Noasis, Nusus, and Nus, and by the Greeks his name was compounded Dionusus. The Amonians, wherever they came, founded cities to his honour: hence places called Nusa will often occur. Hesychius says, that there were both cities: and mountains styled Nusean in many parts of the 28 world: and he instances in Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylonia, Eruthrea, Thracia, Thessaly, Cilicia, India, Libya, Lydia, Macedonia, the island Naxos; also a Nusa near mount Pangæus; and a place of this name in Syria, the same, which was called afterwards Scythopolis. There was also a place called Nusa upon mount Caucasus; and upon Helicon: also in the "9 island Eu boa; where was a notion, that grapes would blossom, and come to perfection in one day. Of the Nusa in India, Philostratus takes notice; and says, that from thence Dionusus had the title of Nusios. 30 Νύσιος ὁ Διονύσιος απο της εν Ινδοις Νυ ons ovoμaserα. But this, if the author says the truth, must have been owing to a great mistake: : 28 Νυσα, και Νυσηΐον ορος, 8 καθ ̓ ἕνα τοπον εςι γαρ Αραβίας, Αιθιο πιας, Αίγυπτο, Βαβυλωνος, Ερύθρας, Θράκης, Θετταλίας, Κιλικίας, Ινδικης, Λιβύης, Λυδίας, Μακεδονίας, Ναξύ, περι το Παγγαιον, τόπος Zugias. Hesych. Ενθα δια μιας ημερας την αμπελον φασιν ανθειν, και τον βοτρυν TITаoba. Steph. Byzant. 30 Vit. Apollon. Tyan. 1. 2. p. 56. for there were, as I have shewn, many "cities so called; which did not give the name; but were all universally denominated from him. These, though widely distant, being situated in countries. far removed, yet retained the same original histories; and were generally famous for the plantation of the vine. Misled by this similarity of traditions, people in aftertimes imagined, that Dionusus must necessarily have been, where his history occurred and as it was the turn of the Greeks to place every thing to the account of conquest; they made him a great conqueror, who went over the face of the whole earth, and, taught mankind the plantation of the vine: 34 Διονύσου επελθοντα μετα τρατοπέδε πασαν την οικεμε μην, διδάξαι τε την φυτείαν της αμπελς, και την εν τοις ληνοις ATODI TWY Borgown. It is said, that Dionusus went with an army over the face of the whole earth; and taught mankind, as he passed along, 1 31 There was a city Noa, built by the antient Dorians in Sicily; called by Stephanus Νοαι το εθνικον Νοαίος. The Scriptures speak of cities called Amon-No, and No-Amon in Egypt. Ezek. c. 30. v. 14, &c. Jerem. c. 46. v, 25. The city Naucratis in the same country was probably NauCarat, similar to the Kiriath of the Hebrews; and signified the city of Nau, or Noah. A city Noa was near Syene. Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 29. 32 Diodor. Sic. 1. 3. p. 197. the method of planting the vine, and how to press out the juice, and receive it in proper vessels. Though the Patriarch is represented under various titles, and even these not always uniformly appropriated; yet there will continually occur such péculiar circumstances of his history, as will plainly point out the person referred to. The person preserved is always mentioned as preserved in an ark. He is described as being in a state of darkness, which is represented allegorically as a state of death. He then obtains a new life, which is called a second birth; and is said to have his youth renewed. He is on this account looked upon as the firstborn of mankind: and both his antediluvian and postdiluvian states are com memorated, and sometimes the intermediate is spoken of. 13 Κικλήσκω Διονυσον, εξιβρόμον, ένα ηρά, ΠΡΩΤΟΓΟΝΟΝ, ΔΙΦΥΗ, ΤΡΙΓΟΝΟΝ. 34 Πρώτος δ' ες φάος ήλθε, Διώνυσος δ ̓ ἐπεκλήθη. Diodorus calls him Deucalion; but describes the 33 Orphic Hymn. 29. p. 222. 34 Orphic. Fragm. apud Macrob. Saturnal. 1. 1. c. 18. Sometimes ПgwToyovos is changed to a female, and then made the daughter of Deucalion. Πρωτογένεια δε Δευκαλίωνος και Πύρρας. Schol. in Pind. Olymp. Od. 9. v. 63. 3.5 κατα τον Επι Deluge as in a manner universal; xaтα TO ETI Δευκαλίωνος γενομενον κατακλυσμον εφθαρη τα πλείςα των www: In the Deluge, which happened in the time of Deucalion, almost all flesh died. Apollodorus having mentioned Deucalion Ev λagvaxi, consigned to an ark, takes notice, upon his quitting it, of his offering up an immediate sacrifice, 36 Aï Puę, to the God who delivered him. As he was the father of all mankind, the antients have made him a person of very extensive rule, and supposed him to have been a king. Sometimes he is described as monarch of the whole earth: at other times he is reduced to a petty king of Thessaly. He is mentioned by " Hellanicus in the latter capacity, who speaks of the deluge in his time, and of his building altars to the Gods. Apollonius Rhodius supposes him to have been a native of Greece, according to the common notion: but notwithstanding his prejudices, he gives so particular a character of him, that the true history cannot be mistaken. He makes him indeed the 37 35 Diodor. Sicul. 1. 1. p. 10. 36 Apollodor. 1. 1. p. 20. 37 Ότι δε και Δευκαλίων εβασίλευσε Θεσσαλίας, Ελλανικος εν πρωτῳ της Δευκαλιωνίας φησιν· και ότι των δωδεκα θεών βωμες Δευκαλίων ίδρυσατο Ελλανίκος ET AUT. Schol. in Apollon. Rhod. 1. 3, v. 1085. son of 38 Prometheus, the son of Japetus: but, in these antient mythological accounts, all genealogy must be entirely disregarded. 39 Ιαπετιονίδης αγαθον τεκε Δευκαλίωνα, Ὃς πρώτος ποίησε πολεις, και εδείματα νηες Though this character be not precisely true, yet we may learn, that the person represented was the first of men, through whom religious rites were renewed, cities built, and civil polity established in the world: none of which circumstances are applicable to any king of Greece. We are as4° Philo, that Deucalion was Noah. sured by Έλληνες μεν Δευκαλίωνα, Χαλδαίοι δε ΝΩΕ επονομαζεσιν, εφ' ε τον μεγαν κατακλυσμον συνεβη γενεσθαι. The Gre cians call the person Deucalion, but the Chaldeans style him Noë; in whose time there happened the great eruption of waters. The Chaldeans likewise mentioned him by the name of Xisouthros. 38 He was the same as Prometheus, the person here called Japetionides. 39 Apollon. Rhod. 1. 3. v. 1085. 40 Philo Jud. de præmio et pœnâ. vol. 2. p. 412. |