Volume I Part 5 (1/2)

Air is a city; often expressed Ar, and Ara. Hence Arachosia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha (Ar-Ham-aith), Archile, Arzilla, Arthedon: all which were cities, or else regions denominated from them.

Kir, Caer, Kiriath, are words of the like purport. We read in the Scriptures of Kiriath Sepher, Kiriath Arba, Kiriath Jearim. It was in some parts p.r.o.nounced Kirtha, and Cartha. Melicartus, the Hercules of the Phenicians and Cretans, was, properly, Melech-Carta, the Deity of the place. The city of Tigranes, in Armenia, was called Tigranocerta. One name of Carthage was ?a???d??, from Car-Chadon, the same as Adon. It was also called Carthada, from Cartha-Ada, the city of the queen or G.o.ddess, who was by the Romans supposed to be Juno, but was, properly, the Amonian Elisa.

Caer, among many antient nations, signified a city, or fortress; as we may learn from the places called Carteia, Carnaim, Caronium, Caroura, Carambis.

Among the Britons were, of old, places exactly a.n.a.logous; such as Caerlisle, Caerdiff, Caerphilly, Caernarvon, and Caeruriah in Cornwall.

Kir and Caer are the same term, differently expressed. In Scripture we meet with Kir Haresh, and Kir-Hareseth. Isaiah. c. 16. v. 7. and v. 11. and Kir Moab, c. 15. v. 1. and Kir Heres, of the same purport as Kir Haresh, is mentioned by Jeremiah, c. 48. v. 31. Upon the Euphrates was Cercusium and Carchemish. In Cyprus was Kironia, rendered ?e????a by [356]Ptolemy; whose true name was Kir-On, the city of the Sun; where was a temple to Our-Ain, styled Urania. Kir-On was often rendered Cironis, Coronis; and the Deity Coronus and [357]Cronus. By these means the place was subst.i.tuted for the Deity, and made an object of wors.h.i.+p. Of this abuse I shall often speak.

Artemis was, properly, a city, Ar-Themis, the same as Thamuz of Egypt. What was called Artemis, and Artemisium, was in some places reversed, and expressed by Kir subjoined: hence Themiscir, and Themiscura in Pontus.

Col, Cal, Calah, Calach, signify properly an eminence, like the Collis of the Romans; but are often used for a fortress so situated. We sometimes meet with a place styled absolute Calah: but the term is generally used in composition, as Cala Nechus, Cala-Anac, Cala-Chan, Cala-On, Cala-Es, Cala-Ait, Cala-Ur, Cala-Ope, Cala-Ham, Cala-Amon, Cala-Adon: whence came the names of people and places styled [358]Callinicus, Calachene, [359]Colonae, Cales, Calathe, Calistae, Calathusa, Calauria, Coloriua, Caliope, Calama, Calamos, [360]Calamon, Calymna, Calydnus, Calycadnus; all which were places in Phrygia, Bithynia, a.s.syria, Libya, denominated from their situation and wors.h.i.+p.

Comah is used for a wall; but seems to be sometimes taken for those sacred inclosures wherein they had their Puratheia; and particularly for the sacred mount which stood in those inclosures. From Comah came the Greek ??a, a round hill or mound of earth; called also Taph and taf??; and thence often mistaken for a tomb: but it was originally a high altar.

By Gib is meant a hill. Gibeon was the hill of the Sun; said to be famous for its springs. Gibethon is a compound of Gib-Ethon, or Ath-On, t.i.tles of the same Deity. Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, was slain by Baasha, at Gibethon, of the [361]Philistines.

Har and Hor signify a mountain; ???? of the Greeks.

Tin seems to have signified a sacred place, for sacrifice; a kind of high altar. The Greeks generally expressed it, in composition, ???? hence we read of Opheltis, Altis, Baaltis, Abantis, Absyrtis. It was in use among the antient Hetrurians and other nations: hence came the terms Aventinus, Palatinus, [362]Numantinus, &c. It seems to be the same as Tan in the east, which occurs continually in composition, as in Indos-tan, Mogolis-tan, Pharsis-tan, Chusis-tan.

Tor is a hill or tower. Many places in Greece had it in their composition; such as Torone, Torete, Toreate: also in Hetrura, Torchonium. Turzon, in Africa, was a tower of the [363]Sun. It was sometimes expressed Tar; hence Tarcunia, Taracena, Tarracon in Spain, Tarne (Tar-ain) which gave name to a fountain in Lydia; Taron (Tar-On) in Mauritania. Towers of old were either Prutaneia, or light-houses, and were styled Tor-Is: whence came the Turris of the Romans. Sometimes these terms were reversed, and the tower was called Astur. Such a one was near some hot streams, at no great distance from Cicero's Villa. It is thus described by Plutarch: ?st??a--??????

pa?a???? ???e?????. The river, too, was called Astura. There was also a place of this name opposite to the island Lesbos, undoubtedly denominated from the like circ.u.mstances in its situation; as may be learned from Pausanias, who had seen it. ?d?? de ap? p???? a?e???e??? e?a? ?d?? ??da e? ?st?????? tade ?st??a apa?t???? est? ?es??? ???t?a est? ?e?a e? t?

