could have penetrated into the various regions, whither he is supposed to
have gone? to have founded colonies in Phenicia, Cyprus, Rhodes, Thera,
Thasus, Anaphe, Samothracia? to have twice visited the Hellespont? to have
worked the mines in the Pangean mountains, and in other places? to have
made settlements in Euboea, Attica, Boeotia, and Illyria? and, above all,
to have had such territories in Afric? He is represented as heir to the
kingdom of Egypt: this he quitted, and obtained a kingdom in Phenicia. He
leaves this too; and after much wandering arrives in Greece; where he
founds several cities, and reigns sixty-two years. After this, hard to
conceive! he is made king in Illyria. He must also have reigned in Afric:
and his dominions seem to have been considerable, as he founded an hundred
cities. He is represented as a king in Armenia; and had there too no small
territory. Sure kingdoms in those times must have been very cheap, if they
were so easily attainable. But the whole is certainly a mistake; at least
in respect to [1100]Cadmus. No person could possibly have effected what is
attributed to him. They were not the achievements of one person, nor of one
age. And place Cadmus at any given aera, and arrange his history, as may
appear most plausible; yet there will arise numberless inconsistencies from
the connexions he must have in respect to time, place, and people; such as
no art nor disposition can remedy.
It may be asked, if there were no such man as Cadmus, what did the antients
allude to under this character? and what is the true purport of these
histories? The travels of Cadmus, like the expeditions of Perseus,
Sesostris, and Osiris, relate to colonies, which at different times went
abroad, and were distinguished by this title. But what was the work of
many, and performed at various seasons, has been attributed to one person.
Cadmus was one of the names of Osiris, the chief Deity of Egypt. Both
Europa, and Harmonia are of the like nature. They were titles of the Deity:
but assumed by colonies, who went out, and settled under these
denominations. The native Egyptians seldom left their country, but by
force. This necessity however did occur: for Egypt at times underwent great
[1101]revolutions. It was likewise in some parts inhabited by people of a
different cast; particularly by the sons of Chus. These were obliged to
retire: in consequence of which they spread themselves over various parts
of the earth. All, who embarked under the same name, or title, were in
aftertimes supposed to have been under the same leader: and to him was
attributed the honour of every thing performed. And as colonies of the same
denomination went to parts of the world widely distant; their ideal
chieftain, whether Cadmus, or Bacchus, or Hercules, was supposed to have
traversed the same ground: and the achievements of different ages were
conferred upon a fancied hero of a day. This has been the cause of great
inconsistency throughout the mythology of the antients. To this they added
largely, by being so lavish of titles, out of reverence to their gods.
Wherever they came they built temples to them, and cities, under various
denominations; all which were taken from some supposed attribute. These
titles and attributes, though they belonged originally to one God, the Sun;
yet being [1102]manifold, and misapplied, gave rise to a multitude of
Deities, whose aera never could be settled, nor their history rendered
consistent. Cadmus was one of these. He was the same as Hermes of Egypt,
called also Thoth, Athoth, and Canathoth: and was supposed to have been the
inventor of letters. He was sometimes styled Cadmilus, another name for
Hermes; under which he was worshipped in Samothracia, and Hetruria.
Lycophron speaking of the prophet Prulis, in Lesbos, tells us, that he was
the son of Cadmus, and of the race of Atlas. And he was the person, who was
supposed to give information to the Greeks, when they were upon their
expedition towards Troy.
[1103][Greek: Hos me se Kadmos ophel' en perirrhutoi]
[Greek: Issei phuteusai dusmenon podegeten.]
These are the words of Cassandra: upon which the Scholiast observes;
[Greek: Prulis, huios tou Kadmilou, kai Kadmou, etoi Hermou:] _Prulis of
Lesbos was the son of Cadmilus, or Cadmus, the same as Hermes_. And
afterwards he mentions, [1104][Greek: ho Kadmos, etoi Hermes,] _Cadmus, who
is the same as Hermes_. In another place he takes notice, that the name of
Hermes among the Hetrurians was [1105]Cadmilus: and it has been shewn, that
Cadmilus, and Cadmus, are the same. To close the whole, we have this
further evidence from Phavorinus, that Cadmus was certainly an epithet or
title of Hermes. [1106][Greek: Kadmos, ou kurion monon, alla kai Hermou
epitheton.]
Harmonia, the wife of Cadmus, who has been esteemed a mere woman, seems to
have been an emblem of nature, and the fostering nurse of all things. She
is from hence styled [1107][Greek: pantrophos Harmonia.] And when Venus is
represented in the allegory as making her a visit, she is said to go
[1108][Greek: eis domon Harmonias pammetoros], _to the house of the
all-productive parent_. In some of the Orphic verses she is represented not
only as a Deity, but as the light of the world.
[1109][Greek: Harmonie, kosmoio phaesphore, kai sophe Daimon.]
Harmonia was supposed to have been a personage, from whom all knowledge was
derived. On this account the books of science were styled [1110][Greek:
kurbias Harmonias], the books of Harmonia, as well as the books of Hermes.
These were four in number, of which Nonnus gives a curious account, and
says, that they contained matter of wonderful antiquity.
[1111][Greek: Ein heni thesphata panta, taper pepromena kosmoi]
[Greek: Protogonoio Phanetos epigraphe mantipolos cheir.]
The first of them is said to have been coeval with the world.
[1112][Greek: Proten kurbin opopen atermonos helika kosmou,]
[Greek: Ein heni panta pherousan, hosa skeptouchos Ophion]
[Greek: Enusen.]
From hence we find, that Hermon, or Harmonia, was a Deity, to whom the
first writing is ascribed. The same is said of Hermes. [1113][Greek: Hermes
legetai Theon en Aiguptoi grammata protos heurein.] The invention is also
attributed to Taut, or Thoth. [1114][Greek: Protos esti Taautos, ho ton
grammaton ten heuresin epinoesas,--hon Aiguptioi men ekalesan Thouth,
Alexandreis de Thoth, Hermen de Hellenes metephrasan.] Cadmus is said not
only to have brought letters into Greece, but to have been the inventor of
them: from whence we may fairly conclude, that under the characters of
Hermon, Hermes, Taut, Thoth, and Cadmus, one person is alluded to. The
Deity called by the Greeks Harmonia, was introduced among the Canaanites
very early by people from Egypt: and was worshipped in Sidon, and the
adjacent country, by the name of [1115]Baal Hermon.
Europa likewise was a Deity; according to Lucian the same as Astarte, who
was worshipped at Hierapolis in Syria. He visited the temple, and had this
information from the priests: [1116][Greek: hos de moi tis ton Hireon
apegeto, Europes esti (to agalma) tes Kadmou adelphees.] He is speaking of
the statue in the temple, which the priests told him belonged to a Goddess,
the same as Europa, the sister of Cadmus. She was also esteemed the same as
Rhea; which Rhea we know was the reputed mother of the gods, and
particularly the mother of Jupiter.
[1117][Greek: Est' an Rheia tekoi paida Kronoi en philoteti.]
Pindar speaks of Europa, as the [1118]daughter of Tityus: and by Herodotus
she is made the mother of [1119]Sarpedon and Minos.
I have mentioned, that Cadmus was the same as the Egyptian Thoth; and it is
manifest from his being Hermes, and from the invention of letters being
attributed to him. Similar to the account given of Cadmus is the history of
a personage called by the Greeks Caanthus; this history contains an epitome
of the voyage undertaken by Cadmus, though with some small variation.
Caanthus is said to have been the son of Oceanus; which in the language of
Egypt is the same as the son of Ogus, and Oguges; a different name for the
same [1120]person. Ogus, and with the reduplication Ogugus, was the same as
Ogyges, in whose time the flood was supposed to have happened. Ogyges is
represented both as a king of Thebes in Egypt, and of Thebes in Boeotia:
and in his time Cadmus is said to have left the former country, and to have
come to the latter, being sent in quest of his sister Europa by his father.
