A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)Bryant, Jacob
Religion
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)
Bryant, Jacob
History, Ancient; Mythology
I have mentioned, that Gaugamela was the temple of Cham-El, or Cham-Il.
This was a title of the Deity brought from Chaldea to Egypt; and from
thence to Greece, Hetruria, and other regions. The Greeks, out of different
titles, 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]Ακουσιλαος δε ὁ Αργειος εκ Καβειρης και Ἡφαιστου Καμιλον
λεγει. He was, by others, rendered Camillus, whose attendants were the
Camilli; and he was esteemed the same as Hermes of Egypt. [381]Statius
Tullianus de vocabulis rerum libro primo ait dixisse Callimachum, Tuscos
Camillum appellare Mercurium, &c. Romani quoque pueros et puellas nobiles
et investes Camillos et Camillas appellant, Flaminicarum et Flaminum
præministros. Servius speaks to the same purpose. [382]Mercurius Hetruscâ
linguâ 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 title 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]Και τον ὑπηρετουντα τῳ Ἱερῳ του
Διος αμφιθαλη παιδα λεγεσθαι Καμιλλον, ᾡς και τον Ἑρμην· ὁυτως ενιοι των
Ἑλληνων Καμιλλον απο της διακονιας προσηγορευον. He mentions
Ἑρμην--Καμιλλον απο της διακονιας, and supposes that Camillus had the name
of Hermes from the similarity of his office, which was waiting upon the
Gods. But the Chaldeans and Egyptians, from whom these titles were
borrowed, esteemed Hermes as the chief Deity, the same as Zeus, Bel, and
Adon. They knew nothing of Mercurius pedissequus, nor Hermes the lacky.
They styled their chief God Cam-Il, or Camillus, and his priests had the
same title. He did not borrow it from them; but they received it from him.
The name is sometimes expressed Camulus: and the Amonians, who travelled
westward, brought his rites and worship into the western parts of Europe:
hence there are inscriptions to be found inscribed [384]Camulo Sancto
Fortissimo. He was sometimes taken for Mars: as we may learn from an
inscription in Gruter:
[385] MARTI CAMULO
Ob Salutem Tiberi Claud. Cæs. Cives Remi
posuerunt.
Such is the history of this Deity; whose worship was better known in the
more early ages; and whose temple was styled Gau-Camel, by the Greeks
rendered Gaugamela. I make no doubt but that Arbela was the same place: for
places had as many names as the Deity worshipped had titles. Arbela was
probably the city, and Gaugamela the [386]temple; both sacred to the same
Deity, under different names.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account