Note 75 — ANALYSIS

We find the same mistake occur in the account transmitted to us concerning the first discovery of purple. The antients very gratefully gave the merit of every useful and salutary invention to the Gods. Ceres was supposed to have discovered to men corn, and bread: Osiris shewed them the use of the plough; Cinyras of the harp: Vesta taught them to build. Every Deity was looked up to as the cause of some blessing. The Tyrians and Sidonians were famous for the manufacture of purple: the die of which was very exquisite, and the discovery of it was attributed to Hercules of Tyre; the same who by Palæphatus is styled Hercules [75]Philosophus. But some will not allow him this honour; but say, that the dog of Hercules was the discoverer. For accidentally feeding upon the Murex, with which the coast abounded, the dog stained his mouth with the ichor of the fish; and from hence the first hint of dying was [76]taken. This gave birth to the proverbial expression, [77]Ἑυρημα κυνος ην ἡ σεβαστη πορφυρα. Nonnus mentions the particular circumstance of the dog's staining his mouth: