Cacus as a shepherd, and a person of great strength, and
violence. [681]Pastor, accola ejus loci, Cacus, ferox viribus. He is
mentioned also by Plutarch, who styles him Caccus, [Greek: Kakkos].
[682][Greek: Ton men gar Hephaistou paida Romaioi Kakkon historousi pur kai
phlogas aphienai dia tou stomatos exo rheousas.] As there were both
priests, and priestesses, in temples of this sort, persons styled both
Lami, and Lamiae; so we read both of a Cacus, and a Caca. The latter was
supposed to have been a Goddess, who was made a Deity for having betrayed
her brother to Hercules. [683]Colitur et Caca, quae Herculi fecit indicium
boum; divinitatem consecuta, quia perdidit fratrem. In short, under the
characters of Caca, and Cacus, we have a history of Cacusian priests, who
seem to have been a set of people devoted to rapine and murder.

What we express Cocytus, and suppose to have been merely a river, was
originally a temple in Egypt called Co-Cutus: for rivers were generally
denominated from some town, or temple, near which they ran. Co-Cutus means
the Cuthite temple, the house of Cuth. It was certainly a place of
inquisition, where great cruelties were exercised. Hence the river, which
was denominated from it, was esteemed a river of hell; and was supposed to
have continual cries, and lamentations resounding upon its waters.

[684]Cocytus, named of lamentation loud
Heard on its banks.

Milton supposes the river to have been named from the Greek word [Greek:
kokutos]: but the reverse is the truth. From the baleful river and temple
Co-cutus came the Greek terms [Greek: kokutos], and [Greek: kokuo].
Acheron, another infernal river, was properly a temple of Achor, the
[Greek: theos apomuios] of Egypt, Palestine, and Cyrene. It was a temple of
the Sun, called Achor-On: and it gave name to the river, on whose banks it
stood. Hence like Cocutus it was looked upon as a melancholy stream, and by
the Poet Theocritus styled [685][Greek: Acheronta polustonon], _the river
of lamentations_. Aristophanes speaks of an eminence of this name, and
calls it [686][Greek: Acherontios skopelos haimatostages], _the rock of
Acheron, dropping blood_.

* * * * *

OF

MEED OR [Greek: METIS],

AND THE

GODDESS HIPPA.

One of the most antient Deities of the Amonians was named Meed, or Meet; by
which was signified divine wisdom. It was rendered by the Grecians [Greek:
Metis] in the masculine: but seems to ha