Note 576 — OB, OUB, PYTHO,

All these poetical histories were founded in original truths. Some of them built Hermione, one of the most antient cities in Greece. The tradition was, that it was built by [576]Hermion the son of Europs, or Europis, a descendant of Phoroneus, and Niobe; and was inhabited by Dorians, who came from Argos: in which history is more than at first appears. The city stood near a stagnant lake, and a deep cavern; where was supposed to be the most compendious passage to the shades below: [577]την εις ἁδου καταβασιν συντομον. The lake was called the pool of Acherusia; near to which and the yawning cavern the Cyclopians chose to take up their habitation. They are said to have built [578]Tiryns; the walls of which were esteemed no less a wonder than the [579]pyramids of Egypt. They must have resided at Nauplia in Argolis; a place in situation not unlike Hermione above-mentioned. Near this city were caverns in the earth, and subterraneous passages, consisting of [580]labyrinths cut in the rock, like the syringes in Upper Egypt, and the maze at the lake Mæris: and these too were reputed the work of Cyclopians. Pausanias thinks very truly, that the Nauplians were from Egypt. [581]Ησαν δε ὁι Ναυπλιεις, εμοι δοκειν, Αιγυπτιοι τα παλαιοτερα. The Nauplians seem to me to have been a colony from Egypt in the more early times. He supposes that they were some of those emigrants, who came over with Danaüs. The nature of the works, which the Cyclopians executed, and the lake, which they named Acherusia, shew plainly the part of the world from whence they came. The next city to Nauplia was Trœzen, where Orus was said to have once reigned, from whom the country was called Oraia: but Pausanias very justly thinks, that it was an Egyptian history; and that the region was denominated from [582]Orus of Egypt, whose worship undoubtedly had been here introduced. So that every circumstance witnesses the country, from whence the Cyclopians came. Hence when [583]Euripides speaks of the walls of antient Mycene, as built by the Cyclopians after the Phenician rule and method: the Phenicians alluded to were the Φοινικες of Egypt, to which country they are primarily to be referred. Those who built Tiryns are represented as seven in number; and the whole is described by Strabo in the following manner. [584]Τιρυνθι ὁρμητηριῳ χρησασθαι δοκει Προιτος, και τειχισαι δια Κυκλωπων· ὁυς ἑπτα μεν ειναι, καλεισθαι δε Γαστεροχειρας, τρεφομενους εκ της τεχνης. Prœtus seems to have been the first who made use of Tiryns as an harbour; which place he walled round by the assistance of the Cyclopians. They were seven in number, styled Gastrocheirs; and lived by their labour. Hesychius in some degree reverses this strange name, and says, that they were called Εγχειρογαστερες. The Grecians continually mistook places for persons, as I have shewn. These seven Cyclopes were, I make no doubt, seven Cyclopian towers built by the people, of whom I have been treating. Some of them stood towards the harbour to afford light to ships, when they approached in the night. They were sacred to Aster, or [585]Astarte; and styled Astro-caer, and Caer-Aster; out of which the Greeks formed Γαστροχειρ, and Εγχειρογαστηρ; a strange medley made up of hands, and bellies. Strabo in particular having converted these building's into so many masons, adds, [586]Γαστεροχειρας, τρεφομενους εκ της τεχνης. They were honest bellyhanded men, industrious people, who got their livelihood by their art. These towers were erected likewise for Purait, or Puratheia, where the rites of fire were performed: but Purait, or Puraitus, the Greeks changed to Προιτος; and gave out that the towers were built for [587]Prœtus, whom they made a king of that country.