Some of the pyramids in Egypt were styled the pyramids of the shepherd [[1245]]Philitis; and were said to have been built by people, whom the Egyptians held in abomination: from whence we may form a judgment of the persons, by whom those edifices were erected. Many hills, and places of reputed sanctity were denominated from shepherds. Caucasus, in the vicinity of Colchis, had its name conferred by Jupiter in memory of Caucasus a shepherd. [[1246]]Το ορος εις τιμην του Ποιμενος Καυκασον μετονομασας. Mount Cithæron in Bœotia was called Asterius; but received the former name from one Cithæron, a [[1247]]shepherd, supposed to have been there slain. I have mentioned from Herodotus, that the Cadmians built the temple of [[1248]]Damater, or Ceres, in Attica, where they introduced her worship. And there is a remarkable circumstance mentioned in consequence of this by Hesychius, who tells us, that the priests of this Goddess were of a particular family, called Ποιμενιδαι, or the Shepherd race. Ποιμενιδαι, γενος, εξ ὁυ ὁ Δημητρος ἱερευς. The Cadmians therefore, from whom this priesthood came, must have been in a peculiar manner shepherds. The mountain Apæsantus in Argolis is said to have been named from [[1249]]Apæsantus, a shepherd. The Cuthites settled in Thrace near Hæmus, in Sethonia; of whom Stephanus gives this short but remarkable history: εκαλουντο προτερον Νομαιοι. The author does not say, that they were shepherds; but that they antiently were so called: so that it was not so much the profession, as the title of the people. They settled in Hetruria, and Latium; in which last province stood the city Præneste, of which I have before spoken. It was said to have been of high antiquity, and was founded by Cœculus,
[[1250]]Vulcano genitum pecora inter agrestia Regem,
Inventumque focis, omnis quem credidit ætas.
We find here, that the founder of this city was a shepherd, and a king, and the reputed son of Vulcan, the same as Urius. It is said of him, that he was, inventum focis, because he was ab origine from the land of fire; by which is meant Ur of Chaldea. So the personage, represented under the character of Cacus upon Mount Aventine, is by Livy said to have been a shepherd. [[1251]]Pastor accola ejus loci, nomine Cacus, ferox viribus. He likewise is said to have been the son of the God of Fire: [[1252]]Huic monstro Vulcanus erat pater. The first city which the Cadmians built in Bœotia was named [[1253]]Poimandris; or as Eustathius renders it Poimandria, [[1254]]Ποιμανδρια; the same which was afterwards called Tanagra. It is said to have been so denominated from one Poimander. This name is by interpretation a shepherd, or rather a shepherd of men. It answers to the title of Ποιμην λαου, so frequently to be met with in Homer. That excellent Poet was wonderfully fond of every thing, which savoured of antiquity: and has continual references to the antient history of Egypt, and to the rites of that country. He sometimes seems to adhere superstitiously to obsolete terms, thinking probably, that they enriched his verse, and gave a venerable air to the narration. Of these, no one occurs more frequently than the title of a shepherd Prince, which he bestows on many of his leaders. It is the translation of a title, which the sons of Chus, as well as the Egyptians, gave to their Deities, and to their kings. Hence the writings of Hermes were inscribed the works of the Shepherd Prince, as we may infer from the Greek transcript: for that was written in imitation of the former, and called [[1255]]Poimandras.
