feveral inftances may be produced. He likewife would infinuate, that I am guilty of falfhood in fuppofing, that there were hot fprings at Cumæ. Erant enim, ut ait, ibi calidi fontes. p. 69: that is, as he fays: if you will take his word. By this an unwary reader may be led to think, that I have imposed upon him: whereas the waters of Cumæ, and Baiæ, were as celebrated as any in the world. See Livy. L. 41. c. 16. p. 736. alfo Lucretius. L. 6. v. 747: Qualis apud Cumas locus eft, montemque Oppleti calidis ubi fumant fontibus auctus. They were called aquæ Cumanæ and Baianæ indifferently as being in the vicinity of both places, Their history is too well known to want any farther evidence. Yet the Annotator ftill perfifts in intimating, that I have been guilty of an untruth: and as I have deceived the reader in one instance, that I fhall proceed to impose upon him in others. -et Latini quidem, quot habent nomina gentilitia in anus, tot beabuntur calidis fontibus. The purport of which is plainly this, that wherever the Romans have a gentile name in anus, I shall forge a new spring: and enrich their country with as many fountains, as there are names of that analogy. The infinuation is fo grofs and illiberal, that I shall say nothing to it but leave it to the reader to judge, as fhall feem beft. I cannot take upon me to answer every cavil of my adversary: as I fhould be obliged at this rate to recapitulate the greater part of my work. Befides I do not always know, wherein the objection lies as he only hints difguft, and thinks it not worth his while to come to an explanation. How Ever of fome of the more remarkable objections will proceed to take notice. Another cenfure brought against me is for my fuppofing, that the word Aphetor (Aqnrwg) related to a place instead of a perfon: cum fecundum certiffimas linguæ rationes ab api oriatur. p. 68. The cafe is this. I had imagined, that many perfonages in Homer were formed from rivers, hills, and other objects; and the fame is supposed by Strabo L. 12. p. 847. In confequence of this I mentioned, that by Mentor was probably fignified a Mentorian; one, who belonged to Men-Tor; by which was fignified a temple of Men or Menes. And in like manner the term Aphetor in Homer might also relate to a tower. Apha fignifies fire: and by Apha-Tor was meant a fire-tower; and there was probably fuch a one at Delphi, where a perpetual light was kept up. And I further fuppofed it, not to be fo properly an epithet of the Deity, as the name of a real building confecrated to him: This is the whole amount of my crime: now it is to be obferved, that the poet was fond of antique terms and has introduced into his poems many obfolete words, which are difficult of interpretation. This is evident from the authors of the Scholia; who often vary about the fignification of these terms; and know not which way to determine. And yet they proceeded fecundum certiff-. mas linguæ rationes, as they imagined: which has been the cause of their being bewildered. For though there is an analogy in all languages: yet no fuch infallible rules exift: for, as I have before said, they are very precarious, and oftentimes not founded in truth. How uncertain the purport was of these ancient words cannot be better feen than in the inftance before us and at the fame time we may perceive the fatal confequences of this infallible D 3 infallible rule of investigation. The word occurs in Homer II. 9. v. 404. who mentions dos Apnтoρος-Φοιβη Απολλωνος : where the word αφητορος is fuppofed fomehow to relate to Apollo. I have given my opinion: let us fee, if thefe learned men can produce any thing better. We find the following interpretation in the Scholia. Αφητορος, Απολλω νος : ητοι ὁμοφητορος, ὁμοίως πάσι προφητεύοντας, και μαντευόμενα, τῳτε πένητι, και τῳ πλουσιῳ. η τοξοτε, απο της των βέλων αφέσεως. We find from hence, that the learned commentator imagines Aphetor to be a title of Apollo, either as a prophet, or elfe as an archer. But I fhould be glad to know which. For if the rules of etymology are fo infallible, why is there any uncertainty? Helychius likewife mentions αφητορος, προφητεύοντος, η τε τοξοτα. It relates to Apollo either as a prophet or an archer. But thefe are two objects widely different: I want to know, which is the truth, and by what it is to be determined. For if the Scholiaft does not know, which