Δερτρον εσω δυνοντες, ὁδ' ουκ απαμυνετο χερσι.
The same story is told of Prometheus, who is said to have been exposed upon Mount Caucasus, near Colchis; with this variation, that an eagle is placed over him, preying upon his heart. These strange histories are undoubtedly taken from the symbols and devices which were carved upon the front of the antient Amonian temples; and especially those of Egypt. The eagle and the vulture were the insignia of that country: whence it was called Ai-Gupt, and [[309]]Aetia, from Ait and Gupt, which signified an eagle and vulture. Ait was properly a title of the Deity, and signified heat: and the heart, the centre of vital heat, was among the Egyptians styled [[310]]Ait: hence we are told by [[311]]Orus Apollo, that a heart over burning coals was an emblem of Egypt. The Amonians dealt much in hieroglyphical representations. Nonnus mentions one of this sort, which seems to have been a curious emblem of the Sun. It was engraved upon a jasper, and worn for a bracelet. Two serpents entwined together, with their heads different ways, were depicted in a semicircular manner round the extreme part of the gem. At the top between their heads was an eagle; and beneath a sacred carriage, called Cemus.
[[312]]Αιετος εν χρυσειος, ἁτε πλατυν ηερα τεμνων,
Ορθος, εχιδναιων διδυμων μεσσηγυ καρηνων,
Ὑψιφανης πτερυγων πισυρων τετραζυγι κημῳ.
Τῃ μεν ξανθος ιασπις επετρεχε.
The history of Tityus, Prometheus, and many other poetical personages, was certainly taken from hieroglyphics misunderstood, and badly explained. Prometheus was worshipped by the Colchians as a Deity; and had a temple and high place, called [[313]]Πετρα Τυφαονια, upon Mount Caucasus: and the device upon the portal was Egyptian, an eagle over a heart. The magnitude of these personages was taken from the extent of the temple inclosures. The words, per tota novem cui jugera corpus Porrigitur, relate to a garden of so many acres. There were many such inclosures, as I have before taken notice: some of them were beautifully planted, and ornamented with pavilions and fountains, and called Paradisi. One of this sort stood in Syria upon the river [[314]]Typhon, called afterwards Orontes. Places of this nature are alluded to under the description of the gardens of the Hesperides, and Alcinous; and the gardens of Adonis. Such were those at Phaneas in Palestine; and those beautiful gardens of Daphne upon the Orontes above mentioned; and in the shady parts of Mount Libanus. Those of Daphne are described by Strabo, who mentions, [[315]]Μεγα τε και συνηρεφες αλσος, διαῤῥεομενον πηγαιοις ὑδασιν· εν μεσῳ δε Ασυλον τεμενος, και νεως Απολλωνοι και Αρτεμιδος. There was a fine wide extended grove, which sheltered the whole place; and which was watered with numberless fountains. In the centre of the whole was a sanctuary and asylum, sacred to Artemis and Apollo. The Groves of Daphne upon the mountains Heræi in Sicily, and the garden and temple at bottom were very noble; and are finely described by [[316]]Diodorus.
I have taken notice that the word δρακων, draco, was a mistake for Tarchon, Ταρχων: which was sometimes expressed Τραχων; as is observable in the Trachones at Damascus. When the Greeks understood that in these temples people worshipped a serpent Deity, they concluded that Trachon was a serpent: and hence came the name of Draco to be appropriated to such an animal. For the Draco was an imaginary being, however afterwards accepted and understood. This is manifest from Servius, who distributes the serpentine species into three tribes; and confines the Draco solely to temples: [[317]]Angues aquarum sunt, serpentes terrarum, Dracones templorum. That the notion of such animals took its rise from the temples of the Syrians and Egyptians, and especially from the Trachones, Τραχωνες, at Damascus, seems highly probable from the accounts above: and it may be rendered still more apparent from Damasenus, a supposed hero, who took his name from the city Damasene, or Damascus. He is represented as an earthborn giant, who encountered two dragons: [[318]]Και χθονος απλετον ὑια, δρακοντοφονον Δαμασηνα. One of the monsters, with which he fought, is described of an enormous size, πεντηκονταπελεθρος Οφις, a serpent in extent of fifty acres: which certainly, as I have before insinuated, must have a reference to the grove and garden, wherein such Ophite temple stood at Damascus. For the general measurement of all these wonderful beings by [[319]]jugera or acres proves that such an estimate could not relate to any thing of solid contents; but to an inclosure of that superficies. Of the same nature as these was the gigantic personage, supposed, to have been seen at Gades by Cleon Magnesius. He made, it seems, no doubt of Tityus and other such monsters having existed. For being at Gades, he was ordered to go upon a certain expedition by Hercules: and upon his return to the island, he saw upon the shore a huge sea-man, who had been thunderstruck, and lay extended upon the ground: [[320]]τουτον πλεθρα μεν πεντε μαλιστα επεχειν; and his dimensions were not less than five acres. So Typhon, Caanthus, Orion, are said to have been killed by lightning. Orpheus too, who by some is said to have been torn to pieces by the Thracian women, by others is represented as slain by the bolt of Jupiter: and his epitaph imports as much.
[[321]]Θρηϊκα χρυσολυρην τηδ' Ορφεα Μουσαι εθαψαν,
Ὁν κτανεν ὑψιμεδων Ζευς ψολοεντι βελει.