6 Pan mentioned in (V. 492.) This fenfe of the paffage clashes with the epithet Tiyovo, and is unfupported by any historical teftimony. On application to that book of Euripides, which belonged to Milton, as mentioned in my preceding note on (V. 54) I difcover, that our English Poet has marked the word 'Aygaus in the text, and in the oppofite margin has there inferted in his own hand aygavλoi with the letter f. annexed: He would infinuate by this observation, that perhaps we ought to fubftitute this epithet, inftead of the printed reading, which alteration would then imply rufticæ puellæ, or the rural Damfels: I believe that this proposed emendation was entirely his own; but Dr. Mufgrave mentions, that there is one manufcript authority for the word "ygawdor, though at the fame time he condemns it: If it were not for the epithet Tgyovo, I confefs that I should be inclined to embrace this ingenious conjecture; but that epithet militates against this conftruction, as I fhall fhew in the following explanation of the paffage, where I flatter myself that I have difcovered the genuine fenfe of it, hitherto unexplained: The definition of the word relyovo by Hefychius' implies thofe, who are in the third generation: Thus Suidas explains Teyovía, as the third generation, and cites a fragment, where the word occurs in that fenfe: I find it also used by Ariftides; where fpeaking of fome of the Græcians, who inhabited Afia, he obferves, "that fome had been slaves for Malè MSS S eph. ygavλo. On V. 508. of his edition. 1 Τριβὴν γενέαν ἐπίσχονες (vox τρίγονος). 8 8 Η τριβή γονέα. Διαδεξάμενος ὥσπερ ἄλλο τὶ τῶ παρὸς, ἐς τριγονίαν παρέπεμπε τὸ ἔχθος. (νοκ τριγονία.) 9 Οἱ μὲν ἐκ τριγονίας ἐδέλευον, οἱ δε ἐκ πλείονος. I 4 Orat. tom. 1. ed. Jebb. p. 169. three informs us, three generations, and others for more." The Scholiaft 10 here "that it implies the third generation from the προγόνων or their great Grandfathers." Here then, if we adopt this explanation of the word reyova, the whole difficulty of this paffage in Euripides will vanifh: for the Descendents in the third generation from Agraulos, Wife of Cecrops, were Contemporaries with the Athenian Chorus in the play, fince they were precifely in the fame line of defcent as Ion. This will appear to the Reader from the following table, where Agraulos and Erichthonius both represent the Prepofitus, or common Anceftor. Hence it appears that the epithet reiyovo: fhould not be here translated triplices, as by all the Editors, but pronepotes, or the Damfels in the third generation removed from Agraulos; and it is a matter of entire indifference, whether they το ̓Αντὶ τῇ ἐκ τριλῆς γενεῖς, οἱ νει ἀπὸ προγόνων. Η Thus Hefychius defines Πρόγονος, πρόπαππος. (vox πρόγονος.) were 1 were the lineal defcendents of this Queen, or whether the Athenian Virgins, to whom the Chorus here alludes, were only in the fame correfponding line of the third generation. The confecrated dance here mentioned was either in honour of Pan, or perhaps of Agraulos; for the appears to have been held in great veneration at Athens after her death: Herodotus 12 mentions her temple in the citadel, and Paufanias her Téμsvos or facred enclosure in Attica. According to Stephanus Byzantinus there was a nuds or diftrict called Agraule, belonging to the Erechthean tribe at Athens, whose name was derived from Agraulos, Sifter of Cecrops: And Meurfius afferts from Athenagoras, that the Athenians celebrated the myfteries of Agraulos: He alfo mentions 14, that a festival, called Пng, was inftituted in her honour at Athens, as appears from Hefychius 15. I do not deny, that Tpiyovo is fometimes used to exprefs tres, or triplices, as by our Poet in his Hercules 16 Furens; but the more frequent fenfe is that, which I have here given it, as proved by the authorities cited; and other correfponding inftances from Strabo and Herodian may be feen in the Lexicon of H. Stephens, (Vol. I. p. 842.) 13 12 L. 8. c. 53. 13 Сестор. с. 28. 14 De Reg. Att. 1. 1. c. 11. & Græcia Fer. 1. 5. p. 228. *s Vox Πλυντήρια. 16 V.1023. N° XXVII. N° XXVII. Verfe 550. Davás ye Baxís. Once at the feast 566. Of Bacchus. THIS paffage contains internal evidence derived from the words of tke Poet himself, that the mysteries of Bacchus had for fome time been established at Delphi; confequently the chronology of the Bacchæ, which Play contains the first introduction of the rites of this Pagan God into Thebes, where they were first celebrated in Græce, precedes that of the Ion, as I have already mentioned in my Note on (V. 192) of this play, and shall also prove in my Note on (V. 2) of the Bacche. The expreffion of Qavás, as Brodæus obferves, here alludes to the corufcation of the torches in the midnight orgies of Bacchus, which are alfo mentioned afterwards in the Ion'; but all remarks on these orgies are referred to my comment on the Baccha. Verfe 551. Προξένων. N° XXVIII. 562. By fome publick Hoft received. ΤΗΕ Πρόξενοι were publick Officers in the different Cities of Græce, appointed to receive and entertain Strangers, who › V. 717. were 2 were then confidered under their immediate protection. The Scholiaft on the Birds' of Aristophanes correfponds with the above definition. Herodotus informs us, that the Kings of Sparta had the special privilege of appointing fuch Citizens, as they chose, to this honourable office of ПIpóževoι: There was a political ufe, independent of hospitality, arising from this particular inftitution, fince thefe Citizens, by virtue of their employment, became the publick Spies of the Police: They are again mentioned afterwards in this play, where the Tutor defires Creufa to enter the roof of these Delphick Officers, prepared for her reception (V. 1039.) Verfe 592. Νοθαγένης. N° XXIX. 617. Of fpurious birth. HERE Ion complains of two misfortunes, incident to his prefent fuppofed circumftances; the firft is, that his Father, as he now imagines Xuthus to be, was no native Citizen of Athens, which was a legal difadvantage to the Son, as mentioned in my Preliminary Effay; and the second cause of his complaint fprings from the illegitimacy of his birth: We are now to confider this circumftance on the principles of the Athenian Law. It appears from the Birds' of Aristophanes, that the vélos, or spurious child, had not the leaft pretenfions to his Father's Goods, for Pisthetærus there informs Hercules, that he is intitled to nothing, as I V. 1039. 4 P. IC. 2 L. 6. c. 57. 3. Cragius de Rep. Lacedem. 1. 2. c. 10. born |