Caanthus was sent by his father with a like commission. His sister Melia
had been stolen away; and he was ordered to search every country, till he
found her. He accordingly traversed many seas, and at last lauded in
Greece, and passed into Boeotia. Here he found, that his sister was
detained by Apollo in the grove of Ismenus. There was a fountain [1121]of
the same name near the grove, which was guarded by a dragon. Caanthus is
said to have cast fire into this sacred recess; on which account he was
slain by Apollo. His [Greek: taphos], or tomb, was in aftertimes shewn by
the Thebans. We may perceive, that the main part of this relation agrees
with that of Cadmus. Melie, the sister of Caanthus, is by some spoken of as
the mother of [1122]Europa: which shews, that there is a correspondence
between the two histories. The person also, who sent these two adventurers,
the sister, of whom they went in quest, and the precise place, to which
they both came, exhibit a series of circumstances so similar, that we need
not doubt, but that it is one and the same history. It is said, that
Caanthus threw fire into the sacred [1123]grove: which legend, however
misconstrued, relates to the first establishment of fire-worship at Thebes
in the grove of Apollo Ismenius. The term Ismenius is compounded of Is-Men,
ignis Menis. Meen, Menes, Manes, was one of the most antient titles of the
Egyptian God Osiris, the same as Apollo, and Caanthus. What has been
mentioned about Cadmus and Caanthus, is repeated under the character of a
person named Curnus; who is said to have been sent by his father Inachus in
search of his sister [1124]Io. Inachus, Oceanus, Ogugus, and Agenor, are
all the same personages under different names; and the histories are all
the same.
That Cadmus was of old esteemed a Deity may be farther proved from his
being worshipped at Gortyna in Crete, as we learn from [1125]Solinus. Iidem
Gortynii et Cadmum colunt, Europae fratrem. He had moreover an Heroum at
Sparta, which was erected by people styled the sons of [1126]Huraeus. We
learn from Palaephatus, that according to some of the antient mythologists,
Cadmus was the person, who slew the serpent [1127]at Lerna. And according
to Nonnus he contended with the giant Typhasus, and restored to Jupiter his
lost [1128]thunder. By this is meant, that he renewed the rites, and
worship of the Deity, which had been abolished. These are circumstances,
which sufficiently shew, that Cadmus was a different personage, from what
he is generally imagined. There was a hill in Phrygia of his name, and
probably sacred to him; in which were the fountains of the river
[1129]Lycus. There was also a river Cadmus, which rose in the same
mountain, and was lost underground. It soon afterwards burst forth again,
and joined the principal stream. Mountains and rivers were not denominated
from ordinary personages. In short Cadmus was the same as Hermes, Thoth,
and Osiris: under which characters more than one person is alluded to, for
all theology of the antients is of a mixed nature. He may principally be
esteemed Ham, who by his posterity was looked up to as the Sun, and
worshipped under his titles: a circumstance, however, which was common to
all, who were styled Baalim. That he was the same as Ham, will appear from
the etymology of his name. I have before shewn, that the Sun was styled
[1130]Achad, Achon, and Achor: and the name, of which we are treating, is a
compound of [1131]Achad-Ham, rendered by the Greeks Acadamus and Academus,
and contracted Cadmus. Many learned men have thought, that the place at
Athens called Academia was founded by Cadmus, and denominated from him: and
of the latter circumstance I make no doubt. [1132]Ab hoc Cadmo Eruditi
Academiam, quasi Cadmiam deducunt: quo nomine indigitari locum musis
studiisque sacratum notissimum est. The true name of Cadmus, according to
this supposition, must have been, as I have represented, Acadamus; or, as
the Ionians expressed it, Academus, to have Academia formed from it.
Herodotus informs us, that, when the Cadmians came to Attica, they
introduced a new system of [1133]Architecture; and built temples in a style
different from that to which the natives had been used. And he describes
these buildings as erected at some distance from those of the country. This
was the situation of the place called Academia, which stood at the distance
of a few furlongs from [1134]Athens. It was a place of exercise and
science; and by all accounts finely disposed: being planted with a variety
of trees, but particularly Olives, called here ([Greek: Moriai]) Moriae.
