Auritae, were the same as the Heliadae, denominated
from the great object of their worship, the Sun. He was among other titles
styled [1209]Orites: as we learn from Lycophron: which is by his Scholiast
interpreted the Sun. [1210][Greek: Oriten theon, ton auton Helion.] _The
Deity, which is termed Orites, is no other than the Sun._ These Heliadae
were Ophitae; and introduced at Rhodes, and in other places, the worship of
the serpent. Hence they occur in Greece under various titles, such as
Ellopians, Europians, Oropians, Asopians, and the like, being so
denominated from places which they consecrated to Ops, and Opis, the
serpent. The Cadmians settled in Euboea, which was called Ellopia from
Ellops, a supposed brother of [1211]Cothus. Plutarch gives an account of
Cothus himself coming to Euboea in company with another named Arclus.
[1212][Greek: Kothos, kai Arklos, hoi Xouthou paides eis Euboian hekon
oikesantes.] By Cothus and Arclus are meant Cuthites and Herculeans, people
of the same family, who settled in this island. The Oritae of Egypt were
also styled Arabians; and the Arabian nome was denominated from them. The
Cadmians, who settled in Euboea, may be traced under the same names. Strabo
calls the people, who were supposed to attend Cadmus, Arabians,
[1213][Greek: Arabes, hoi sun Kadmoi.] One district in the island was
denominated from them, AEthiopium: [1214][Greek: Aithiopion, onoma choriou
en Euboiai.] This is more particularly described by Stephanus, as the
passage is happily corrected by Salmasius. [Greek: Aithiopion, chorion
Euboias para Deliou, plesion tou Euripou.] _There is a part of Euboea hard
by Delium, and near to the Euripus, called Ethiopium._ But the most
critical mark, by which any of these islands were distinguished, was that
of [1215]Oritae. This is the express title of the shepherds in Egypt; which
they assumed both on account of the Deity, whom they worshipped, and in
reference to the city Ur in Chaldea, from whence they were in part derived.
They founded a city of the same name in Euboea, which the Greeks expressed
[1216]Oria: whence came the provincial title of Oritae. Here Orion was
supposed to have been [1217]nursed, whose history we know was from
Babylonia. The natives had a tradition, that he was the son of
[1218]Urieus, and of the gigantic race: the purport of which, I think,
cannot be mistaken. They passed, as I have shewn, from Euboea to Attica,
and Boeotia. Here also was a city [1219]Ur