The first of them is said to have been coeval with the world.
[[1112]]Πρωτην κυρβιν οπωπεν ατερμονος ἡλικα κοσμου,
Ειν ἑνι παντα φερουσαν, ὁσα σκηπτουχος Οφιων
Ηνυσεν.
From hence we find, that Hermon, or Harmonia, was a Deity, to whom the first writing is ascribed. The same is said of Hermes. [[1113]]Ἑρμης λεγεται Θεων εν Αιγυπτῳ γραμματα πρωτος ἑυρειν. The invention is also attributed to Taut, or Thoth. [[1114]]Πρωτος εστι Τααυτος, ὁ των γραμματων την ἑυρεσιν επινοησας,—ὁν Αιγυπτιοι μεν εκαλεσαν Θωυθ, Αλεξανδρεις δε Θωθ, Ἑρμην δε Ἑλληνες μετεφρασαν. Cadmus is said not only to have brought letters into Greece, but to have been the inventor of them: from whence we may fairly conclude, that under the characters of Hermon, Hermes, Taut, Thoth, and Cadmus, one person is alluded to. The Deity called by the Greeks Harmonia, was introduced among the Canaanites very early by people from Egypt: and was worshipped in Sidon, and the adjacent country, by the name of [[1115]]Baal Hermon.
Europa likewise was a Deity; according to Lucian the same as Astarte, who was worshipped at Hierapolis in Syria. He visited the temple, and had this information from the priests: [[1116]]ὡς δε μοι τις των Ἱρεων απηγετο, Ευρωπης εστι (το αγαλμα) της Καδμου αδελφεης. He is speaking of the statue in the temple, which the priests told him belonged to a Goddess, the same as Europa, the sister of Cadmus. She was also esteemed the same as Rhea; which Rhea we know was the reputed mother of the gods, and particularly the mother of Jupiter.
[[1117]]Εστ' αν Ῥεια τεκοι παιδα Κρονῳ εν φιλοτητι.
Pindar speaks of Europa, as the [[1118]]daughter of Tityus: and by Herodotus she is made the mother of [[1119]]Sarpedon and Minos.
I have mentioned, that Cadmus was the same as the Egyptian Thoth; and it is manifest from his being Hermes, and from the invention of letters being attributed to him. Similar to the account given of Cadmus is the history of a personage called by the Greeks Caanthus; this history contains an epitome of the voyage undertaken by Cadmus, though with some small variation. Caanthus is said to have been the son of Oceanus; which in the language of Egypt is the same as the son of Ogus, and Oguges; a different name for the same [[1120]]person. Ogus, and with the reduplication Ogugus, was the same as Ogyges, in whose time the flood was supposed to have happened. Ogyges is represented both as a king of Thebes in Egypt, and of Thebes in Bœotia: and in his time Cadmus is said to have left the former country, and to have come to the latter, being sent in quest of his sister Europa by his father. Caanthus was sent by his father with a like commission. His sister Melia had been stolen away; and he was ordered to search every country, till he found her. He accordingly traversed many seas, and at last lauded in Greece, and passed into Bœotia. Here he found, that his sister was detained by Apollo in the grove of Ismenus. There was a fountain [[1121]]of the same name near the grove, which was guarded by a dragon. Caanthus is said to have cast fire into this sacred recess; on which account he was slain by Apollo. His ταφος, or tomb, was in aftertimes shewn by the Thebans. We may perceive, that the main part of this relation agrees with that of Cadmus. Melie, the sister of Caanthus, is by some spoken of as the mother of [[1122]]Europa: which shews, that there is a correspondence between the two histories. The person also, who sent these two adventurers, the sister, of whom they went in quest, and the precise place, to which they both came, exhibit a series of circumstances so similar, that we need not doubt, but that it is one and the same history. It is said, that Caanthus threw fire into the sacred [[1123]]grove: which legend, however misconstrued, relates to the first establishment of fire-worship at Thebes in the grove of Apollo Ismenius. The term Ismenius is compounded of Is-Men, ignis Menis. Meen, Menes, Manes, was one of the most antient titles of the Egyptian God Osiris, the same as Apollo, and Caanthus. What has been mentioned about Cadmus and Caanthus, is repeated under the character of a person named Curnus; who is said to have been sent by his father Inachus in search of his sister [[1124]]Io. Inachus, Oceanus, Ogugus, and Agenor, are all the same personages under different names; and the histories are all the same.