?ta??e? ?a???e??.

Caph, Cap, and Cephas, signify a rock; and also any promontory or headland.

As temples used to be built upon eminences of this sort; we find this word often compounded with the t.i.tles of the Deity there wors.h.i.+pped, as Caph-El, Caph-El-On, Caph-Aur, Caph-Arez, Caph-Is, Caph-Is-Ain, Caph-Ait; whence came Cephale, Cephalonia, Caphareus, Capisa, Cephisus, Cap.i.s.sene, Cephene, Caphyatae, Capatiani. In Iberia was a wonderful edifice upon the river Btis, mentioned by Strabo, and called Turris Capionis. It was a Pharos, dedicated, as all such buildings were, to the Sun: hence it was named Cap-Eon, Petra Solis. It seems to have been a marvellous structure. Places of this sort, which had towers upon them, were called Caphtor. Such an one was in Egypt, or in its [364]vicinity; whence the Caphtorim had their name.

It was probably near [365]Pelusium, which they quitted very early for the land of Canaan.

Diu sometimes, but sparingly, occurs for an island; and is generally by the Greeks changed to Dia, ??a. The purport of it may be proved from its being uniformly adapted to the same object. The Scholiast upon Theocritus takes notice that the island Naxos was called Dia: [366]??a? t?? ??? ?a???e???

?a???; and he adds, p???a? de ?a? ?te?a? e?s? ??s?? ??a? ?a???e?a?, ?te p?? t?? ???t??--?a? ? pe?? ?????, ?a? ? pe?? ??????, ?a? ? t?? ?e?

?e?????s??, ?a? ? ?e??p????s??. All these were islands, or peninsula regions.

BETH.

Beth is a house or temple; as in [367]Beth-El, Beth-Dagon, Beth-Shemesh, Beth-Oron, or Beth-Or-On, &c. &c. It is sometimes subjoined, as in Phar-beth, and Elisa-beth; the latter of which is the house of [368]Elisa, the same as Elusa of Idume, and Eleusa of Egypt. Beth was in different countries expressed Bat, Bad, Abad. Hence we meet at this day with Pharsabad, Astrabad, Amenabad, Moustafabad, Iahenabad in Persia, India, and other parts of the east. Balbec in Syria is supposed to be the same as Balbeth, the temple of Bal, or the Sun. _There are_, says [369]Dr. Poc.o.c.k, _many cities in Syria, that retain their antient names. Of this Balbeck, or rather Balbeit, is an instance; which signifies the house or temple of Baal_. Gulielmus Tyrius, so called from being bishop of Tyre, who wrote of the Holy war, alludes to Baalbec, under the name of [370]Balbeth. He lived in the eleventh century, and died anno 1127. According to Iablonsky, Bec and Beth are of the same meaning. Atarbec in Egypt is the temple of Atar or Athar; called Atarbechis by [371]Herodotus. The same is Athyr-bet, and styled Athribites (???e??t??) by [372]Strabo. The inner recess of a temple is by Phavorinus and Hesychius called ?a?t??, ?et??, ?et??, similar to ???

?? among the Chaldeans. It was the crypta or sacred place, where of old the everlasting fire was preserved. Hesychius observes, ?et??, t? ap????f??

e??? t?? ?e???. Bet-Is signifies the place of fire.

It is said of Horapollo by Suidas, that he was a native of Phainubuth in Egypt, belonging to the nome of Panopolis: ??ap????? Fa?????e?? ???? t??

?a??p???t?? ????. Phainubuth is only Phainabeth varied, and signifies the place sacred to Phanes; which was one of the most antient t.i.tles of the Deity in Egypt. So Pharbeth was an abbreviation of Pharabeth, or the house of Pharaoh.

GAU, expressed CAU, CA, and CO.

Gau likewise is a term which signifies a house; as we learn from Plutarch.

