tiquity: most of them long before the supposed æra of Troy, and became superior to the original inhabitants. They brought with them the religion and rites of the people, from whence they came. We may therefore from the stream judge of the fountain. Of some early and particular First, then, it will be proper to shew that Greece, according to the traditions of the natives, was in great measure peopled from Egypt. Diodorus Siculus tells us, that some of the principal persons upon record among the Athenians were from this 'country and that the Athenians in general were from Egypt. The Peloponnese was for the most part peopled by Dorians: and the ancient leaders of these Dorians, according to ' Herodotus, were of the same original, and came from the same part of the world. The Lele Γεγονέναι δε και των Ηγεμόνων τινας Αιγυπτίας παρά τοις Αθη ναιοις. Diodor. Sic. 1. 1. p. 25. Rhodomanni. 2 * Και τες Αθηναίες δη φασιν αποικες είναι Σαΐτων των εξ Αιγύπτε. Ibid. p. 24. 3 Φαινοίατο αν εοντες οι των Δωριέων Ηγεμονες Αιγύπτιοι ιθαγενεις. Herod. l. 6. c. 54. p. 461. ges were a very ancient, and a very large, body of people. They spread over the coast of Asia Minor: and occupied many of the islands. They settled likewise in Greece, as Megara. Lelex, supposed to be the chief conductor, is represented as king of that place; and is said to have migrated from Egypt. The same people were possessed of a large part of Laconia: and a Lelex is mentioned as the first king of that region; which for a time had the name of Lelegia. Erectheus was an ancient king of Athens, but of Egyptian extraction. As he was acquainted with the fertility of that country, he in a time of scarcity is said to have imported from thence corn for the support of his people. Some time before him Cecrops is said to have come over; who, according to tradition, was the 1 5 Λεγεσιν οι Μεγαρεις Λέλεγα αφικομενον εξ Αιγυπτε βασιλευσαι. Pausan. 1. 1. p. 95. -Λελεγα, όν αφικομενον λεγεσιν βασιλευσαι εξ Αιγύπτε. Pausan. 1. 1. p. 106. 2 Ibid. 1. 4. p. 280. 3 Pausan. 1. 3. p. 203. 4 Τον Ερεχθεα λεγεσιν το γενος Αιγυπτίον οντα βασίλευσαι των 3 4 2 I first king in Attica. He came from Saïs in Lower Egypt: all the Athenians were reputed to have been originally * Saïtes. After him another colony was brought by Danaus, and Lynceus: both of whom, as the priests at Thebes told Herodotus, were from a city of that Name, called Chemmis. Diodorus, speaking of some very early persons, and occurrences, says, that in those times 5 Danaus came from Egypt: and that Cadmus arrived soon after. Some make Cadmus rather prior and place Danaus third. Danaus tertiam duxit coloniam. Marsham. Chron. sec. IX. p. 125. The place, from which Cadmus led his colony, is said to have been Thebes 6 1 Ως δε απο της Σκέως πολεως Αιγυπτίας, ὁ Κεκροψ παραγέγονεν Alvais ans Exλados. Joh. Tzetzes. Chil. 5. Hist. 18. p. 91. Ελθων γαρ απο Σαέως πολεως Αιγυπτο, τας Αθήνας συνώκισε. Tzetzes. Schol. in Lycoph. v. 111. Κέκροψ, Αιγυπτιος ων το γενος, ᾤκησε τας Αθήνας. Suidas. 3 Αθηναίες αποικες Σαΐτων Diodor. 1. 1. p. 24. Is. 3 Τον γάρ Δαναον και τον Λυγκέα (εφασαν) εοντας Χεμμιτας εκπλωσαι ες την Ελλαδα. Herod. 1. 2. c. 91. p. 144. 4 Εστι δε Χεμμις πολές μεγάλη νομ8 τε Θηβαϊκα. Ibid. 5 Κατα δε τέτες της χρονες Δαναος έφυγεν εξ Αιγύπτε. Diodor. 1. 5. p. 329. 6 Ο Μίκρον σεζον τατων των χρόνων (Δαναό, Λινδε, Ιαλύσε) Καδμος. Ibid. 7 Φοινιξ και Καδμος cellus, p. 158. απο Θήβων των Αιγυπτιων. κ. τ. λ. Syn in Upper Egypt. I Melampus came from the 2 same part of the world: whose companions and posterity were stiled Melampodes: and resided in the region of Argos. Of the Rites and Customs imported. 4 These emigrants from Egypt brought with. them into Greece the rites and ceremonies of the country which they left. Melampus introduced the Dionusiaca, and all those obscenities with which they were accompanied, He is likewise said to have first taught the Grecians the mysteries of Ceres; which were equally base and impure. To him were attributed the rites of lustration and expiation; together with the science of physic and the 5 'Herod. 1. 2. c. 49. p. 127. Diodorus Sic. 1. 1. p. 87. 2 Pausan. 1. 8. p. 636. 3 Herod. 1. 2. c. 43. p. 124.--c. 48, 49. p. 127.-c. 50. p. 128. c. 58. p. 131. See also Diodorus, 1. 1. p. 20, 21. also p. 62, 63. and 86. 4 Ελλησι γαρ δη Μελαμπες εσι ὁ ἡγησάμενος του Διονυσε το τε όνομα, και την θυσίην, και την πομπην τε φαλλό, -Τον δ' ων Φάλλον. -Μελαμπες εσι ὁ κατηγησαμενος. Herod. 1. 2. c. 49, p. 127. Μελαμποδα δε τον Αμυθάονος αλλοι φασιν εξ Αιγυπτε μετακομισαί τη Ελλαδι της Δηως ἑορτας πενθος ὑμνούμενον. Clemens Cohort, art of augury. Herodotus says, that almost all the names of the Grecian deities came from 3 Egypt. Diodorus Siculus, though he entertains some doubts about many of these ancient traditions, yet allows, from the evidence of the Athenians, that the Eleusinian mysteries were imported in the time of Erectheus: and that there was a great conformity between the religious ceremonies of 3 Attica and Egypt: and a wonderful likeness between the people of each nation. We may trace the country from whence Cadmus came, by the mysterious history, with which his arrival was attended. For it is said, that as he journeyed towards his place of settlement in Bæotia, he was conducted by a 4 cow, which had a lunar mark 'Apollodorus, 1. 1. p. 90. edit. Heynæ.. * Σχεδον δε και παντα τα ονόματα των θεών εξ Αιγυπτε εληλυθε ες την Ελλάδα. Herod. 1. 2. c. 50. p. 128. 3 Προς δε τουτοις ὡι τελεται και τα μυσηρία ταυτης της θεε τοτε κατεδείχθησαν εν Ελευσινί, τα τε περί τας θυσίας και αρχαιότητας ὡσαύτως έχειν Αθηναίες και Αιγυπτιάς. Τις μεν γαρ Ευμολπίδας απο των κατ' Αίγυπτον ἱερέων μετενηνεχθαι, τους င်း κηρυκας των πας Φόρων. Την τε Ισιν μονους των Ελληνων ομνύειν, και ταις ιδέαις και τοις ήθεσιν ὁμοιοτατους είναι τοις Αιγυπτίοις (τους Αθηναίες). 1. 1. p. 25, 26. Diod. 4 Απιοντι εκ Δελφων Καδμῳ την επι Φωκέων σας γενοιτο ἡγεμων της πορείας. επι δε ἑκατέρας της βοος πλευρας εικασμένον κυκλῳ της Σελήνης, όποτε ειη πλήρης. σημείον επείναι λευκον, Paus. 1. 9. p. 733. |