There were likewise springs, and baths for the convenience of those who
here took their exercise. The tradition among the Athenians was, that one
Ecademus, or Academus, founded it in antient times; from whom it received
its name. Laertius styles him the hero Ecademus: [1135][Greek: Apo tinos
Heroos onomasthe Ekademou]. And Suidas to the same purpose; [Greek: Apo
Ekademou tinos Heroos onomasthen.] But Eupolis, the comic writer, who was
far prior, speaks of him as a Deity: [1136][Greek: En euskiois drumoisin
Akademou Theou]. The trees, which grew within the precincts, were looked
upon as very sacred, [1137][Greek: ontos hierai], and the place itself in
antient times was of so great sanctity, that it was a profanation to laugh
there; [1138][Greek: proteron en Akademiai mede gelasai exousian einai].
The Ceramicus at Athens had the same name; and it was undoubtedly given
from the same personage. [Greek: Akademia. kaleitai de houtos ho
Keramikos]. Hesych. The common notion was, that it was denominated from the
hero [1139]Ceramus, the son of Dionusus. This arose from the common
mistake; by which the place was put for the person, to whom it was sacred,
and whose name it bore. Ham was the supposed hero: and Ceramus was Cer-Ham,
the tower or temple of Ham, which gave name to the inclosure. This abuse of
terms is no where more apparent than in an inscription mentioned by Gruter;
where there is a mixed title of the Deity formed from his place of worship.
[1140]Malacae Hispaniae.
MARTI CIRADINO
TEMPLUM COMMUNI VOTO
ERECTUM.
Cir-Adon was the temple of Adon, or Adonis; the Amonian title of the chief
God. In like manner near mount Laphystium in Boeotia, the God [1141]Charops
was worshipped, and styled Hercules Charops. But Char-Ops, or Char-Opis,
signified the temple of the serpent Deity: and was undoubtedly built of old
by the people named Charopians, and Cyclopians; who were no other than the
antient Cadmians. Ceramicus was an Egyptian name; and one of the gates or
towers of the gates at [1142]Naucratis in that country was so called. It
was also the name of an harbour in Caria, probably denominated from some
building at the [1143]entrance.
I may possibly be thought to proceed too far in abridging history of so
many heroic personages, upon whose names antiquity has impressed a
reverence; and whose mighty actions have never been disputed. For though
the dress and colouring may have been thought the work of fancy, yet the
substance of their history has been looked upon as undeniably true. To
which I answer, that it was undoubtedly founded in truth: and the only way
to ascertain what is genuine, must be by stripping history of this
unnatural veil, with which it has been obscured; and to reduce the whole to
its original appearance. This may be effected upon the principles which I
have laid down; for if instead of Perseus, or Hercules, we substitute
bodies of men, who went under such titles, the history will be rendered
very probable, and consistent. If instead of one person, Cadmus traversing
so much ground, and introducing the rites of his country at Rhodes, Samos,
Thera, Thasus, Samothrace, and building so many cities in Libya, we suppose
these things to have been done by colonies, who were styled Cadmians, all
will be very right, and the credibility of the history not disputed. Many
difficulties may by these means be solved, which cannot otherwise be
explained: and great light will be thrown upon the mythology of the
antients.
The story then of Cadmus, and Europa, relates to people from Egypt, and
Syria, who went abroad at different times, and settled in various parts.
They are said to have been determined in their place of residence by an ox,
or cow: by which this only is meant, that they were directed by an oracle:
for without such previous inquiry no colonies went abroad. An oracle by the
Amonians was termed Alphi, and Alpha, the voice of God. In Egypt the
principal oracular temples were those of the sacred animals Apis and
Mneuis. These animals were highly reverenced at Heliopolis, and Memphis,
and in other cities of that country. They were of the male kind; but the
honours were not confined to them; for the cow and heifer were held in the
like veneration, and they were esteemed equally prophetic. Hence it was,
that they were in common with the Apis and Mneuis styled Alphi, and Alpha:
which name was likewise current among the Tyrians, and Sidonians. In
consequence of this, Plutarch, speaking of the letter Alpha, says,
[1144][Greek: Phoinikas houto kalein ton Boun.] _The Phenicians call an ox
Alpha_. And Hesychius speaks to the same purpose. [Greek: Alpha, bous.]