Thus have I endeavoured to state the progress of the Cuthites under their different appellations to Greece; and to describe the rout which they took in their peregrinations, I have shewn, that under the title of Phenicians and Cadmians, they first settled in Canaan, and in the region about Tyre and Sidon: from whence they extended themselves towards the midland parts of Syria; where they built Antioch. [[1256]]Κασος, και Βηλος, Ιναχου παιδες, προς τῳ Οροντῃ ποταμῳ την νυν Αντιοχειαν της Συριας πολιν εκτισαν. Casus, and Belus, two sons of Inachus, built the city in Syria, which is now called Antioch upon the river Orontes. By Casus is meant Chus; and Belus is a Babylonish title of Ham, as well as of his immediate descendants, who are here alluded to. From Syria they penetrated to the Euphrates, and from thence to Armenia: and that there were colonies here of Amonians, and particularly of the Cuthites, may be known from the history of Cadmus: but more especially from the similitude of language, person, and manners, which subsisted among these [[1257]]nations. Zonaras is very explicit upon this head. He mentions the incroachments of the sons of Ham in these parts, and shews the extent of the trespass, of which they were guilty. [[1258]]Ὁιδε γε παιδες του Χαμ την απο Συριας και Αβανου και Λιβανου των ορων γην κατεσχον, και ὁσα προς θαλασσαν αυτων ετετραπτο, μεχρις ωκεανου, κατειληφασι. In respect to the sons of Ham, they seized upon all the inland country, which reaches from Syria, and particularly from the mountains Albanus, and Libanus: and all the region, which from thence extends towards the sea, even as far as the Ocean. Of these emigrants Tacitus has given a curious account, which has never been sufficiently heeded. He takes notice of those who settled in Canaan, as well as those who passed higher towards the north. [[1259]]Sunt, qui tradant Assyrios convenas, indigum agrorum populum, parte Ægypti potitos, ac mox [[1260]]proprias urbes, Hebræasque terras, et propiora Syriæ coluisse. As the Cadmians settled about Byblus and Sidon, there seems in consequence of it to have been a religious correspondence kept up between this colony and Egypt. It is said according to the enigmatical turn of the times, that the head of Osiris was annually wafted by the floods to [[1261]]Byblus. It was reported to have been just seven days in its passage; and the whole was performed θειῃ ναυτιλιῃ, by a voyage truly miraculous. There are many proofs that the religion of Syria came in great measure from Egypt. The rites of Adonis, and the lamentations upon his account at Sidon, and Byblus, were copies of the mourning for Osiris, and represented in the same [[1262]]manner. Lucian, having described the pompous temple at Hierapolis, says, that there was another in the neighbourhood, not of Assyrian, but Egyptian original; the rites of which were received by the natives from Heliopolis in that [[1263]]country. This he did not see: but speaks of it as very grand, and of high antiquity.
These particulars I have thought proper to discuss thoroughly, in order to disclose the true history of the Cadmians, as I am hereby enabled to prove the great antiquity of this people; and to shew who they were, and from whence they came. It has been observed by many of the learned, that some particular race of men spread themselves abroad, and got access among numberless nations. Some have thought that they were Scythians: others, that they were Egyptians: others still, that they were from Phenicia, and Canaan. What they have said upon the subject, however they may seem to differ from one another, may in some degree be allowed. But I believe, that the true account is that which I have here given. I have endeavoured, with great pains, to sift the history to the bottom: and it is to me manifest, that they were for the most part the Auritæ, those shepherds of Egypt. This people had spread themselves over that country like a deluge: but were in time forced to retreat, and to betake themselves to other parts. In consequence of this they were dissipated over regions far remote. They were probably joined by others of their family, as well as by the Canaanites, and the Caphtorim of Palestina. They are to be met with in Persis, and Gedrosia, under the name of Oritæ. They are to be found in Bœtica upon the Atlantic under the same [[1264]]name. They settled in Colchis, Thrace, Phrygia, Sicily, and Hetruria; and upon the extreme parts of the Mediterranean: Diluvio ex illo tot vasta per æquora vecti.
These are the migrations, of which the antient historian [[1265]]Istrus wrote in a curious treatise, long since lost; which he inscribed περι των Αιγυπτιων αποικιας. We meet with a summary account of them in Diodorus Siculus, who mentions, that after the death of Isis and Osiris the Egyptians sent out many colonies, which were scattered over the face of the earth. [[1266]]Ὁ δε ουν Αιγυπτιοι φασι και μετα ταυτα αποικιας πλειστας εξ Αιγυπτου κατα πασαν διασπαρηναι την οικουμενην. Of these migrations there were two remarkable above the rest: the one of the sons of Chus, concerning whom I have been treating; the other of the Israelites, which was somewhat later than the former. The author above takes notice of both these occurrences, in a most valuable extract preserved by Photius; wherein he does not sufficiently distinguish the particular families of these emigrants, nor the different times of the migration: yet the account is very curious; and the history of each transaction plainly delineated. [[1267]]Ευθυς ουν ὁι ξενολατουμενων των αλλοεθνων ὁι επιφανεστατοι, και δραστικωτατοι συστραφεντες εξεῤῥιφησαν, ὡς τινες φασιν, εις την Ἑλλαδα, και τινας ἑτερους τοπους, εχοντες αξιολογους ἡγεμονας· ὡν ἡγουντο Δαναος, και Καδμος, των αλλων επιφανεστατοι. Ὁδε πολυς λεως εξεπεσεν εις την νυν καλουμενην Ιουδαιαν. Upon this, as some writers tell us, the most eminent and enterprising of those foreigners, who were in Egypt, and obliged to leave the country, betook themselves to the coast of Greece, and also to other regions, having put themselves under the command of proper leaders for that purpose. Some of them were conducted by Danaus, and Cadmus, who were the most illustrious of the whole. There were beside these a large, but less noble, body of people, who retired into the province called now [[1268]]Judea.
