Thus the Argives gave the credit to this imagi nary personage of clearing their land of this grievance but the brood came from the very quarter from whence Apis was supposed to have arrived. They were certainly Hivites from Egypt: and the same story is told of that country. It is represented as having been of old over-run with serpents; and almost depopulated through their numbers. Diodorus Siculus seems to understand this literally but a region, which was annually overflowed, and that too for so long a season, could not well be liable to such a calamity. They were serpents of another nature, with which it was thus infested: and the history relates to the Cuthites, the original Ophitæ, who for a long time possessed that country. They passed from Egypt to Syria, and to the Euphrates: and mention is made of a particular breed of serpents upon that river, which were harmless to the natives, but fatal to every body else. 63 This, I think, cannot be understood literally. The wisdom of the serpent may be great; but not sufficient to make these distinctions. These serpents (2 L. 3. p. 184. 63 Apollonius Discolus. c. 12. and Aristot. de Mirabilibus. vol. 2. p. 737. were of the same nature as the 64 birds of Die-. medes, and the dogs in the temple of Vulcan : and these histories relate to Ophite priests, who used to spare their own people, and sacrifice strangers, a custom which prevailed at one time I have menin most parts of the world. tioned that the Cuthite priests were very learned: and as they were Ophites, whoever had the advantage of their information, was said to have been instructed by serpents. Hence there was a tradition, that Melampus was rendered prophetic from a communication with these "s animals. Something similar is said of Tiresias. As the worship of the serpent was of old so prevalent, many places, as well as people from thence, received their names. Those who settled in Campania were called Opici; which some would have changed to Ophici; because they 6. Οι δε (φασιν) were denominated from serpents. ότι Οφικοι απο των ορίων. But they are, in reality, both names of the same purport, and denote the origin of the people. We meet with places called Opis, Ophis, Ophitea, Ophionia, Ophioëssa, 66 64 Aves Diomedis dorus Orig. 1. 12. c. 7. judicant inter suos et advenas, &c. Isi Pliny. 1. 10. c. 44. 5 Apollodorus. 1. 1. p. 37. 66 Stephanus Byzant. Owixo. Ophiodes, and Ophiusa. This last was an antient name, by which, according to Stephanus, the islands Rhodes, Cythnus, Besbicus, Tenos, and the whole continent of Africa, were distinguished. There were also cities so called. Add to these places denominated Oboth, Obona, and reversed Onoba, from Ob, which was of the same purport. Clemens Alexandrinus says, that the term Eva signified a serpent, if pronounced with a proper 67 aspirate. We find that there were places of this name. There was a city Eva in" Arcadia: and another in 69 Macedonia. There was also a mountain Eva, or Evan, taken notice of by 7° Pausanias, between which and Ithome lay the city Messene. He mentions also an Eva in " Argolis, and speaks of it as a large town. Another name for a serpent, of which I have as yet taken no notice, was Patan, or Pitan. Many places in different parts were denominated from this term. Among others was a city in 7 Laconia; and 7 The same is said by Epiphanius. "Ενια τον οφιν παιδες Εβραιων μa. Epiphanius advers. Ilæres. 1. 3. tom. 2. p. 1092. 68 Steph. Byzant. 73 another in " Mysia, which Stephanus styles a city of Æolia. They were undoubtedly so named from the worship of the serpent, Pitan: and had probably Dracontia, where were figures and devices relative to the religion which prevailed. Ovid mentions the latter city, and has some allusions to its antient history, when he describes Medea as flying through the air from Attica to Colchis. 74 Æoliam Pitanem lævâ de parte relinquit, Factaque de saxo longi simulacra Draconis. The city was situated upon the river Eva or Evan, which the Greeks rendered 75 Evenus. It is remarkable, that the Opici, who are said to have been denominated from serpents, had also the name of Pitanatæ: at least one part of that family were so called. 76 Τίνας δε και Πιτανατας Aya. Pitanatæ is a term of the same purport as Opici, and relates to the votaries of Pitan, the serpent Deity, which was adored by that people. 73 There was a city of this name in Macedonia, and in Troas. 14 Ovid Metamorph. 1. 7. v. 357. 75 Strabo. 1. 13. p. 913. It is compounded of Eva-Ain, the fountain, or river of Eva, the serpent. 76 Strabo. 1. 5. p. 383. |