ONE of the most antient Deities of the Amonians was named Meed, or Meet; by which was signified divine wisdom. It was rendered by the Grecians Mars in the masculine: but seems to have been a feminine Deity; and represented under the symbol of a beautiful female countenance surrounded with serpents. The author of the Orphic Poetry makes Metis the origin of all 'things which Proclus expresses anv dnpıægyınav αιτιαν : and supposes this personage to be the same as Phanes, and Dionusus, from whom all things 'He makes Metis the same as Athena. H.31. 1.10. In another place Metis is styled rewrOS YETwę. Frag. 6. v. 19. p. 366. 2 Ibid. Fragm. 8. p. 373. proceeded. By Timotheus Chronographus, in his account of the creation, this divinity was described as that vivifying light, which first broke forth upon the infant world, and produced life and motion. His notion is said to have been borrowed from Orpheus: Εφρασε δε (ὁ 3 Ορφευς) ότι το φως ῥηξαν τον αιθερα εφώτισε πασαν την κτισιν ειπων, εκείνο είναι το φως το ρηξαν τον αιθερα το προειρημένον, το ὑπερτατον πάντων, ονομα αυτος Ορφευς ακεσας εκ Μαντειας εξειπε ΜΗΤΙΣ, όπερ ἑρμηνεύεται ΒΟΥΛΗ, ΦΩΣ, ΖΩΟΔΟΤΗΡ. Ειπεν εν τη αυτε εκθέσει ταύτας τας τρεις θειας των ονοματων δυνάμεις μιαν είναι δυναμιν, και εν κρατος τάτων Θεον, ὧν ουδεις όρᾳ. The account is remarkable. Hippa was another Goddess of the like antiquity, and equally obsolete, Some traces however are to be still found in the Orphic verses above-mentioned, by which we may discover her original character and department. She is there represented as the nurse of Dionusus, and seems to have been the same as Cybele, who was worshipped in the mountains of Phrygia, and by the Lydians upon Tmolus. She is said to have been the soul of the world: and the per 6 3 Eusebii. Chron. Log. p. 4. 1. 42. 4 Ιππαν κικλησκω Βακχε τροφον. Hymn. 48. Hymn. 47. v. 4. * Orphic Frag. 43. Η μεν γαρ Ιππα τε παντος στα ψυχη κτλ. Proclus. ibid. p. 401. son who received and fostered Dionusus, when he came from the thigh of his father. This bisn tory relates to his second birth, when he returned to a second state of childhood. Dionusus was the chief God of the Gentile world, and worshipped under various titles; which at length came to be looked upon as different Deities. Most of these secondary Divinities had the title of Hippius, and Hippia and as they had female attendants in their temples, these too had the name of Hippai. What may have been the original of the term Hippa, and Hippus, will be matter of future dis quisition. Thus much is certain, that the Greeks, who were but little acquainted with the purport of their antient theology, uniformly referred it to 7 horses. Hence it was often prefixed to the names of Gods, and of Goddesses, when it had no relation to their department; and seemed inconsistent with their character. We have not only an account of Agns Imos, Mars the horseman; but of Poseidon Hippius, though 7 Among the Egyptians, the emblems of which they made use were arbitrary, and very different from the things to which they referred. An eagle, an ox, and a horse, were all used as symbols, but had no real connexion with the things alluded to, nor any the least likeness. The Grecians not considering this were always misled by the type; and never regarded the true history, which was veiled under it. a God of the sea. He is accordingly compli mented upon this title by the Poet Aristophanes. 8 Ἱππι ̓ Αναξ Ποσειδον, Χαλκοκροτων ἱππων κτυπος Και χρεματισμος άνδανει. Ceres had the title of Hippia: and the Goddess of wisdom, Minerva, had the same. We read also of Juno Hippia, who at Olympia partook of joint rites and worship, with those equestrian Deities Neptune, and Mars. Pausanias mentions 9 Ποσείδωνος Ἱππιε, μαι Ήρας Ἱππιε βωμοι : and hardby τη μεν Αρεως Ἱππιε, τη δὲ Αθήνας Ἱππιε βωμος. In Arcadia, and Elis, the most antient rites were preserved and the Grecians might have known, that the terms Hippa and Hippia were of foreign purport from the other titles given to Juno at Olympia. For they sacrificed here to "Amonian Juno, and to Juno Paramonian; which were also titles of Hermes. Hippa was a sacred Egyptian term, and as such was conferred upon Arsinoë, the wife of Ptolemy Philadelphus: for the princes of Egypt always assumed to themselves sacred Ἱππεις, να 548. 9 5. 10 Ibid. 1. 5. p. 416. appellations. Η Ιππια Αρσινόη, ἡ τε Φιλαδέλφε γυνή. As the Grecians did not inquire into the hidden purport of antient names, they have continually misrepresented the histories of which they treated. As Ceres was styled Hippa, they have imagined her to have been turned into a 12 mare: and Hippius Poseidon was in like manner changed to a horse, and supposed in that shape to have had an intimate acquaintance with the Goddess. Of this Ovid takes notice. "Et te, flava comas, frugum mitissima mater Sensit equum: te sensit avem crinita colubris Mater equi volucris. 14 The like is mentioned of the nymph Ocuroë: also of Philyra, who was so changed by Saturn. He is said to have taken upon himself the same shape, and to have followed her neighing over the mountains of Thessaly. 15 Talis et ipse jubam cervice effudit equinâ Conjugis adventu pernix Saturnus, et altum Pelion hinnitu fugiens implevit acuto. "Hesych. II. 12 Pausan. 1. 8. p. 649.7 14 Ibid. 1. 2. v. 668. ** 15 Virg. Georg. 1, 5, v. 92. |