When therefore we speak of the history of Greece as far back as we can carry it, and of the rites and religion introduced into that country, we may accede to the account given of them by Zonaras. [[1269]]Εκ Χαλδαιων γαρ λεγεται φοιτησαι ταυτα προς Αιγυπτον κακειθεν προς Ἑλληνας. All these things came from Chaldea to Egypt; and from thence were derived to the Greeks. The same is attested by [[1270]]Josephus. What preceded the arrival of the Cadmians, and other Cuthites, in these parts, is utterly unknown. With them commences the history of the country. It is true, there are accounts concerning Erectheus, Ericthonius, Cecrops, and other antient kings: but they were superadded to the history of Attica, just as the names of Inachus, Phoroneus, Apis, were to that of Argos. It was therefore matter of great surprise to Solon, when he was informed by the Egyptian priests of the antient occurrences of their country, and of the wars of the Atlantians, to find the same names stand at the head of their histories, as were observable in those of Greece: [[1271]]Κεκροπος τε, και Ερεχθεως, και Εριχθονιου, και Ερισιχθονος, των τε αλλων. For instance, the names of Cecrops, Erectheus, Ericthonius, Erisicthon, and others. Και τα των Γυναικων και ταυτα. The names also of their women were the same. In reality, they were all titles of the Deity, as might be easily shewn. Erectheus for instance was the God of the sea, and as such worshipped by the very people who enlisted him among their kings. This may be proved from Athenagoras. [[1272]]Αθηναιος Ερεχθει Ποσειδωνι θυει. The Athenian sacrifices to Erectheus the same as Poseidon. Strabo seems to think, that most of the antient names were foreign; [[1273]]such as Cecrops, and Codrus, and Arclus, and Cothus: and he is certainly right in his opinion.
What I have here said, may in some degree prove a basis for the history of Greece. We may indeed talk of Xuthus, Ion, and Hellen: also of the Leleges, and Pelasgi, and thus amuse ourselves in the dark: but no real emolument can possibly arise, till the cloud, with which history has been so long obscured, be done away. This cannot well be effected, till some of the first principles, upon which we are to proceed, be made out, and these great truths determined.
This inquisition I have been obliged to make concerning some of the principal personages in the annals of Greece. For it is impossible to lay a foundation for a future history unless what is true, and what is false, be previously determined. All those, of whom I have been treating, stand foremost in the lists of antiquity, and have been admitted with too little consideration. Many of the first Fathers in the Christian church, seeing the high pretensions of the Grecians, tried to invalidate their claim, by shewing that all their antient heroes were subsequent to Moses. This was the repeated labour of Clemens of Alexandria, Theophilus, Eusebius, Tatianus, and others. It was a point urged by them continually in their recommendation of the Scriptures, as if priority of time were necessarily a mark of truth. The best chronologers likewise admit these personages in their computations; and great pains have been used to reconcile the contradictions in their histories, and to ascertain the æra when they flourished. These learned men acted upon a very laudable principle, but failed in the very beginning of their process. For, as I have before taken notice, the question should not have been about the time when these persons lived, but whether they ever existed. The fathers proceeded upon very precarious grounds, and brought their evidence to a wrong test. They indeed state things very fairly, and have authorities for all that they advance. But the traditions of the Greeks were not uniform. And if any Gentile writer, instead of carrying the æra of Inachus and Phoroneus, or of Dionusus and Perseus, towards the time of Moses, had extended it to the times of the first kings in Egypt, I do not see what they could have done; for this person, in his turn, could have produced authorities. They might indeed have disputed the point, and have opposed evidence to evidence, but nothing certain could have ensued.