dog and a Deity; a goose and the son of Jove? There was certainly none: yet Socrates, like the rest of his fraternity, having an antipathy to foreign terms, chose to represent his ideas through this false medium; by which means the very essence of his invocation was lost. The son of Zeus, to whom he appealed, was the Egyptian Cahen abovementioned; but this sacred title was idly changed to xuva xai xva, a dog and a goose, from a similitude in sound. That he referred to the Egyptian Deity, is manifest from Plato, who acknowledges that he swore, μα τον κύνα του Αιγυπτιων θεον. By which we are to understand a Cahen of Egypt. Porphyry expressly says, that it was the God Hermes the son of Zeus, and Maia: * Κατα τον το Διος και Μαιας παιδα εποιείτο τον όρκον. 48 I cannot account upon any other principle than that upon which I have proceeded, for the strange representation of Apollo, and Bacchus, gaping with open mouths. So it seems they were in some places described. Clemens of Alexandria mentions from Polemon, that Apollo was thus exhibited: 5° Πολέμων δε κεχηνότος Απολλωνος οίδεν αγαλμα. "Plato in Gorgiâ. vol. 1. p. 482. Porphyry. l. 3. p. 286. so corrected by Jablonsky. 1. v. c. i. P. 10. - Clementis Cohortatio. p. 32. And we are told that a gaping " Bacchus was particularly worshipped at Samos. They were both the same as the Egyptian Orus; who was styled Cahen-On, Rex, vel Deus Sol; out of which Cahen-On the Grecians seem to have formed the word Xaw and in consequence of it, these two Deities were represented with their jaws widely extended. This term was sometimes changed to xoves, communis: hence it is that we so often meet with κοινοι Θεοί, and κοινοι βωμοι, upon coins and marbles: also xovos Eguns. And as Hermes was the reputed God of gain, every thing found was adjudged to be xoves, or common. 5 Αλλ' εσιδεσα Εξαπίνης, Ερμης κοινος, εφη θυγατηρ. 53 Κοινον είναι τον Ερμην. Notwithstanding this notion so universally received, yet among the Grecians themselves the term xovos was an antient title of eminence. 54 Κοινος, ὁ Δεσποτης. Coinos signifies a lord and master: undoubtedly from Cohinus; and that from Cohen. It would be endless to enumerate all the instances which might be brought of this nature. Of this, I think, I am assured, that whoever will consider the uncouth names both of Deities, and men, as well as of places, in the light recommended; and attend to the mythology transmitted concerning them; will be able bý these helps to trace them to their original meaning. It is, I think, plain, that what the Grecians so often interpreted xuves, was an antient Amonian title. When therefore I read of the brazen dog of Vulcan, of the dog of Erigone, of Orion, of Geryon, of Orus, of Hercules, of Amphilochus, of Hecate, I cannot but suppose, that they were the titles of so many Deities; or else of their priests, who were denominated from their office. In short, the Cahen of Egypt were no more dogs than the Pateræ of Amon were basons: and though Diodorus does say, that at the grand celebrity of " Isis, the whole was preceded by dogs, yet I cannot help being persuaded that they were the priests of the Goddess. By this clue we may unravel many intricate histories transmitted from different parts. In the temple of Vulcan, near mount Etna, there are said to have been a breed of dogs, which fawned upon good men, but were implacable to the bad. 55 Diodorus Siculus de pompá Isiacâ. l. 1. p. 78. 5o Inde etiam perpetuus ignis a Siculis alebatur in Ætnæo Vulcani templo, cui custodes adhibiti sunt sacri canes, blandientes piis hominibus, in impios ferocientes. In the celebrated gardens of Electra there was a golden dog, which shewed the same regard to good men, and was as inveterate to others. 57 Χρυσεος οιδαίνοντι κυων συνυλακτεε λαιμῳ Σαίνων ήθαδα φωτα, What is more remarkable, there were many gaping dogs in this temple; which are represented as so many statues, yet were endowed with life. 58 Χάσμασι ποιητοισι σεσηροτες ανθεριώνες Ψευδαλέων σκυλάκων είχες εμφρονες. Homer describes something of the same nature in the gardens of Alcinous. 5 Huetius. Præp. Evang. p. 86. from Cornutus de naturâ Deorum. A like history is given of serpents in Syria by Aristotle, Ep θαυμασιων ακεσματων : and by Pliny and Isidorus, of birds in the islands of Diomedes. 59 Χρύσειοι δ ̓ ἑκάτερθε και αργυρεοι κυνές ησαν, Αθάνατες οντας, και αγηρως ηματα παντα. All this relates to the Cusean priests of Vulcan or Hephaistos, and to the priesthood established in his temple: which priesthood was kept up by succession, and never became extinct. What was Cusean, the Greeks often rendered Xgurtov, as I shall hereafter shew. The same people were also styled Cuthim; and this word likewise among the antients signified gold: from hence these priests were styled XgUrEIO XUDES. We find the like history in Crete here too was a golden dog, which Zeus had appointed to be the guardian of his temple. By comparing these histories, I think we cannot fail of arriving at the latent meaning. The God of light among other titles was styled Cahen, or Chau-Ades: but the term being taken in the same acceptation here, as in the instances above, the Deity was changed to a dog, and said to reside in the infernal regions. From hence he was supposed to have been dragged to light by 59 Homer. Odyss. 1. 8. v. 92. εο Τον Κυνα τον χρυσεον απεδειξεν (ὁ Ζευς) φυλάττειν το ἱερον εκ Kent Antoninus Liberalis. c. 35. p. 180, . |