A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 2 (of 6)Bryant, Jacob
History
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 2 (of 6)
Bryant, Jacob
History, Ancient; Mythology
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]ὡς δε μοι τις των Ἱρεων απηγετο,
Ευρωπης εστι (το αγαλμα) της Καδμου αδελφεης. 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]Εστ' αν Ῥεια τεκοι παιδα Κρονῳ εν φιλοτητι.
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 Bœotia: 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 Bœotia. 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 ταφος, 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,
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