d, was Hierapolis, famous for its hot [107]fountains. Here was
also a sacred cavern, styled by [108]Strabo Plutonium, and Charonium; which
sent up pestilential effluvia. Photius, in the life of Isidorus, acquaints
us, that it was the temple of Apollo at Hierapolis, within whose precincts
these deadly vapours arose. [109][Greek: En Hierapolei tes Phrugias Hieron
en Apollonos, hupo de ton naon katabasion hupekeito, thanasimous anapnoas
parechomenon.] He speaks of this cavity as being immediately under the
edifice. Four caverns of this sort, and styled Charonian, are mentioned by
[110]Strabo in this part of the world. Pliny, speaking of some Charonian
hollows in Italy, says, that the exhalations were insupportable.
[111]Spiracula vocant, alii _Charoneas_ scrobes, mortiferum spiritum
exhalantes. It may appear wonderful; but the Amonians were determined in
the situation both of their cities and temples by these strange phaenomena.
They esteemed no places so sacred as those where there were fiery
eruptions, uncommon steams, and sulphureous exhalations. In Armenia, near
[112]Comana, and Camisena, was the temple of [113]Anait, or fountain of the
Sun. It was a Persic and Babylonish Deity, as well as an Armenian, which
was honoured with Puratheia, where the rites of fire were particularly kept
up. The city itself was named Zela; and close behind it was a large nitrous
lake. In short, from the Amonian terms, Al-As, came the Grecian [Greek:
halos, halas, hals]; as, from the same terms reversed (As-El), were formed
the Latine Sal, Sol, and Salum. Wherever the Amonians found places with
these natural or praeternatural properties, they held them sacred, and
founded their temples near them. [114]Selenousia, in Ionia, was upon a salt
lake, sacred to Artemis. In Epirus was a city called Alesa, Elissa, and
Lesa: and hard by were the Alesian plains; similar to the Elysian in Egypt:
in these was produced a great quantity of fossil [115]salt. There was an
Alesia in Arcadia, and a mountain Alesium with a temple upon it. Here an
antient personage, AEputus, was said to have been suffocated with salt
water: in which history there is an allusion to the etymology of the name.
It is true that Pausanias supposes it to have been called Alesia, from Rhea
having wandered thither; [116][Greek: dia ten alen, hos phasi, kaloumenon
ten Rheas]: but it was not [Greek: ale], but [Greek: halas], and [Greek:
halos], sal; and the Deity, to whom that body was sacred,