That Cadmus was of old esteemed a Deity may be farther proved from his being worshipped at Gortyna in Crete, as we learn from [[1125]]Solinus. Iidem Gortynii et Cadmum colunt, Europæ fratrem. He had moreover an Heroum at Sparta, which was erected by people styled the sons of [[1126]]Huræus. We learn from Palæphatus, that according to some of the antient mythologists, Cadmus was the person, who slew the serpent [[1127]]at Lerna. And according to Nonnus he contended with the giant Typhasus, and restored to Jupiter his lost [[1128]]thunder. By this is meant, that he renewed the rites, and worship of the Deity, which had been abolished. These are circumstances, which sufficiently shew, that Cadmus was a different personage, from what he is generally imagined. There was a hill in Phrygia of his name, and probably sacred to him; in which were the fountains of the river [[1129]]Lycus. There was also a river Cadmus, which rose in the same mountain, and was lost underground. It soon afterwards burst forth again, and joined the principal stream. Mountains and rivers were not denominated from ordinary personages. In short Cadmus was the same as Hermes, Thoth, and Osiris: under which characters more than one person is alluded to, for all theology of the antients is of a mixed nature. He may principally be esteemed Ham, who by his posterity was looked up to as the Sun, and worshipped under his titles: a circumstance, however, which was common to all, who were styled Baalim. That he was the same as Ham, will appear from the etymology of his name. I have before shewn, that the Sun was styled [[1130]]Achad, Achon, and Achor: and the name, of which we are treating, is a compound of [[1131]]Achad-Ham, rendered by the Greeks Acadamus and Academus, and contracted Cadmus. Many learned men have thought, that the place at Athens called Academia was founded by Cadmus, and denominated from him: and of the latter circumstance I make no doubt. [[1132]]Ab hoc Cadmo Eruditi Academiam, quasi Cadmiam deducunt: quo nomine indigitari locum musis studiisque sacratum notissimum est. The true name of Cadmus, according to this supposition, must have been, as I have represented, Acadamus; or, as the Ionians expressed it, Academus, to have Academia formed from it. Herodotus informs us, that, when the Cadmians came to Attica, they introduced a new system of [[1133]]Architecture; and built temples in a style different from that to which the natives had been used. And he describes these buildings as erected at some distance from those of the country. This was the situation of the place called Academia, which stood at the distance of a few furlongs from [[1134]]Athens. It was a place of exercise and science; and by all accounts finely disposed: being planted with a variety of trees, but particularly Olives, called here (Μοριαι) Moriæ. There were likewise springs, and baths for the convenience of those who here took their exercise. The tradition among the Athenians was, that one Ecademus, or Academus, founded it in antient times; from whom it received its name. Laërtius styles him the hero Ecademus: [[1135]]Απο τινος Ἡρωος ωνομασθη Εκαδημου. And Suidas to the same purpose; Απο Εκαδημου τινος Ἡρωος ονομασθεν. But Eupolis, the comic writer, who was far prior, speaks of him as a Deity: [[1136]]Εν ευσκιοις δρυμοισιν Ακαδημου Θεου. The trees, which grew within the precincts, were looked upon as very sacred, [[1137]]οντως ἱεραι, and the place itself in antient times was of so great sanctity, that it was a profanation to laugh there; [[1138]]προτερον εν Ακαδημιᾳ μηδε γελασαι εξουσιαν ειναι.