We may perceive, from what has been said, that the word Amphi was a term of long standing, the sense of which was no longer understood: yet the sound was retained by the Greeks, and used for a customary exclamation. In respect to the more antient exordia above quoted, especially that of Terpander, I take the words to be an imitation, rather than a translation, of a hymn sung at Delphi in the antient Amonian language; the sound of which has been copied, rather than the sense, and adapted to modern terms of a different meaning. I make no doubt but that there were many antient hymns preserved in those oracular temples, which were for a long time retained, and sung, when their meaning was very imperfectly known. They were, for the most part, composed in praise of Ham, or the Sun; and were sung by the Homeridæ, and Iämidæ. They were called after his titles, Ad, Athyr, Amphi, which the Grecians expressed Dithyrambi. They were strains of joy and exultation, attended with grand processions: and from the same term, dithyrambus, was derived the θριαμβος of the Greeks, and the triumphus of the Romans. We are informed that triumphs were first instituted by [[780]]Bacchus, who was no other than Chus: the history, therefore, of the term must be sought for from among the Cuseans. That it was made up of titles, is plain, from its being said by Varro to have been a [[781]]name; and one that was given by the Amonians among other personages to Dionusus: for they were not in this point uniform. Diodorus takes notice that it was a name, and conferred upon the person spoken of: [[782]]Θριαμβον δε αυτον ωνομασθηναι φασι: They say, that one of the titles given to Dionusus was Thriambus. Ham, in the very antient accounts of Greece, is called Iämus, and his priests Iämidæ. His oracle, in consequence of this, was styled Iämphi, and Iämbi, which was the same term as Amphi, of which we have been treating. From the name Iambi came the measure Ιαμβος, Iambus, in which oracles were of old delivered. Ham, among the Egyptians, was called [[783]]Tithrambo, which is the same name as the Ditherambus of Diodorus. There is a remarkable passage in the Scholia upon Pindar concerning Ham, under the name of Iamus, and also concerning his temple, which is represented as oracular. [[784]] Μαντειον ην εν Ολυμπιᾳ, ὁυ αρχηγος γεγονεν Ιαμος, τῃ δια εμπυρων μαντειᾳ, ἡ και μεχρι του νυν ὁι Ιαμιδαι χρωνται. There was in Olympia an antient temple, esteemed a famous seat of prophecy, in which Iamus is supposed to have first presided; and where the will of the Deity was made manifest by the sacred fire upon the altar: this kind of divination is still carried on by a set of priests, who are called Iamidæ. Ιαμος αρχηγος was in reality the Deity; and his attendants were [[785]]Iamidæ, persons of great power and repute. Εξ ὁυ πολυκλειτον καθ' Ἑλλανος γενος Ιαμιδων. Pindar. Iämus was immortal, and was therefore named αθανατος.
[[786]]Και καταφαμιξεν καλεισθαι μιν
Χρονῳ συμπαντι ματηρ
Αθανατον.
From hence we may be assured, that he was of old the real Deity of the place.
I have mentioned, that in the sacred processions in early times the Deity used to be carried about in a shrine; which circumstance was always attended with shouts, and exclamations, and the whole was accompanied with a great concourse of people. The antient Greeks styled these celebrities the procession of the [[787]]P'omphi, and from hence were derived the words πομπη, and pompa. These originally related to a procession of the oracle: but were afterwards made use of to describe any cavalcade or show. In the time of Herodotus the word seems in some degree to have retained its true meaning, being by him used for the oracular influence. He informs us that Amphilutus was a diviner of Acharnan; and that he came to Pisistratus with a commission from heaven. By this he induced that prince to prosecute a scheme which he recommended. [[788]] Ενταυθα θειῃ πομπῃ χρεωμενος παρισταται Πεισιστρατῳ Αμφιλυτος.—Θειη πομπη is a divine revelation, or commission. Ham was the Hermes of the Egyptians, and his oracle, as I have shewn, was styled Omphi: and when particularly spoken of as the oracle, it was expressed P'omphi, and P'ompi, the πομπη of the Greeks. Hence Hermes had the name of πομπαιος, which was misinterpreted the messenger, and conductor: and the Deity was in consequence of it made the servant of the Gods, and attendant upon the dead. But πομπαιος related properly to divine influence; and πομπη was an oracle. An ox, or cow, was by the Amonians esteemed very sacred, and oracular: Cadmus was accordingly said to have been directed πομπῃ βοος.
[[789]]Ενθα και εννασθη πομπῃ βοος, ἡν ὁι Απολλων
Ωπασε μαντοσυνησι προηγητειραν ὁδοιο.
Many places were from the oracle styled P'ompean: and supposed by the Romans to have been so named from Pompeius Magnus; but they were too numerous, and too remote to have been denominated from him, or any other Roman. There was indeed Pompeiæ in Campania: but even that was of too high antiquity to have received its name from Rome. We read of Pompeiæ among the Pyrenees, Pompion in Athens, Pompelon in Spain, Pompeditha in Babylonia, Pomponiana in Gaul. There were some cities in Cilicia and Cappadocia, to which that Roman gave the name of Pompeipolis: but upon, inquiry they will be found to have been Zeleian cities, which were oracular: go that the Romans only gave a turn to the name in honour of their own countryman, by whom these cities were taken.
Besides the cities styled Pompean, there were pillars named in like manner; which by many have been referred to the same person. But they could not have been built by him, nor were they erected to his memory: as I think we may learn from their history. There are two of this denomination still remaining at a great distance from each other: both which seem to have been raised for a religious purpose. The one stands in Egypt at [[790]]Alexandria; the other at the extreme point of the Thracian Bosporus, where is a communication between the Propontis and the antient Euxine sea. They seem to be of great antiquity, as their basis witnesses at this day: the shaft and superstructure is of later date. The pillar at the Bosporus stands upon one of the Cyanean rocks: and its parts, as we may judge from [[791]]Wheeler, betray a difference in their æra. It was repaired in the time of Augustus: and an inscription was added by the person who erected the column, and who dedicated the whole to that Emperor.