Hercules; that it was supposed to have been " founded by him; and that it was called 28 He'raclea. I imagine that the trident of Poseidon was a mistaken implement; as it does not appear to have any relation to the Deity to whom it has been by the Poets appropriated. Both the towers on the sea-coast, and the beacons, which stood above them, had the name of Tor-ain. This the Grecians changed to Triaina, Teixiva, and sup posed it to have been a three-pronged fork. The beacon, or Torain, consisted of an iron or brazen frame, wherein were three or four tines, which stood up upon a circular basis of the same metal. They were bound with a hoop; and had either the figures of Dolphins, or else foliage in the intervals between them. These filled up the vacant space between the tines, and made them capable of holding the combustible matter with which they were at night filled. This instrument was put upon a high pole, and hung sloping sea-ward over the battlements of the tower, or from the stern of a ship: with this they could maintain, either a smoke by day, or a blaze by night. There 27 29 Stephanus Byzant. Τραχιν, ή νυν Ηρακλεια καλυμένη. Hesych. or, as Athenaus represents it, more truly, Ηρακλειαν, την Τραχίνια, καλεομένην. 1. 11. p. 462. was a place in Argos named 29 Triaina, which was supposed to have been so called from the trident of Neptune. It was undoubtedly a tower, and the true name Tor-ain; as may be shewn from the history with which it is attended. For it stood near a fountain, though a fountain of a different nature from that of which we have been speaking. The waters of Amumone rose here: which Amumone is a variation from Amim-On, the waters of the Sun. The stream rose close to the place, which was named Tor-ain, from its vicinity to the fountain. Cerberus was the name of a place, as well as Triton and Torone, though esteemed the dog of hell. We are told by 30 Eusebius, from Plutarch, that Cerberus was the Sun; but the term properly signified the temple, or place, of the Sun. The great luminary was styled by the Amonians both Or and Abor; that is, light, and the parent of light and Cerberus is properly Kir-Abor, the place of that Deity. The same temple had different names, from the diversity of the God's titles. who was there worshipped. It was called Tor 27 "Τριαινα τοπος Αργος ενθα την τρίαιναν ορθήν έτησεν ο Ποσειδων, συγγινόμενος τη Αμυμώνη, και ευθύς κατ' εκείνο ίδως ανεβλυσεν, ὁ και την επίκλησιν έσχεν εξ Αμυμώνης. Scholia in Euripidis Pheniss. v. 195. 30 Eusebius. Præp. Evan, 1. 3. c. 11. p. 113. Caph-El; which was changed to тpixepaños, just as Cahen-Caph-El was rendered xuvoxaños: and Cerberus was hence supposed to have had three heads. It was also styled Tor-Keren, Turris Regia; which suffered a like change with the word above, being expressed τpixaρnvos; and Cahen Ades, or Cerberus, was hence supposed to have been a triple-headed monster. That these idle figments took their rise from names of places, ill expressed and misinterpreted, may be proved from Palaphatus. He abundantly shews that the mistake arose hence, though he does not point out precisely the mode of deviation. He first speaks of Geryon, who was supposed to have had three heads, and was thence styled тpixrpaños. 3 Hv de ποιονδε τετο πολις εσιν εν τῳ Ευξινῳ ποντῳ Τρικαρηνία και λμen λ. The purport of the fable about Geryones is this: There was, upon the Pontus Euxinus, a city named Tricarenia; and thence came the history Inguove Te Teixagnus, of Geryon the Tricarenian; which was interpreted, a man with three heads. He mentions the same thing of Cerberus. 32 Λέγεσι περι Κερβερι, ὡς κυων ην, έχων τρεις κεφαλας· δηλον δε ότι και έτος απο της πολεως εκληθη Τρικάρηνος, ώσπερ ὁ Γηρυόνης. They say of Cerberus, that he was a dog with three 31 31 Palæphatus. p. 56. 32 Ibid. p. 95. |