Pl. IV. The Ship of Isis Biprora with an Ark.
Ship of Isis and Image. From Pocock's Account of Egypt. Pl. XLII.
From the shrines of Amon abovementioned we may derive the history of all oracles; which, from the Deity by whom they were supposed to be uttered, were called Omphi and Amphi, as I have shewn: also, Alphi, Elphi, Orphi, Urphi, from El, and Orus. The Greeks adhered religiously to antient terms, however obsolete and unintelligible. They retained the name of Amphi, though they knew not the meaning: for it was antiquated before they had letters. That it originally related to oracular revelation is plain from its being always found annexed to the names of places famous on that account; and from its occurring in the names of men, renowned as priests and augurs, and supposed to have been gifted with a degree of foreknowledge. We read of Amphiaraus, Amphilocus, Amphimachus, persons represented as under particular divine influence, and interpreters of the will of the Gods. Amphion, though degraded to a harper, was Amphi-On, the oracle of Apollo, the Sun: and there was a temple, one of the antient ὑπαιθρα, dedicated to him and Zethus, as we may read in Pausanias. Mopsus, the diviner, is styled Αμπυκιδης, Ampucides; which is not a patronymic, but a title of the oracular Deity.
[[765]]Ενθα και Αμπυκιδην αυτῳ ενι ηματι Μοψον
Νηλειης ἑλε ποτμος· αδευκεα δ' ου φυγεν αισαν
Μαντοσυναις· ου γαρ τις αποτροπιη θανατοιο.
Idmon, the reputed son of Abas, was a prophet, as well as Mopsus: he was favoured with the divine Omphe, and, like the former, styled Ampucides.
[[766]]Ενθα μεν αισα παρεσχε καταφθισθαι δυο φωτας,