All these histories relate to sacred inclosures; and to the worship of the serpent, and rites of fire, which were practised within them. Such an inclosure was by the Greeks styled [[322]]τεμενος, and the mound or high place ταφος and τυμβος; which had often a tower upon it, esteemed a sanctuary and asylum. Lycophron makes Cassandra say of Diomedes, [[323]]ΤYΜΒΟΣ δ' αυτον εκσωσει: the temple, to which he shall fly, shall save him. In process of time both the word τυμβος, as well as ταφος, were no longer taken in their original sense; but supposed uniformly to have been places of sepulture. This has turned many temples into tombs: and the Deities, to whom they were sacred, have been represented as there buried. There was an Orphic Dracontium at Lesbos; where a serpent was supposed to have been going to devour the remains of Orpheus: and this temple being of old styled Petra, it was fabled of the serpent, that he was turned into stone.
[[324]] Hic ferus expositum peregrinis anguis arenis
Os petit, et sparsos stillanti rore capillos.
Tandem Phœbus adest: morsusque inferre parantem
Arcet; et in lapidem rictus serpentis apertos
Congelat; et patulos, ut erant, indurat hiatus.
All the poetical accounts of heroes engaging with dragons have arisen from a misconception about these towers and temples; which those persons either founded, or else took in war. Or, if they were Deities of whom the story is told, these buildings were erected to their honour. But the Greeks made no distinction. They were fond of heroism; and interpreted every antient history according to their own prejudices: and in the most simple narrative could find out a martial achievement. No colony could settle any where, and build an Ophite temple, but there was supposed to have been a contention between a hero and a dragon. Cadmus, as I have shewn, was described in conflict with such an one near Thebes, whose teeth he sowed in the earth:
[[325]]οδοντας
Αονιοιο δρακοντος, ὁν ωγυγιῃ ενι Θηβῃ
Καδμος, ὁτ' Ευρωπην διζημενος εισαφικανε,