It will not, I think, be amiss to take notice of some of those countries westward, to which Cadmus is said to have betaken himself. From Bœotia he is supposed to have passed to Epirus and Illyria; and it is certain, that the Cadmians settled in many places upon that coast. In Thesprotia was a province of the Athamanes; who were denominated from their Deity Ath-Man, or Ath-Manes. Here were the rivers Acheron, and Cocytus, the lake Acherusia, and the pestiferous pool [[1176]]Aornon Here was the city Acanthus similar to one of the same name about forty miles above [[1177]]Memphis: and a nation of people called [[1178]]Oreitæ: all which have a reference to Egypt. The oracle at Dodona was founded by people from the same country, as we are assured by [[1179]]Herodotus and others. And not only colonies from that country, but people from Canaan must have betaken themselves to these parts, as is evident from names of places. This will appear from the city [[1180]]Phœnice: and from another near Oricum, called Palæste; and from the coast and region styled Palæstina. This was the spot where Cæsar landed, before he marched to Pharsalia. [[1181]]Postridie terram attigit Cerauniorum saxa inter, et alia loca periculosa, quietam nactus stationem. At portus omnes timens, quod teneri ab adversariis arbitrabatur, ad eundem locum, qui adpellatur Palæste, omnibus navibus incolumibus, milites exposuit. Lucan takes notice of the same circumstance, and the coast Palæstina.
[[1182]]Inde rapi cœpere rates, atque æquora classem
Curva sequi; quæ jam, vento fluctuque secundo
Lapsa, Palæstinas uncis confixit arenas.
Here was the haven Comar, or [[1183]]Comarus, near the pool Aornus: and a city [[1184]]Oropus, similar to the Oropus of Syria, and Bœotia. And higher up was a region Europa, styled Europa Scythica by Festus Rufus. It is observable that there was a city in Epirus called [[1185]]Tecmon, similar to one in Canaan, as we may infer from the chief of David's captains being styled the [[1186]]Tecmonite.
Some of this family proceeded to the western part of the Adriatic gulf, and settled upon the Eridanus, or Po. Here were the Orobians, the same as the Oropians, whose chief city was Comus: near which the consul Marcellus overthrew the [[1187]]Galli Insubres. The story of Phaethon, who was supposed to have fallen into the Eridanus, is manifestly of Egyptian original; as the fable of Cycnus is from Canaan. Phaethon is by some represented as the first king, who reigned in [[1188]]Chaonia, and Epirus. He was in reality the same as Osiris, the Sun; whose worship was in there very early, as well as upon the Padus. The names of the Deities in every country are generally prefixed to the list of kings, and mistaken accordingly. Cycnus is supposed to have resided not only in Liguria, but in Ætolia, and Phocis. There was in these parts a lake [[1189]]Conope, from Cycnus called also [[1190]]Cycnëa; which names undoubtedly came from Egypt, and Canaan. The colonies upon the Padus left many memorials of their original; especially those, who were from the Caphtorim of Palestina. Some of them had carried on a great work upon the part of the river, where they settled; which from them was called [[1191]]Fossa Philistina; and Fossiones Philistinæ. Of this I have made mention [[1192]]before.
It is said of Cadmus, that at the close of his life, he was, together with his wife Harmonia, changed to a serpent of stone. This wonderful metamorphosis is supposed to have happened at Encheliæ, a town in Illyria, which circumstance is taken notice of by Lucan.
[[1193]]Tunc qui Dardaniam tenet Oricon, et vagus altis
Dispersus sylvis Athamas, et nomine prisco
Encheliæ, versi testantes funera Cadmi.