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give an air of authenticity to his poem, often confers some of the antient provincial names upon his heroes; which he adapts to each person according to the country from whence he came. Among others, he introduces the name Almon, which he gives to the son of Tyrrhius, an He

trurian.

"Hic Juvenis primam ante aciem stridente sagittâ, Natorum Tyrrhi fuerat qui maximus Almon Sternitur.

It was properly a sacred title; and the purport of it has been shewn.

The terms Laban and Luban, by which the Arkite moon was denominated, seem by some to have been changed to Labar, and Lubar. Hence it is said of the Ark, by Epiphanius, that it rested upon Mount Lubar. 23 Εν τω Λουβαρ ορει καλυμένῳ,

This is the same which is called Mount Baris by 24 Nicolaus Damascenus; and the Ararat of Moses. Cedrenus speaks of it, both under the name of Lubar, and Luban. 25 Ev ogel Acubag, which in

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another place he renders, εν όρει Λουβαν της Αρμενίας. By these, I make no doubt, was meant the mountain of Lunus Architis. The term was sometimes expressed Labar; and from hence the Roman ensigns were styled Labara, quasi Insignia Lunaria. This is evident from the Lunette, which is continually to be found upon them. They seem to have generally consisted of a crescent, of a disk of metal, and a chaplet of olive, or laurel. The name Labarum, however, was not properly Ro man; but was adopted by the later emperors, especially by those of Constantinople. They bor rowed it from some of the conquered nations, who had the same kind of military standard. This will appear from various coins, where it is seen among the trophies won from the Pannonians, Dacians, and other captive people. It is to be found likewise upon many coins of 26 Cities in the east. Sometimes two, sometimes three, lunettes are to be seen upon the same standard; whence it is plain, that they were the principal part of the Insigne; and we may presume, that from them it had the name of Labarum, I imagine, that the title of Liber, given to Dionusus, was the same as Labar; and conferred upon him

26 See Numism. Apameæ. Vaillant. Pars Sec. p. 38, and p. 155. also coins of Sidon. p. 129.

28

as the Deus Lunus. For the horns of Dionusus, like the horns of Isis, were originally a crescent. He was the same as Silenus; whose name, however varied by the Grecians, was originally the masculine of Selene. The Roman poets describe Silenus merely as a bestial drunken vagrant, supported by a savage crew of Sileni and Satyrs. But the antient mythologists held him in a different estimation. It is said of him, that he was the father of *7 three sons, who are by Catullus styled " Nusigenæ. He is represented as a man of the 9 earth, who came into life, auTOXOXEUTOS, by his own means, without the assistance of his 30 parent. He was esteemed, like Proteus and Nereus, a great prophet; one who transmitted an history of the world, and its origin. He is also said to have discoursed with Midas of Phrygia about another world. Theopompus described him as a" Dæmon; one who was inferior to the Deity,

27 Natalis Comes. 1. 5. p. 250. Σιληνα τρια τεχνο. Dionys. 1. 29. p. 756.

28 Peleus and Thetis. Nysigenæ Sileni. v. 253.

29 Nonnus. 129. p. 756.

30 Ασπορος, αυτολογέντος ανέδραμε μητρος αρέρης. Ibid.

31 Elian. Var. Hist. 1. 3. c. 18.

Nonnus.

Tertullian speaks of Silenus, apud Midam Regem adseveranti

de alio orbe. Adversus Hermog. p. 242.

32 Θέα μεν αφανέστρος την ψυχήν, ανθρωπε κρειττων

Elian. ibid. 1. 3. c. 18.

nas Barate.

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