Thus we find that Alpha was both an oracle, and an oracular animal. The
Grecians took it in the latter acceptation; and instead of saying that the
Cadmians acted in obedience to an oracle, they gave out, that Cadmus
followed a cow. What is alluded to in the animal, which was supposed to
have been his guide, may be known by the description given of it by
Pausanias: [1145][Greek: Epi de hekateras tes boos pleuras semeion epeinai
leukon, eikasmenon kukloi tes Selenes.] _There was a white mark on each
side of the cow like the figure of the moon_. The poet quoted by the
Scholiast upon Aristophanes speaks to the same purpose. [1146][Greek:
Leukon schem' hekaterthe periplokon, eute Menes.] This is an exact
description of the [1147]Apis, and other sacred kine in Egypt: and the
history relates to an oracle given to the Cadmians in that country. This
the Grecians have represented, as if Cadmus had been conducted by a cow:
the term Alphi, and Alpha, being liable to be taken in either of these
acceptations. Nonnus speaks of Cadmus as bringing the rites of
[1148]Dionusus, and Osiris, from Egypt to Greece: and describes him
according to the common notion as going in quest of a bull, and as being
determined in his place of residence by a [1149]cow. Yet he afterwards
seems to allude to the true purport of the history; and says, that the
animal spoken of was of a nature very different from that, which was
imagined: that it was not one of the herd, but of divine original.
[1150][Greek: Kadme maten periphoite, poluplanon ichnos helisseis;]
[Greek: Masteueis tina Tauron, hon ou boee teke gaster.]
Under the character of Europa are to be understood people styled Europians
from their particular mode of worship. The first variation from the purer
Zabaism consisted in the Ophiolatria, or worship of the serpent. This
innovation spread wonderfully; so that the chief Deity of the Gentile world
was almost universally worshipped under this symbolical representation. The
serpent among the Amonians was styled Oph, Eph, and Ope: by the Greeks
expressed [Greek: Ophis, Opis, Oupis]: which terms were continually
combined with the different titles of the Deity. This worship prevailed in
Babylonia, Egypt, and Syria: from which countries it was brought by the
Cadmians into Greece. Serpentis eam venerationem acceperunt Graeci a Cadmo.
[1151]Vossius. It made a part in all their [1152]mysteries; and was
attended with some wonderful circumstances: of which I have before made
some mention in the treatise de Ophiolatria. Colonies, which went abroad,
not only went under the patronage, but under some title of their God: and
this Deity was in aftertimes supposed to have been the real conductor. As
the Cadmians, and Europians, were Ophitae, both their temples, and cities,
also the hills, and rivers, where they settled, were often denominated from
this circumstance. We read of Anopus Asopus, Oropus, Europus, Charopus,
Ellopis, Ellopia; all nearly of the same purport, and named from the same
object of worship. Europa was a [1153]Deity: and the name is a compound
Eur-Ope, analogous to Canope, Canophis, and Cnuphis of Egypt; and signifies
Orus Pytho. It is rendered by the Greeks as a feminine, upon a supposition,
that it was the name of a woman; but it related properly to a country; and
we find many places of the like etymology in Media, Syria, and Babylonia:
which were expressed in the masculine Europos, and Oropus. The same also is
observable in Greece.
I have shewn, that Cadmus was Taut, or Thoth; the Taautes of Sanchoniathon.
It is said of this person, that he first introduced the worship of the
serpent: and this so early, that not only the Tyrians and Sidonians, but
the Egyptians received it from him. From hence we may infer, that it came
from [1154]Babylonia, [1155][Greek: Ten men oun tou Drakontos phusin, kai
ton opheon, autos exetheiasen ho Taautos, kai met' auton authis Phoinikes
te, kai Aiguptioi].