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in numerable other inftances, that, among the people of the. eaft, as well as among other nations, the word in Regitnine' was often final. Thus the land of Ion was termed Ionia: that; of Babylon, Babylonia: from AfTur came Affyria: from Ind,India : from Lud Ludia : in all which the region is fpecified by the termination. To fay Lydia Tell us, AfTyria Tellus, is ia reality redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded ; that country being ftiled Ai-Gupt, AjyUTrrof, the land of the Gupti, called afterwards Cupti, and Copti.Our Author, under the head of common names relating to places, has a long and curious article upon the word Gau, exprefled Cau, Ca, and Co j and which fignifies a boufe. Besides the many inftances that are produced of the occurrences of this word in ancient names, Mr. Bryant has taken occafion, incidentally, to Ibew, that Gaugamela and Arbela, (which have been fuppofed to be different cities, at the drftance of five or fix hundred Stadia, and at each of which the great decifive battle between Alexander and Darius is exprefsly faid to have been fought,) were, in fadf, one and the fame place. Arbela was probably the city, and Gaugamela the temple ; both facred to the fame deity under different names.Another obfervation which we meet with* is, that it is ofgreat confequence towards decyphering the mythology of ancient times, to take notice, that the Grecians often miftook the place of worlhip for the deity worfliipped. The names of many gods are in reality the names of temples where they were adored. Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Tha-m»s *, the Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks exprefled and made it the name of a goddefs. Kir-Onwas the city and temple of the fun in Cyprus, and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted Cronus : and out of it made a particular god. From Cha-Opis they formed a king Cheops ; from Cayfter, the fame as Ca-After, they fancied a hero, Cayftrius j from Cu-Bela, Cy-bele; from Cu-Baba, Cybebe. Cerberus, the dog of hell, was denominated from BCir-Abor,Concerning the term Ccel in Ennius, Ianus Gulielmus ob-ferves, that this poet copied the Dorians in ufing abbreviations, and writing Ccel for Ccelus and Ccelum. But herein, fays Mr. Bryant, this learned perfon is miftaken. The Dorians were not Co much to be blamed for (heir abbreviating, as the other Greeks were for their unneceffary terminations, and infledlions.The more fimple the terms, the more ancient and genuine we may for the moft part efteem them : and in the language of the'Dorians we may perceive more terms relative to the true mythology of the country, and thofe rendered more fimiiar tothe ancient mode of expreiSon, than are elfewhete to be found.* 4 * — — M
Newspaper Details
Monthly Review
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Sep 01, 1774
Page 42
Full Page
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USA 07 Aug 2020
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