is right; they may be both wrong; and it is impoffible to admit an etymology, where we are not certified of the hiftory, upon which it depends. And if after all the whole is conjecture; I do not fee, why I may not offer my opinion, as well as another. No, fays my learned friend, there is no occafion to beat about for the meaning: for we have certain rules to go by: and the word Aphetor is from aginu emitto, and betokens fending forth. At this rate, if we choose, that it fhould relate to prophecy; it fignifies the fending forth of prophecies: if to archery, it means the fending forth of arrows: απο της των βελών αφέσεως. Schol. Confequently we find, that if the term had been connected with Jupiter; it would have fignified the fending forth of thunder and rain: if it had related to Mars, it would have denoted the fending forth of armies: if to Ceres, the fending forth of corn: if to Pomona, the fending forth of apples and turnips. In respect to Apollo, as names are defigned to diftinguifh, how can we fuppofe, that he could be marked in Homer by a title fo indeterminate and vague. And here we may fee, the fallacy of this mode of inveftigation. The fcholiafts and critics firft determined the etymology of the words, which came before them; and then hunted about for a meaning. Whereas they should have confidered the purport and history first; and that would have led them to the etymology. No, fay they; it muft come from aqui, and apeσews, a fending forth, either of oracles or arrows. But why not of light and day: or of verses and poetry: or of airs and · mufick? One word for all: The whole is a fallacy: and the method of inquiry prepofterous. My opinion was, that the term related to a place; and denoted a tower let us now confider the account given by the Poet. He is speaking of Achilles, whom the Grecian chiefs are trying to bring over by rich prefents, that he might fave the army. He refufes, and tells them, that no offers can tempt him: not all the wealth of Troy, before it was diminished by war: no, not all that was at Delphi, which abounded with the richeft offerings. Ουδ' όσα λαϊνος εδος Αφητορος ενδον εεργει Let any body caft his eye upon the lines, and judge, after confidering them, whether Apnrw can poffibly be an epithet: and whether it can be referred as a title to the word Apollo; which is fo far disjoined from it. Can we fuppofe the poet to have been guilty of fo unnatural an arrangement? To me it feems impoffible. We may I think con D 4 clude, clude, that Aphetor was a tower at Delphi and the natural purport of the words is this. No, fays Achilles; no wealth can perfuade me. Not all, that the ftony threshold of the Aphetor, that is the fire-tower, contains; which belongs to Apollo; and is at his oracular feat at Delphi. Such I imagine to be the meaning of λαϊνος εδος Αφητορος : by which is fignified a strong well-built tower, of a firm basis. Strabo affords good proof, that my opinion is not ill-founded and his authority is very early, and of more weight, than that of any grammarian. He tells us exprefly, that the Aphetor was looked upon as a strong place, or tower. Ενιοι δε τον Αφητορα δεξαμενοι λεγεσθαι θησαυρον, Αφητορος δε εδον τον κατα γης θησαυρισμον, εν τῷ ναῷ κατωρυχθαι φασι τον πλετον. ἐκείνον δε τες περι Ονομαρχον επιχειρησαντας ανασκάπτειν νυκτωρ. κτλ. L. 9. p. 644. We learn from hence, that there were people, who maintained, that the Aphetor was a treasury at Delphi: and the λaïvos ados was the basis of the tower; the strong repofitory, where the gold and coftly prefents were preserved. It was moreover a part of the temple; and a fanctuary: which however was undermined by Onomarchus, and fome others. He ftiles, we find, Αρητωρ, θησαυρος ; and by θησαυρος according to Hefychius was meant, εις αγαλμάτων και χρηματων η ἱερων αποθεσιν οίκος : an edifice for the fecurity of things of great value: ftatues, &c. Hence Aphetor was not a title, but a place: and the λavos dos was the ftrong magazine of this particular tower, in which things of confequence were depofited. There seems to have been another ancient name for this building, as may be inferred from the Scholiaft before quoted. He fays, Αφητορος-ητοι ὁμοφητορος : and then gives this ftrange reafon for its being alfo denominated Ομοφητωρ.όμοίως πασι προφητευόμενο τῳτε πένητι, τῳτε πλησιῳ. It was called Omophetor, be. caufe |