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tives were very famous; particularly the Pierians for their music, the Peonians for pharmacy, and the Edonians for their rites and worship. Those, who went under the name of Cyclopes, probably introduced architecture; for which art they seein to have been every where noted. There was a fountain in these parts, of which Aristotle takes notice, as of a wonderful nature. Κύκλωψι τοις Θραξι κρηνίδιον εσιν, ύδως ἔχων, ὁ τη με εψει καθαρον, και διάφανες, και τοις άλλοις όμοιον όταν δε πικ τι ζώον εξ αυτε, παραχρήμα διαφθείρεται. In there. gion of the Cyclopians of Thrace is a fountain, clear to the eye, and pure, and in no wise differing from common water: of which, however, if an animal drinks, it is immediately poisoned. There is another account given by Theopompus; who speaks of the people by the name of the Chropes, which is a contraction for Charopes. He says, that even going into the water was fatal. Θεόπομπος ισορει κρήνην εν Χριψε της Θράκης, εξ ής της λεσαμένες παραχρημα μεταλλάσσειν. Theopompus mentions a fountain among the Charopes of Thrace, in which, if a person attempts to bathe, he immediately loses his life. I have taken notice of this history, because

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ss Aristoteles de mirabil. auscult. p. 732.

5 In excerptis apud Sotionem. See not. Meursii in Antigon farysium. p. 183.

we find, that the persons who are called " Cuclopes by one writer, are styled Char-opes by another, and very justly for the terms are nearly of the same purport. The Charopes were denominated from a temple, and place called Char-Ops, or Char-Opis, locus Dei Pythonis: and the Cyclopes were, as I have before supposed, denominated from Cu-Cœl-Ops, or Cu-Cœl-Opis, the temple of the same Deity. They were both equally named from the Ophite God, the great object of their adoration, and from the temple where he was worshipped.

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The head of Medusa in Argolis is said to have been the work of the " Cyclopians. This seems to have been an antient hieroglyphical representation upon the temple of Caphisus. It was usual with the Egyptians, and other Amonians, to describe, upon the Architrave of their temples, some emblem of the Deity, who there presided. This representation was often an eagle, or vulture; a wolf, or a lion; also an heart, or an eye. The

"Of the Cyclopians of Thrace see Scholia in Euripid. Orest. ν. 966. Κύκλωπες, Θρακικού έθνος. Also Scholia in Statii Theb.

1.2.

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Παρα

δε το ιερον το Κηφισσα Μέδασης λιθω πεποιημένη κεφαλη, Κυκλώπων φασιν είναι και τέτο έργον. Pausan. 1. 2. p. 156. Κηφισσος, Doricè Kapices, vel Kapires: from Caph-Isis, Petra Dea

last, as I have shewn, was common to the temples of "Osiris, and was intended to signify the superintendency of Providence, from whom nothing was hid. Among others the serpent was esteemed a most salutary emblem: and they made use of it to signify superior skill and knowledge. A beautiful female countenance, surrounded with an assemblage of serpents, was made to denote divine wisdom, which they styled Meed, and Meet, the MTs of the Greeks. Under this characteristic they represented an heavenly personage, and joined her with Eros, or divine love: and by these two they supposed that the present mundane system was produced. Orpheus speaks of this Deity in the masculine gender:

6ο Και Μητις, πρωτος γενέτως, και Ερως πολυτέρπης.

On this account many antient temples were ornamented with this curious hieroglyphic: and among others the temple of Caphisus" in Argolis.

50 Ηέλιου, ὃς παντ' εφορά και παντ ̓ ὑπακοει. Homer. Odyss 1. A. v. 108.

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Orphic Fragment. 6. v. 19. the same as Phanes, and Dionusus. Frag. 8. v. 2. Schol. ibid.

"Hence the stream and lake of Cephisus in Baotia were styled έδατα και λίμνη Κηφισσίδος : by the antient Dorians expressed Kap sides, from Kap-Iow

Caphisus, is a compound of Caph-Isis, which signifies Petra Isidis, and relates to the same Deity as Metis. For we must not regard sexes, nor difference of appellations, when we treat of antient Deities.

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Αρσην μεν και θηλυς έφυς, πολεματοκε Μητι.

Παντοφυής, γενετως παντων, πολυώνυμε Δαιμον.

I have taken notice that the Cyclopians of Thrace were styled Charopes; which name they must have received from their rites, and place of worship. Char-Opis signifies the temple of the Python, or serpent: and we find that it was situated near a poisonous pool. It was sacred to the Sun: and there were many temples of this name in Egypt, and other countries. The Sun was

6 Orphic Hymn. 31. v. 10.

"Hymn. 10. v. 10. Metis was the same as Pan.

Meed-Ous whence came Midovca, is exactly analogous to Cotinousa, Aithousa, Alphiousa, Ampelousa, Pithecousa, Scotousa, Arginousa, Lampadousa, Amathousa, Ophiousa, Asterousa; and signifies the temple of Metis, or divine wisdom. Aster-Ous was a temple on Mount Caucasus: Amath-Ous, the same in Cyprus: Ampel-Ous, a temple in Mauritania: Alphi-Ous, in Elis: AchorOus, in Egypt: all dedicated to the Deity, under different

titles.

14 Χασμασι λεοντείοις τα των ίερων θυρώματα κοσμασιν (οι Αιγυπτιοι). Plutarch. Isis et Osiris. p. 366.

called Arez; and the lion, which was an emblem of the Sun, had the same denomination: and there is reason to think, that the device upon Charopian temples was sometimes a lion. Homer, undoubtedly, had seen the fierce figure of this animal upon some sacred portal in Egypt; to which he often alludes, when he speaks of a Charopian lion.

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Αρκτοιτ', αγρότεροι τε Συες, χαροποί τε Λεοντες.

The devices upon temples were often esteemed as talismans, and supposed to have an hidden and salutary influence, by which the building was preserved. In the temple of Minerva, at Tegea, was some sculpture of Medusa, which the Goddess was said to have given, ανάλωτον ες τον παντα κρο

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€5 Odyss. A. v. 610. It is a term which seems to have puzzled the commentators. Xagooi, EITλnxtixoi, Pobegoi. Scholiast. Ibid. It was certainly an Amonian term: and the Poet alluded to a Charopian temple.

Της δ' ην Τρεις κεφαλαι, μια μεν χαροποιο λεοντος. Hesiod. Theogon. v. 321. Homer in another place mentions,

Λύκων κλαγγήν, χαροπων τε Λεοντων. Hymn. εις Μητερα θεων. V. 4. As a lion was from hence styled Charops, so from another temple it was named Charon. Xagar λewv. Hesych. Achilles is styled Axunts Xaçar, Lycoph. v. 260. a martial Charonian

Lion.

66 Pausan. 1. 8. P.
696.

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