The great and decisive battle between Alexander and Darius is generally said to have been fought at Arbela. But we are a.s.sured by this writer, that it was decided at Gaugamela[373]. He says, that Gau signified in the language of the country a house: and that the purport of the word Gaugamela was the house of a camel. This name, it seems, was given to the town on account of a tribute exacted for the maintenance of a camel, which had saved the life of some king, when he fled from battle: and the reason why the victory of Alexander was adjudged to Arbela, arose from its being more famous than the other place: for Gaugamela was not of sufficient repute: therefore the honour of this victory was given to Arbela, though it was according to some five hundred, according to others six hundred stadia[374]

from the field of battle. I have not now time, nor is it to my purpose, to enter into a thorough discussion of this point: I will only mention it as my opinion, that Arbela and Gaugamela were the same place. The king alluded to is said by [375]Strabo to have been Darius the son of Hystaspes. But is it credible, that so great a prince, who had horses of the famous breed of Nysa, as well as those of Persis and Arabia, the most fleet of their kind, should be so circ.u.mstanced in battle, as to be forced to mount a camel, that could scarce move six miles in an hour: and this at a time when the greatest dispatch was necessary? This author gives a different reason for the place being thus denominated. He says, that it was allotted for the maintenance of a camel, which used to bring the king's provisions from Scythia, but was tired and failed upon the road. I know not which of the two circ.u.mstances in this short detail is most exceptionable; a king of Persia's provisions being brought to Babylon, or Sushan from Scythia; or a tired camel having such a pension. The truth is this: the Grecians misinterpreted the name, and then forged these legendary stories to support their [376]mistake. Had they understood the term, they would have been consistent in their history. Gau, and, as it was at times expressed, Cau, certainly signifies a house, or temple: also a cave, or hollow; near which the temple of the Deity was founded. For the Amonians erected most of their sacred edifices near caverns, and deep openings of the earth. Gaugamela was not the house of a camel, as Plutarch and Strabo would persuade us, notwithstanding the stories alleged in support of the notion: but it was the house and temple of Cam-El, the Deity of the country. Arbela was a place sacred to Bel, called Arbel, ??? ?? of the Chaldeans. It was the same as Beth Arbel of [377]Hosea: and Gaugamela is of the same purport, relating to the same G.o.d under different t.i.tles. The Grecians were grossly ignorant in respect to foreign events, as Strabo repeatedly confesses: and other writers do not scruple to own it. Lysimachus had been an attendant upon Alexander during the whole series of his conquests in Asia: there had been nothing of moment transacted, in the success of which he had not partaken.

Yet even in his days, when he was king of Thrace, the accounts of those great actions had been so misrepresented, that when a history of them was read in his presence, they seemed quite new to him. It is all very fine, says the prince; but where was I when all this happened? There was a series of events exhibited, with which the person most interested was least acquainted. We may then well imagine, that there existed in the time of Plutarch many mistakes, both in respect to the geography of countries very remote, and to the [378]language of nations, with whom the Romans were little acquainted. The great battle, of which we have been speaking, was confessedly fought at Gaugamela. Ptolemy Ceraunus, who was present, averred it: as did Aristobulus: and it has been recorded by Plutarch and others. It is also adjudged to Arbela by persons of equal credit: and it must certainly have been really there transacted: for notwithstanding the palliating excuse of Plutarch, it is utterly incredible in respect to so great a victory, that the scene of action should be determined by this place, if it were sixty, or, as some say, seventy miles out of the way. But in reality it was at no such distance. Diodorus Siculus says, that Alexander immediately after the victory attacked Arbela, and took it: and found in it many evidences of its being a place of consequence. [379]Ta?a?

t??? tete?e?t???ta? epea?e t??? ???????, ?a? p????? e? ???e? af????a?

t?? t??f??, ??? ?????? de ??s??, ?a? ?a?a? a?a?????, a??????? de ta?a?ta d?s????a. The battle was fought so near the city, that Alexander was afraid of some contagion from the dead bodies of the enemy, which lay close by it in great abundance.

I have mentioned, that Gaugamela was the temple of Cham-El, or Cham-Il.

This was a t.i.tle of the Deity brought from Chaldea to Egypt; and from thence to Greece, Hetruria, and other regions. The Greeks, out of different t.i.tles, and combinations, formed various Deities; and then invented different degrees of relation, which they supposed to have subsisted between them. According to Acusilaus Cham-Il was the Son of Vulcan, and Cabeira. [380]????s??a?? de ? ???e??? e? ?ae???? ?a? ?fa?st?? ?a????

?e?e?. He was, by others, rendered Camillus, whose attendants were the Camilli; and he was esteemed the same as Hermes of Egypt. [381]Statius Tullia.n.u.s de vocabulis rerum libro primo ait dixisse Callimachum, Tuscos Camillum appellare Mercurium, &c. Romani quoque pueros et puellas n.o.biles et investes Camillos et Camillas appellant, Flaminicarum et Flaminum praeministros. Servius speaks to the same purpose. [382]Mercurius Hetrusca lingua Camillus dicitur. The reason of the attendants being also called Camilli was in consequence of a custom among the antients of conferring generally upon the priests the t.i.tle of the Deity whom they served. The Camilli were commonly young persons of good family, as we learn from Plutarch, and were to be found in the temples of Jupiter, or Zeus: for Zeus and Hermes were originally the same: [383]?a? t?? ?p??et???ta t? ?e?? t??