Note 344 — TIT and TITH.

From what has preceded, we may perceive, that many personages have been formed out of places. And I cannot help suspecting much more of antient history, than I dare venture to acknowledge. Of the mythic age I suppose almost every circumstance to have been imported, and adopted; or else to be a fable. I imagine, that Chiron, so celebrated for his knowledge, was a mere personage formed from a tower, or temple, of that name. It stood in Thessaly; and was inhabited by a set of priests, called Centauri. They were so denominated from the Deity they worshipped, who was represented under a particular form. They styled him Cahen-Taur: and he was the same as the Minotaur of Crete, and the Tauromen of Sicilia; consequently of an emblematical and mixed figure. The people, by whom this worship was introduced, were many of them Anakim; and are accordingly represented as of great strength and stature. Such persons among the people of the east were styled [344]Nephelim: which the Greeks in after times supposed to relate to νεφελη, a cloud. In consequence of this, they described the Centaurs as born of a cloud: and not only the Centaurs, but Ixion, and others, were reputed of the same original. The chief city of the Nephelim stood in Thessaly, and is mentioned by [345]Palæphatus: but through the misconception of his countrymen it was expressed Νεφελη, Nephele, a cloud. The Grecians in general were of this race; as will be abundantly shewn. The Scholiast upon Lycophron mentions, that the descendants of Hellen were by a woman named Nephele, whom Athamas was supposed to have married. [346]Αθαμας ὁ Αιολου του Ἑλληνος παις εκ Νεφελης γεννᾳ Ἑλλην, και Φριξον. The author has made a distinction between Helle, and Hellen; the former of which he describes in the feminine. By Phrixus is meant Φρυξ, Phryx, who passed the Hellespont, and settled in Asia minor. However obscured the history may be, I think the purport of it is plainly this, that the Hellenes, and Phrygians were of the Nephelim or Anakim race. Chiron was a temple, probably at Nephele in Thessalia, the most antient seat of the Nephelim. His name is a compound of Chir-On, in purport the same as Kir-On, the tower and temple of the Sun. In places of this sort people used to study the heavenly motions: and they were made use of for seminaries, where young people were instructed; on which account they were styled παιδοτροφοι. Hence Achilles was supposed to have been taught by [347]Chiron, who is reported to have had many disciples. They are enumerated by Xenophon in his treatise upon hunting, and amount to a large number. [348]Εγενοντο αυτῳ μαθηται κυνηγεσιων τε, και ἑτερων καλων, Κεφαλος, Ασκληπιος, Μελανιων, Νεστωρ, Αμφιαραος, Πηλευς, Τελαμων, Μελεαγρος, Θησευς, Ἱππολυτος, Παλαμηδης, Οδυσσευς, Μενεσθευς, Διομηδης, Καστωρ, Πολυδευκης, Μαχαων, Ποδαλειριος, Αντιλοχος, Αινειας, Αχιλλευς. Jason is by Pindar made to say of himself, [349]Φαμι διδασκαλιαν Χειρωνος οισειν: and the same circumstance is mentioned in another place; [350]Κρονιδᾳ δε τραφεν Χειρωνι δωκαν (Ιασονα). These histories could not be true of Chiron as a person: for, unless we suppose him to have been, as the Poets would persuade us, of a different species from the rest of mankind, it will be found impossible for him to have had pupils in such different ages. For not only Æsculapius, mentioned in this list, but Apollo likewise learnt of him the medicinal arts. [351]Ασκληπιος και Απολλων παρα Χειρωνι τῳ Κενταυρῳ ιασθαι διδασκονται. Xenophon indeed, who was aware of this objection, says, that the term of Chiron's life was sufficient for the performance of all that was attributed to him: [352]Ὁ Χειρωνος βιος πασιν εξηρκει· Ζευς γαρ και Χειρων αδελφοι: but he brings nothing in proof of what he alleges. It is moreover incredible, were we to suppose such a being as Chiron, that he should have had pupils from so many different [353]countries. Besides many of them, who are mentioned, were manifestly ideal personages. For not to speak of Cephalus and Castor, Apollo was a Deity; and Æsculapius was the [354]like: by some indeed esteemed the son of the former; by others introduced rather as a title, and annexed to the names of different Gods. Aristides uses it as such in his invocation of [355]Hercules: Ιω, Παιαν, Ἡρακλες, Ασκληπιε: and he also speaks of the temple of Jupiter Æsculapius, Διος Ασκληπιου νεως. It was idle therefore in the Poets to suppose that these personages could have been pupils to Chiron. Those that were instructed, whoever they may have been, partook only of Chironian education; and were taught in the same kind of academy: but not by one person, nor probably in the same place. For there were many of these towers, where they taught astronomy, music, and other sciences. These places were likewise courts of judicature, where justice was administered: whence Chiron was said to have been φιλοφρονεων, και δικαιοτατος: