Note 96 — RADICALS.

Ees, rendered As and Is, like אש of the Hebrews, related to light and fire; and was one of the titles of the Sun. It is sometimes compounded Ad-Ees, and Ad-Is; whence came the Hades of the Greeks, and Atis and Attis of the Asiatics; which were names of the same Deity, the Sun. Many places were hence denominated: particularly a city in Africa, mentioned by [96]Polybius. There was a river [97]Adesa, which passed by the city Choma in Asia minor. It was, moreover, the name of one of the chief and most antient cities in Syria, said to have been built by Nimrod. It was, undoubtedly, the work of some of his brotherhood, the sons of Chus, who introduced there the rites of fire, and the worship of the Sun; whence it was styled Adesa, rendered by the Greeks Edessa. One of the names of fire, among those in the East, who worship it, is [98]Atesh at this day. The term As, like Adad, before mentioned, is sometimes compounded with itself, and rendered Asas, and Azaz; by the Greeks expressed Αζαζος and [99]Αζιζος. In the very place spoken of above, the Deity was worshipped under the name of Azizus. The Emperor Julian acquaints us, in his hymn to the [100]Sun, that the people of Edessa possessed a region, which, from time immemorial, had been sacred to that luminary: that there were two subordinate Deities, Monimus and Azizus, who were esteemed coadjutors, and assessors to the chief God. He supposes them to have been the same as Mars and Mercury: but herein this zealous emperor failed; and did not understand the theology which he was recommending. Monimus and Azizus were both names of the same God, the Deity of Edessa, and [101]Syria. The former is, undoubtedly, a translation of Adad, which signifies μονας, or [102]unitas: though, as I have before shewn, more properly primus. Azizus is a reduplication of a like term, being compounded with itself; and was of the same purport as Ades, or Ad Ees, from whence the place was named. It was a title not unknown in Greece: for Ceres was, of old, called Azazia; by the Ionians, Azesia. Hesychius observes, Αζησια, ἡ Δημητηρ. Proserpine, also, had this name. In the same author we learn that αζα, aza, signified ασβολος, or sun-burnt: which shews plainly to what the primitive word [103]related. This word is often found combined with Or; as in Asorus, and Esorus, under which titles the Deity was worshipped in [104]Syria, [105]Sicily, and Carthage: of the last city he was supposed to have been the founder. It is often compounded with El and Il; and many places were from thence denominated Alesia, Elysa, Eleusa, Halesus, Elysus, Eleusis, by apocope Las, Lasa, Læsa, Lasaia; also, Lissa, Lissus, Lissia. Sometimes we meet with these terms reversed; and, instead of El Ees, they are rendered Ees El: hence we have places named Azilis, Azila, Asyla, contracted Zelis, Zela, Zeleia, Zelitis; also Sele, Sela, Sala, Salis, Sillas, Silis, Soli. All these places were founded or denominated by people of the Amonian worship: and we may always, upon inquiry, perceive something very peculiar in their history and situation. They were particularly devoted to the worship of the Sun; and they were generally situated near hot springs, or else upon foul and fetid lakes, and pools of bitumen. It is, also, not uncommon to find near them mines of salt and nitre; and caverns sending forth pestilential exhalations. The Elysian plain, near the Catacombs in Egypt, stood upon the foul Charonian canal; which was so noisome, that every fetid ditch and cavern was from it called Charonian. Asia Proper comprehended little more than Phrygia, and a part of Lydia; and was bounded by the river Halys. It was of a most inflammable soil; and there were many fiery eruptions about Caroura, and in Hyrcania, which latter was styled by the Greeks κεκαυμενη. Hence, doubtless, the region had the name of [106]Asia, or the land of fire. One of its most antient cities, and most reverenced, was Hierapolis, famous for its hot [107]fountains. Here was also a sacred cavern, styled by [108]Strabo Plutonium, and Charonium; which sent up pestilential effluvia. Photius, in the life of Isidorus, acquaints us, that it was the temple of Apollo at Hierapolis, within whose precincts these deadly vapours arose. [109]Εν Ἱεραπολει της Φρυγιας Ἱερον ην Απολλωνος, ὑπο δε τον ναον καταβασιον ὑπεκειτο, θανασιμους αναπνοας παρεχομενον. He speaks of this cavity as being immediately under the edifice. Four caverns of this sort, and styled Charonian, are mentioned by [110]Strabo in this part of the world. Pliny, speaking of some Charonian hollows in Italy, says, that the exhalations were insupportable. [111]Spiracula vocant, alii Charoneas scrobes, mortiferum spiritum exhalantes. It may appear wonderful; but the Amonians were determined in the situation both of their cities and temples by these strange phænomena. They esteemed no places so sacred as those where there were fiery eruptions, uncommon steams, and sulphureous exhalations. In Armenia, near [112]Comana, and Camisena, was the temple of [113]Anait, or fountain of the Sun. It was a Persic and Babylonish Deity, as well as an Armenian, which was honoured with Puratheia, where the rites of fire were particularly kept up. The city itself was named Zela; and close behind it was a large nitrous lake. In short, from the Amonian terms, Al-As, came the Grecian ἁλος, ἁλας, ἁλς; as, from the same terms reversed (As-El), were formed the Latine Sal, Sol, and Salum. Wherever the Amonians found places with these natural or præternatural properties, they held them sacred, and founded their temples near them. [114]Selenousia, in Ionia, was upon a salt lake, sacred to Artemis. In Epirus was a city called Alesa, Elissa, and Lesa: and hard by were the Alesian plains; similar to the Elysian in Egypt: in these was produced a great quantity of fossil [115]salt. There was an Alesia in Arcadia, and a mountain Alesium with a temple upon it. Here an antient personage, Æputus, was said to have been suffocated with salt water: in which history there is an allusion to the etymology of the name. It is true that Pausanias supposes it to have been called Alesia, from Rhea having wandered thither; [116]δια την αλην, ὡς φασι, καλουμενον την Ῥεας: but it was not αλη, but ἁλας, and ἁλος, sal; and the Deity, to whom that body was sacred, from whence the place was named. And this is certain from another tradition, which there prevailed: for it is said that in antient times there was an eruption of sea water in the temple: [117]Θαλασσης δε αναφαινεσθαι κυμα εν τῳ Ἱερῳ τουτῳ λογος εστιν αρχαιος. Nor was this appellation confined to one particular sort of fountain, or water: but all waters, that had any uncommon property, were in like manner sacred to Elees, or Eesel. It was an antient title of Mithras and Osiris in the east, the same as [118]Sol, the Sun. From hence the priests of the Sun were called Soli and Solimi in Cilicia, Selli in Epirus, Salii at Rome, all originally priests of fire. As such they are described by Virgil: