DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7416#0013
3
fear or awe.1 Their poets, however, soon debased his dignity,
and made him the subject of as many wild and extravagant fables,
as any of his subject progeny ; which fables became a part of their
religion, though never seriously believed by any but the lowest of i
the vulgar.
5. Such appear to be the general principles and outlines of the
popular faith, not only among the Greeks, but among all other
primitive nations, not favored by the lights of Revelation : for though
the superiority and subsequent universality of the Greek language,
and the more exalted genius and refined taste of the early Greek
poets, have preserved the knowledge of their sacred mythology
more entire ; we find traces of the same simple principles and fan-
ciful superstructures, from the shores of the Baltic to the banks of
the Ganges : and there can be little doubt, that the voluminous poet-
ical cosmogonies still extant among the Hindoos, and the fragments
preserved of those of the Scandinavians, may afford us very com-
petent ideas of the style and subjects of those ponderous compila-
tions in verse, which constituted the mystic lore of the ancient
priests of Persia/ Germany,3 Spain,* Gaul, and Britain; and
which in the two latter countries were so extensive, that the edu-
' Uaparttrt 5e Kai Aevs \eyerai (<5 Zeus). Phiirunt. de Nat. Deor. c. 2.
. The letter Z was, as is well known, no other than A2, or 2A, expressed
by one character; and in the refinement of the language, and variation of
dialects, the 2 was frequently dropped, as appears from the very ancient me-
dals of Zancle in Sicily, inscribed AANKAE.
In the genuine parts of the Iliad and Odyssey, there is no instance of a
vowel continuing short before AE02, AEIN02, AEIAn, &c.; so that the ini-
tial was originally a double consonant, probably A2; which at first became
AA,.and afterwards A, though the metre of the old bards has preserved the
double time in the utterance.
1 Vicies centum millia versiuim a Zoroastre condita. Hermippus apud
Plin. lib. xxx. c. 1.
3 Celebrant (Germani) carminibus antiquis, quod iinum apud.illos memo-
ria; et annalium genus, Tuistonem deum terra editum, et filium Mannum
originem gentis conditoresque. Tacit, de M. G.
4 Ttjs ira\aias nvr^itis ^ovm (rovpZovXoi) ra (ttryypap.na.Ta. teat irofqp.aTa, xai vo^ovs
t-jijierpous (^aKicrxAtaf €tw, iis <pa<n. Strab. lib. iii. p. 139.
fear or awe.1 Their poets, however, soon debased his dignity,
and made him the subject of as many wild and extravagant fables,
as any of his subject progeny ; which fables became a part of their
religion, though never seriously believed by any but the lowest of i
the vulgar.
5. Such appear to be the general principles and outlines of the
popular faith, not only among the Greeks, but among all other
primitive nations, not favored by the lights of Revelation : for though
the superiority and subsequent universality of the Greek language,
and the more exalted genius and refined taste of the early Greek
poets, have preserved the knowledge of their sacred mythology
more entire ; we find traces of the same simple principles and fan-
ciful superstructures, from the shores of the Baltic to the banks of
the Ganges : and there can be little doubt, that the voluminous poet-
ical cosmogonies still extant among the Hindoos, and the fragments
preserved of those of the Scandinavians, may afford us very com-
petent ideas of the style and subjects of those ponderous compila-
tions in verse, which constituted the mystic lore of the ancient
priests of Persia/ Germany,3 Spain,* Gaul, and Britain; and
which in the two latter countries were so extensive, that the edu-
' Uaparttrt 5e Kai Aevs \eyerai (<5 Zeus). Phiirunt. de Nat. Deor. c. 2.
. The letter Z was, as is well known, no other than A2, or 2A, expressed
by one character; and in the refinement of the language, and variation of
dialects, the 2 was frequently dropped, as appears from the very ancient me-
dals of Zancle in Sicily, inscribed AANKAE.
In the genuine parts of the Iliad and Odyssey, there is no instance of a
vowel continuing short before AE02, AEIN02, AEIAn, &c.; so that the ini-
tial was originally a double consonant, probably A2; which at first became
AA,.and afterwards A, though the metre of the old bards has preserved the
double time in the utterance.
1 Vicies centum millia versiuim a Zoroastre condita. Hermippus apud
Plin. lib. xxx. c. 1.
3 Celebrant (Germani) carminibus antiquis, quod iinum apud.illos memo-
ria; et annalium genus, Tuistonem deum terra editum, et filium Mannum
originem gentis conditoresque. Tacit, de M. G.
4 Ttjs ira\aias nvr^itis ^ovm (rovpZovXoi) ra (ttryypap.na.Ta. teat irofqp.aTa, xai vo^ovs
t-jijierpous (^aKicrxAtaf €tw, iis <pa<n. Strab. lib. iii. p. 139.