ulaios], or
guardian Deity of the place. It was the same God, that was afterwards
called Hercules, and particularly styled Tirynthius, to whom Callimachus
here alludes, under a more antient name.

As the Cyclopians were great artists, they probably were famous for works
in brass, and iron: and that circumstance in their history may have been
founded in truth. The Idaei Dactyli were Cyclopians: and they are said to
have first forged metals, and to have reduced them to common [609]use; the
knowledge of which art they obtained from the fusion of minerals at the
burning of mount [610]Ida. Whether this was an eruption of fire from the
internal part of the mountain, or only a fire kindled among the forests,
which crowned its summit, cannot be determined. It was an event of antient
date; and admitted, as a remarkable epocha, in the most early series of
chronology. From this event the Curetes, and Corybantes, who were the same
as the [611]Idaei Dactyli, are supposed to have learned the mystery of
fusing and forging metals. From them it was propagated to many countries
westward, particularly to the Pangaean mountains, and the region Curetis,
where the Cyclopians dwelt in Thrace: also to the region Trinacia and
Leontina, near AEtna, which they occupied in Sicily.

Thus have I endeavoured to shew the true history [612]and antiquity of this
people: and we may learn from their works, [613]that there was a time, when
they were held in high estimation. They were denominated from their
worship: and their chief Deity among other titles was styled Acmon, and
Pyracmon. They seem to have been great in many sciences: but the term Acmon
signifying among the Greeks an anvil, the Poets have limited them to one
base department, and considered them as so many blacksmiths. And as they
resided near AEtna, they have made the burning mountain their forge:

[614]Ferrum exercebant vasto Cyclopes in antro,
Brontesque, Steropesque, et nudus membra Pyracmon.

[Illustration: _Pl. X_]

* * * * *

OF

TEMPLE RITES

IN THE

FIRST AGES.

I must continually put the reader in mind how common it was among the
Greeks, not only out of the titles of the Deities, but out of the names of
towers, and other edifices, to form personages, and then to invent
histories to support what they had done. When they had created a number of
such ideal beings, they tried to find out some relation: and thence
proceeded to determine t