible person; one, who saw the absurdity of the fables, upon which the theology of his country was founded. In the purport of his name is signified an antiquarian; a person, who dealt in remote researches: and there is no impossibility, but that there might have casually arisen this correspondence between his name and writings. But, I think, it is hardly probable. As he wrote against the mythology of his country, I should imagine that Пaλapar05, Palæphatus, was an assumed name, which he took for a blind, in order to screen himself from persecution: for the nature of his writings made him liable to much ill will. One little treatise of "Palæphatus 33 Palaphatus. p. 20. 34 about Orion is quoted verbatim by the Scholiast upon 4 Homer, who speaks of it as a quotation from Euphorion. I should therefore think, that Euphorion was the name of this writer: but as there were many learned men so called, it may be difficult to determine which was the author of this treatise. Homer, who has constructed the noblest poem that was ever framed, from the strangest materials, abounds with allegory and mysterious description. He often introduces ideal personages, his notions of which he borrowed from the edifices, hills, and fountains; and from whatever savoured of wonder and antiquity. He seems sometimes to blend together two different characters of the same thing, a borrowed one, and a real; so as to make the true history, if there should be any truth at bottom, the more extraordinary and entertaining. I cannot help thinking, that Otus and Ephialtes, those gigantic youths, so celebrated by the Poets, were two lofty towers. They were building to Alohim, called " Aloëus; but were probably over. thrown by an earthquake. They are spoken of by Pindar as the sons of Iphimedeia; and are 35 1 3+ Iliad. E. v. 486. 35 Diodorus Siculus. 1. 5. p. 324. supposed to have been slain by Apollo in the island Naxos. 35 Εν δε Ναξι Φαντι θανειν λιπαρα Ιφιμέδειας παίδας Ωτον, και σε, τολμαεις Εφιαλτα αναξι They are also mentioned by Homer, who styles them γηγενεις, or earthborn: and his description is equally fine. 36 Και ρ' ετεκεν δυο παιδε, μινυνθαδίω δε γενέσθην, Και πολυ καλλιτες μετα γε κλυτον Ωρίωνα. Εννέωροι γαρ τοιγε, και εννεαπηχες ήσαν Εύρος, αταρ μηκος γε γενεσθην εννεοργυιοι. some tower, or tem Homer includes Orion in this description, whom he mentions elsewhere; and seems to borrow his ideas from a similar object, ple, that was sacred to him. Orion was Nimrod, the great hunter in the Scriptures, called by the Greeks Nebrod. He was the founder of Babel, or Babylon; and is represented as a gigantic per 35 Pindar. Pyth. Ode 4. p. 243. |