he will then correfpond with Hyginus; and Creufa is the fourth Daughter in the arrangement of the fix Sifters by Suidas: The other two were probably born after the event of the facrifice; Creufa however in the play is fuppofed the only furviving one at the era of the Drama. N° XIX. Verfe 300. Τροφωνία. 292. The Trophonian shrine. THE circumstances regarding the oracular Cave of Trophonius are collected by Archbishop Potter in his Archeologia', and by Fontenelle in his Hiftory of Oracles 2. Sir George Wheler inverted the journey of Xuthus, for he went from Delphi to Livadia, "which place, fays he, was celebrated in old times for the oracle of Trophonius, which was in a cavern in a hill." (Travels into Græce, b. 4. p. 329.) Verfe 337. Η Θεός. No XX. 329. Her power avails not here. THE Goddess Aidas or Modefty was worshipped among the Græcians; and we learn from our Poet in his Hippolytus 3, that there were two divinities of the fame name; the one inclined to ill, the other to good. We may alfo collect the 2 Prem. Differt. c. 15. 3 V. 385. B. 2. c. 10. fame 6 fame idea from a paffage in the fragments of his Erechtheus; and Homer and Hefiod both correspond with him in the fame affertion. Among all Mortals, fays Demofthenes', there are altars of Juftice, Equity, and Modesty. Thus Paufanias mentions at Athens an altar of this Goddess, and alfo a ftatue of her at Sparta. (l. 1. c. 17. p. 39. & 1. 3. c. 22. p. 262.) 8 Verfe 354. Σοὶ ταῦ]ὸν ἥβης. * N° XXI. 346. His years, if living, would approach to thine. THIS obfervation of Creufa is extremely interesting: In the Opera of Gioas, Re di Giuda, by Metaftafio, Sebia fays to her undiscovered child in a scene, which bears a great refemblance to this, 454. Thee, prompt to yield thy lenient aid. THE Goddess, here invoked under the title of Esitua Ilithyia, is fixed by the return of the fentence, where the Chorus exprefsly calls her Adloyers, the daughter of Latona”, to imply Diana: who under this character was adored, as the tutelary Divinity prefiding over the travail of women: As the epithet of λoxía, conveying this idea, is here applied to her, fo our Poet in his Hippolytus calls her, by the correfponding word of cλoxos3; and in his Supplices by this very epithet of Acía Callimachus makes Diana in his hymn to this Goddess declare, that from her birth she was destined to prefide over this employment. In regard to the derivation of the word Ilithyia, Phurnutus deduces it either from singuém, in allufion to her conftant revolution round the earth, as the 4 3 6 5 Because the title of Ilithyia is not alone fufficient, as this is often applied to another Græcian Goddess, incompatible with Diana: Thus Hefiod in his Theogony (v.921.) and Pindar in his commencement of the feventh Nemæan Ode call her the daughter of Juno; which correfponds with Homer, who mentions the Eixeliai, as the daughters of Juno (II. 11. v. 271.) Though in another paffage he fpeaks of a fingle Goddefs of this name, without any specification to afcertain the object of his expreffion, (Il. 16. v. 187.) At other times this Ilithyia is defcribed, as prefent at the travail of Latona, the Mother of Diana, as by the Author of the hymn to Apollo, afcribed to Homer (v. 97 & 115.) and for this purpofe fhe is invoked by Callimachus in his hymn to Delos (v. 132 & 257. Paufanias alfo mentions a temple of Ilithyia, who came from the Hyperborians to Delos to affist ar the parturition of Latona. (1. 1. c. 18. p. 42.) 3 V. 166. 2*V. 465. 4 V. 958. 5 V. 23. Moon; 9 7 II Moon; or from sú to come, as attending the call of pregnant Women: But, according to Weffelingius in his edition of Diodorus Siculus, this word is of Phoenician extraction, and comes from a term in that language, fignifying to bring forth. The Scholiaft on Ariftophanes afferts, that this Ilithyia was the Diana Phosphorus, fo denominated from being the Inspector of Infants on their arrival into the region of light: From this idea the Romans adopted the titles of 10: But they Lucina and Genitalis 10: were involved in equal, if not greater, darkness than even the Græcians in regard to the identity of this object of their Pagan adoration; and nothing can more demonftrate the grofs confufion in that complicated fyftem of Heathen Theology. Lucian " has not failed to rally with his ufual humour this pretty occupation of the chafte Virgin Diana; but those who defend the propriety of it refer to the phyfical operation of the moon on parturition, Rite maturos aperire partus. 12 (Hor. Car. Sec. v. 13.) 7 Vol. I. 1. 5. p. 389. 8 Lyfiftrata, v. 743. • Thus Cicero, ut apud Græcos Dianam, eamque Luciferam, fic apud noftros Junonem Lucinam in pariendo vocant. (De Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 27.) 10 Hor. Carm. Secul. v. 16. od. 22. Terence correfponds with Cicero in his exclamation of Juno Lucina, (Andria, A. 3. S. 1.) And Catullus addreffes Diana, Tu Lucina dolentibus Juno dicta puerperis, (Carm. 34. v. 13.) But Virgil and Horace evidently apply this title of Lucina to Diana, (Ecl. 4. v. 10. Carm. 1. 3. v. 3. & Carm. Secul. v. 15.) And Ovid oppofes Diana, as Lucina, to Juno. (Met. 1. 9. v. 284.) Two Engravings of this Goddess may be feen in Montfaucon (Antiq. Expl. tom. I. pl. 22. fig 4 & 5.) 12 Deor. Dial, 16. vol. I. p. 245. ed. Hemiter. N° XXIII. N° XXIII. Verfe 455. Προμηθεῖ Τζάνι λοχευ θεῖσαν κάτ ̓ ἀκροβάτας Κορυφᾶς Διὸς. 459. Thou, whom the Titan from the head of Jove Prometheus drew. ACCORDING to the opinion of Barnes, the Titan, here mentioned, as affording affistance to Jupiter, when Minerva iffued from his head, is Vulcan: He therefore tranflates Пpound, as an epithet, and not as the name of a Man: It must be allowed, that Vulcan is fometimes reprefented, as aiding and affifting at this extraordinary parturition: Thus Pindar, By Vulcan's art the Father's teeming head Was open'd wide; and forth impetuous sprung, (West. Olym. Od. 7. St. 19.) 2 Lucian also in one of his dialogues has ridiculed this fantaftick employment of the God Vulcan: But Heath objects to this interpretation of Barnes, that the appellation of Titan is not applicable to Vulcan: whereas it is perfectly adapted to Prometheus, as appears from the Theogony of Hefiod: To this authority, cited by him, may be added Æfchylus *, * Deor. Dial. 8. vol. 1. ed. Hemfter. p. 225. 2 Not. in Ion. p. 136. 3 V. 134. 207. 50%. $10. 4 Prom. V. 205. |