all the instances which might be brought of this nature. Of this, I think, I am assured, that whoever will consider the uncouth names both of Deities, and men, as well as of places, in the light recommended; and attend to the mythology transmitted concerning them; will be able by these helps to trace them to their original meaning. It is, I think, plain, that what the Grecians so often interpreted nuves, was an antient Amonian title. When therefore I read of the brazen dog of Vulcan, of the dog of Erigone, of Orion, of Geryon, of Orus, of Hercules, of Amphilochus, of Hecate, I cannot but suppose, that they were the titles of so many Deities; or else of their priests, who were denominated from their office. In short, the Cahen of Egypt were no more dogs than the Pateræ of Amon were basons: and though Diodorus does say, that at the grand celebrity of." Isis, the whole was preceded by dogs, yet I cannot help being persuaded that they were the priests of the Goddess. By this clue we may unravel many intricate histories transmitted from different parts. In the temple of Vulcan, near mount Etna, there are said to have been a breed of dogs, which fawned upon good men, but were implacable to the bad. 55 Diodorus Siculus de pompâ Isiacâ. l. 1. p. 78. Inde etiam perpetuus ignis a Siculis alebatur in Ætnæo Vulcani templo, cui custodes adhibiti sunt sacri canes, blandientes piis hominibus, in impios ferocientes. In the celebrated gardens of Electra there was a golden dog, which shewed the same regard to good men, and was as inveterate to others. 57 Χρύσεος οιδαίνοντι κυων συνυλακτες λαιμῳ Σαινων ηθαδα φωτα. What is more remarkable, there were many gaping dogs in this temple; which are represented as so many statues, yet were endowed with life. 58 Χασμασι ποιητοισι σεσηροτες αιθεριωνες Homer describes something of the same nature in the gardens of Alcinous, 36 Huetius. Præp. Evang. p. 86. from Cornutus de natură Deorum. A like history is given of serpents in Syria by Aristotle, wip θαυμασίων ακεσμάτων : and by Pliny and Isidorus, of birds in the islands of Diomedes. 59 Χρυσείοι δ' εκάτερθε και αργύρεοι κυνες ησαν, Αθανατος οντας, και αγηρως ηματα παντα. All this relates to the Cusean priests of Vulcan or Hephaistos, and to the priesthood established in his temple: which priesthood was kept up by succession, and never became extinct. What was Cusean, the Greeks often rendered Xpurov, as I shall hereafter shew. The same people were also styled Cuthim; and this word likewise among the antients signified gold: from hence these priests were styled Χρυσειοί κυνες. We find the like history in Crete here too was a golden dog, which Zeus had appointed to be the guardian of his temple. By comparing these histories, I think we cannot fail of arriving at the latent meaning. The God of light among other titles was styled Cahen, or Chan-Ades: but the term being taken in the same acceptation here, as in the instances above, the Deity was changed to a dog, and said to reside in the infernal regions. From hence he was supposed to have been dragged to light by 59 Homer. Odyss. 1. 8. v. 92. 60 Τον Κύνα τον χρυσεον απέδειξεν (ὁ Ζευς) φυλάττειν το ίερον εν Kern. Antoninus Liberalis. c, 35. p. 180, Hercules of Thebes. The notion both of Cerberus and Hades being subterraneous Deities took its rise from the temples of old being situated near vast caverns, which were esteemed passages to the realms below. Such were in Messenia, in Argolis, in Bithynia, and at Enna in Sicily; not to mention divers other places. These temples were often named Kir-Abor; and the Deity ChanAdes; out of which terms the Greeks formed Tov Keebegov nuva ade; and fabled, that he was. forced into upper air by Hercules, through these infernal inlets. And as temples similar in name and situation were built in various parts, the like history was told of them all. Pausanias takes notice of this event, among other places, being ascribed to the cavern at " Tænarus; as well as to one at Træezen, and to a third near the city Hermione. The Poet Dionysius speaks of the feat being performed in the country of the Marianduni, near Colchis. 64 62 61 * Και Μαριανδυνων ἱερον πεδον, ενθ' ενέπεσιν Dionys. Пginys. v. 791. This temple stood, according to Χερσιν ανελκόμενον μεγαλήτορος Ἡρακληος, Δεινον απο δομάτων βαλέειν σιαλώδια χυλόν. But however the Deity in all these intances may have been degraded to the regions of darkness, yet he was the God of light, Kuv-dns; and such was the purport of that name. He was the same as Apollo, as may be proved from the Cunida at Athens, who were a family set apart for his service. Κυννίδαι, γενος Αθήνησιν, εξ ου ὁ ἱερεύς τε Κυνικ Απολλωνος. Hesychius. The Cunnidai are a family at Athens, out of which the priest of Apollo Cunnius is chosen. He styles him Apollo Cunnius: but the Cunidai were more properly denominated from Apollo Cunides; the same as Cun-Ades. Poseidon was expressly styled Cun-Ades; and he was the same Deity as Apolló, only under a different title, as I have shewn. Kuvadns Пoreidwr AOnΠοσείδων Αθη ow STIμATO. Hesychius. Poseidon was worshipped at Athens under the title of Cun-Ades. Though I have endeavoured to shew, that the term of which I have been treating was greatly misapplied, in being so uniformly referred to dogs, yet I do not mean to insinuate that it did not Diodorus Siculus and Arrian, in the country of the Cimmerians, near the Acherusian Chersonese, See Scholia to Dionysius |