DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0281
OF THE RELIGION OP GREECE.
259
ports, 4 that beiDg with child, she dreamed the sun entered into her mouth
and passed through her belly ; whence her child was named Branchus,
from Pgoyxps the throat, through which the god had penetrated into the
womb. The boy afterwards having kissed Apollo in the woods, and re-
ceived from him a crown and sceptre, began to prophecy, and presently
after disappeared.' Whereupon a magnificent temple was dedicated to
him and Apollo Philesius, so called from p/Xei», to kiss ; whence Statius
saith, he was
-patrioque cequalis honori.
In honour equal to his father Phcebus.
Others derive the name from Branchus, a Thessalian youth, beloved by
Apollo, who received him into his own temple, and commanded that di-
vine honours should be paid him after death. But Stephanus the Byzan-
tian (l) telleth us, that this oracle was sacred 10 Jupiter and Apollo and
perhaps it might belong to all three. However that be, we are assured
by Herodotus, that this oracle was ix irccXats Ifgupev**, raJ luvsg ts ifuvret
§ AioXg'fj eia&sifav %j>se<fdar very ancient, and frequented by all the lonians
and JEolians : and are farther told by Conon in Photius's Bibliotheca, that
it was accounted ^'ir^'wi 'EAX^vixwv f^sre* AtX^sg x?a,<n«-ov the best of all
the Grecian oracles except the Delphian.
In the time of the Persian war (2), this temple was spoiled and burned,
being betrayed into the hands of the barbarians by the Branchidae, or
priests, who had the care of it ; but they, conscious of their own wick-
edness, and fearing lest they should meet with condign punishment, de-
sired of Xerxes, that, as a requital of their service, he would grant them
a habitation in some remote part of Asia, whence they might never return
into Greece, but live secure, being placed beyond the reach of justice.
Xerxes granted their request : whereupon, notwithstanding a great many
unlucky omens appeared to them, they founded a city, and called it after
their ancient name, Branchidae. But for all this, they could not escape
divine vengeance, which was inflicted on their children by Alexander the
Great, who, having conquered Darius, and possessed himself of Asia,
utterly demolished their city, and put all its inhabitants to the sword, as
detesting the very posterity of such impious wretches.
The Persians baing vanquished, and peace restored to Greece (3), the
temple was rebuilt by the Milesians, with such magnificence, that it sur-
passed almost all the other Grecian tempjes in bigness, being raised to
such a bulk, that they were forced to let it remain uncovered ; for the
compass of it was no less than that of a village, and contained at least four
or five stadia.
Another of Apollo's oracles we read of in Abae, a city of Phocis, men-
tioned by Herodotus (4), and Stephanus the Byzantian (5), by the latter
of whom we are told it was more ancient than the Delphian. Sopho-
cles (6) also hath taken notice of it:
Ovf £«<rov Ao«wi vsl&v.
(1) Voce AtSujia.
(2) Strabo, lib. xiv, et Suidas in Voce Bgay-
\iSau (3) Strabo, loc. cit.
(4) Lib. i. cap. 46.
(5) Voce ASai. item Hesvch. etPhar^r
(6) Oedip. Tyr. v. 908,
259
ports, 4 that beiDg with child, she dreamed the sun entered into her mouth
and passed through her belly ; whence her child was named Branchus,
from Pgoyxps the throat, through which the god had penetrated into the
womb. The boy afterwards having kissed Apollo in the woods, and re-
ceived from him a crown and sceptre, began to prophecy, and presently
after disappeared.' Whereupon a magnificent temple was dedicated to
him and Apollo Philesius, so called from p/Xei», to kiss ; whence Statius
saith, he was
-patrioque cequalis honori.
In honour equal to his father Phcebus.
Others derive the name from Branchus, a Thessalian youth, beloved by
Apollo, who received him into his own temple, and commanded that di-
vine honours should be paid him after death. But Stephanus the Byzan-
tian (l) telleth us, that this oracle was sacred 10 Jupiter and Apollo and
perhaps it might belong to all three. However that be, we are assured
by Herodotus, that this oracle was ix irccXats Ifgupev**, raJ luvsg ts ifuvret
§ AioXg'fj eia&sifav %j>se<fdar very ancient, and frequented by all the lonians
and JEolians : and are farther told by Conon in Photius's Bibliotheca, that
it was accounted ^'ir^'wi 'EAX^vixwv f^sre* AtX^sg x?a,<n«-ov the best of all
the Grecian oracles except the Delphian.
In the time of the Persian war (2), this temple was spoiled and burned,
being betrayed into the hands of the barbarians by the Branchidae, or
priests, who had the care of it ; but they, conscious of their own wick-
edness, and fearing lest they should meet with condign punishment, de-
sired of Xerxes, that, as a requital of their service, he would grant them
a habitation in some remote part of Asia, whence they might never return
into Greece, but live secure, being placed beyond the reach of justice.
Xerxes granted their request : whereupon, notwithstanding a great many
unlucky omens appeared to them, they founded a city, and called it after
their ancient name, Branchidae. But for all this, they could not escape
divine vengeance, which was inflicted on their children by Alexander the
Great, who, having conquered Darius, and possessed himself of Asia,
utterly demolished their city, and put all its inhabitants to the sword, as
detesting the very posterity of such impious wretches.
The Persians baing vanquished, and peace restored to Greece (3), the
temple was rebuilt by the Milesians, with such magnificence, that it sur-
passed almost all the other Grecian tempjes in bigness, being raised to
such a bulk, that they were forced to let it remain uncovered ; for the
compass of it was no less than that of a village, and contained at least four
or five stadia.
Another of Apollo's oracles we read of in Abae, a city of Phocis, men-
tioned by Herodotus (4), and Stephanus the Byzantian (5), by the latter
of whom we are told it was more ancient than the Delphian. Sopho-
cles (6) also hath taken notice of it:
Ovf £«<rov Ao«wi vsl&v.
(1) Voce AtSujia.
(2) Strabo, lib. xiv, et Suidas in Voce Bgay-
\iSau (3) Strabo, loc. cit.
(4) Lib. i. cap. 46.
(5) Voce ASai. item Hesvch. etPhar^r
(6) Oedip. Tyr. v. 908,