Athens. This was some years after the Argonautic expedition; when Medea had left Jason, and put herself under the protection of this same Ægeus. After having been acknowledged by his father, Theseus went upon his expedition to Crete; where he is said to have first seen - Ariadne, and to have carried her away. All this, I say, was done after Jason had married Vedea, and had children by her; and after she had left hini and was come to Athens. But the story of Ariadne, in the above specimen, is mentioned as a fact of far older date. It was prior to the arrival of Medea in Greece, and even to the Argonautic expedition. It is spoken of as a circumstance of the highest antiquity: consequently, “ Theseus could not any ways be concerned in it.

There is an account in Nonnus of a robe, or Pháros, which Harmonia is supposed to have worn 2

Inoy. ungtrine

Add to this, what I have before taken notice of, the great absurdity of making the Grecian Argo the first ship which sailed upon the seas : Illa rudem cursu prima imbuit Amphitriten: when the poct, at the same instant, is describing Theseus, previous to the Argo, in a ship, and attended with a fleet of ships.

Namque fiuentisono prospectans littore Die
Thesea cedentem celeri cum classe tuetur,

Indomitus in codre gerens Ariadna turores.
Catulli. Epithal. Pel. et Thet. v. 52. See Famiani Strada
Prolus. I. 3. p. 285.

when she was visited by the Goddess of beauty. There was delineated here, as in some above mentioned, the earth, and the heavens, with all the stars. The sea, too, and the rivers, were represented; and the whole was, at the bottom, surrounded by the ocean.

Πρωτην Γαιαν επασσε μεσομφαλον, αμφι δε γαιη
Ουρανον εσφαιρωσε τυπο κεχαραγμενον αςρων.
Συμφερτην δε θαλασσαν εφηρμοσε συζυγι Γαιη,
Και ποταμας ποικιλλεν' επ' ανδρομεω δε μετωπώ
Ταυροφυης μορφουτο κερασφoρoς εγχλοος εικων.
Και πυματην παρα πεζαν ευκλωτοιο χιτωνος
Ωκεανος κυκλωσε περιδρομον αντυγα Κοσμα.

All this relates to a painting, either at Sidon or Berytus; which was delineated in a tower, or temple, sacred to Hermon.

Orpheus alludes to a Pharos of this sort, and to the paintings and furniture of it, in his description of the robes with which Apollo, or Dionusus, is invested. He speaks of them as the same Deity.

28

Ταυτα δε παντα τελειν ιερα σκευη πυκασαντα,
Σωμα θεκ πλαττειν εριαυγες Ηελιοιο.

23

Nonni Dionysiaca. 1. 41. p. 107ο.
Orphica ex Macrobio Saturn. 1. 1. c. 18. p. 202,

Πρωτα μεν αργυφεαις εναλιγκιον ακτινεσσι
Πεπλον φοινικεον, πυρι είκελον, αμφιβαλισθαι,
Αυταρ υπερθε νεβροιο παναιoλα ευρυ καθαψαι
Δερμα πολυσικτον θηρος κατα δεξιον ωμου,
Αρρων δαιδαλεων μιμημ', ιερε τε πoλoιο.
Ειτα δ' υπερθε νεβρης χρυσεον ζωηρα βαλεσθαι,
Παμφανοωντα, περιξ περνων φορεειν, μεγα σημα,
Ευθυς, ότ' εκ περατων γαιης Φαεθων ανορεσων
Χρυσειαις ακτισι βαλη ροον Ωκεανοιο,
Αυγη

δ'

ασπετος η, ανα δε δροσο αμφιμιγεισα, Μαρμαιρη δινησιν ελισσομενη κατα κυκλον Προσθε θεε, ζωνη δ' αρ υπο περνων αμετρητων φαινετ'

αρ ωκεανε κυκλος, μεγα θαυμ' εσιδεσθαι,

When the poet has thus adorned the Deity, we find, towards the conclusion, that these imaginary robes never shew to such advantage as in the morning. When the sun, says he, rises from the

. extremities of the earth, and enlightens the ocean with his horizontal rays; then they appear in great splendour, which is increased by the morning dew. All this investiture of the Deity relates to the earth and the heavens, which were delineated upon a 3 skin, δερμα πολυσικτον θηρος, styled πεπλον. This is described, Αρρων δαιδαλεων μιμημ', ιερε τε πoλoιο: ας a copy and imitation of all the celestial appearances. The whole was deposited in a Pharos upon the sea shore, upon which the sun, at his rising, darted his early rays; and whose turrets glittered with the dew: “Υπο σερνων αμετρητων φαινετ' αρ ωκεανε xuxdos: from the upper story of the tower, which was of an unmeasurable height, there was an unlimited view of the ocean. This vast element surrounded the edifice like a zone; and afforded a wonderful phænomenon. Such, I imagine, is the solution of the enigma.