[[731]]Οντως μεσον ομφαλον γας
Φοιβου κατεχει δομος.
Livy, the historian, does not scruple to accede to this notion, and to call it [[732]]umbilicum orbis terrarum. Strabo speaks of it in this light, but with some hesitation. [[733]]Της Ἑλλαδος εν μεσῳ ΠΩΣ εστι της συμπασης—ΕΝΟΜΙΣΘΗ δη και οικουμενης· και εκαλεσαν της γης ΟΜΦΑΛΟΝ. Varro very sensibly refutes this idle notion in some [[734]]strictures upon a passage in the poet Manilius to the purpose above.
O, sancte Apollo,
Qui umbilicum certum terrarum obtines.
Upon which he makes this remark: Umbilicum dictum aiunt ab umbilico nostro, quod is medius locus sit terrarum, ut umbilicus in nobis: quod utrumque est falsum. Neque hic locus terrarum est medius; neque noster umbilicus est hominis medius. Epimenides long before had said the same:
[[735]]Ουτε γαρ ην γαιης μεσος ομφαλος, ουδε θαλασσης.
But supposing that this name and character had some relation to Delphi, how are we to account for other places being called after this manner? They could not all be umbilical: the earth cannot be supposed to have different centres: nor could the places thus named be always so situated, as to be central in respect to the nation, or the province in which they were included. Writers try to make it out this way: yet they do not seem satisfied with the process. The contradictory accounts shew the absurdity of the notion. It was a term borrowed from Egypt, which was itself an Omphalian region. Horus Apollo not knowing the meaning of this has made Egypt the centre of the earth: [[736]]Αιγυπτων γη μεση της οικουμενης. Pausanias mentions an Omphalus in the Peloponnesus, which was said to have been the middle of that country. He seems however to doubt of this circumstance, as he well may[[737]]. Ου πορρω δε εστιν ὁ καλουμενος Ομφαλος, Πελοποννησου δε πασης μεσον, ει δη τα οντα ειρηκασι. At no great distance is a place called the Omphalus, or navel; which is the centre of the whole Peloponnesus, if the people here tell us the truth. At Enna in [[738]]Sicily was an Omphalus: and the island of Calypso is represented by Homer as the umbilicus of the sea. The Goddess resided—[[739]]Νησῳ εν αμφιρυτῃ ὁθι τ' ομφαλος εστι θαλασσης. The Ætolians were styled umbilical; and looked upon themselves as the central people in Greece, like those of Delphi. But this notion was void of all truth in every instance which has been produced: and arose from a wrong interpretation of antient terms. What the Grecians styled Omphalus was certainly Ompha-El, the same as Al-Ompha; and related to the oracle of Ham or the Sun: and these temples were Prutaneia, and Puratheia, with a tumulus or high altar, where the rites of fire were in antient times performed. As a proof of this etymology most of the places styled Olympian, or Omphalian, will be found to have a reference to an oracle. Epirus was celebrated for the oracle at Dodona: and we learn from the antient poet, Reianus, that the natives were of old called Omphalians:
[[740]]Συν τε Παραυαιοι, και αμυμονες Ομφαλιηεις.
There was an Omphalia in Elis; and here too was an oracle mentioned by [[741]]Pindar and Strabo: [[742]]Την δε επιφανειαν εσχεν (ἡ Ολυμπια) εξ αρχης δια το μαντειον του Ολυμπιου Διος. The place derived all its lustre originally from the oracular temple of Olympian Jove. In this province was an antient city [[743]]Alphira; and a grove of Artemis [[744]]Alpheionia, and the whole was watered by the sacred river Alpheus. All these are derived from El, the prophetic Deity, the Sun; and more immediately from his oracle, Alphi. The Greeks deduced every place from some personage: and Plutarch accordingly makes Alpheus[[745]]—Ἑις των το γενος αφ' ἡλιου καταγοντων, one of those who derived their race from the Sun. The term Alphi, from whence the Greeks formed Alphira, Alpheionia, and Alpheüs, is in acceptation the same as Amphi. For Ham being by his posterity esteemed the Sun, or El; and likewise Or, the same as Orus; his oracles were in consequence styled not only Amphi, and Omphi, but Alphi, Elphi, Orphi, Urphi.