mote, even before the days of Naos, or Noah. 15 Φενεάτων δε ες λόγος, και πριν η Ναού αφικεσθαι γαρ και ενταύθα Δημητρα πλανωμένην. 16 | Suidas has preserved, from some antient author, a curious memorial of this wonderful personage; whom he affects to distinguish from Deucalion, and styles Ναννακος, Nannacus. : Ναννάκος, παλαιος ανης προ Δευκαλίωνος. Τετον φασι Βασιλεα γενεσθαι, ὁς προειδώς τον μέλλοντα κατακλυσμον, συναγαγων παντας εις το Ιερον μετά δακρύων ἱκέτευσε. Και παροιμια επι Ναννακά, επί των σφόδρα παλαιών και αρχαίων. Νannacus was a person of great antiquity, prior to the time of Deucalion. He is said to have been a king, who foreseeing the approaching deluge, collected every body together, and led them to a temple, where he offered up his prayers for them, accom→ panied with many tears. There is likewise a proverbial expression about Nannacus; which is aps plied to people of great antiquity. Suidas has done great injury to this curious tradition by a misapplication of the proverb at the close. What he alludes to was τα Ναννακε κλαιώ, vel οδυρομαι; *s Pausan. I. 8. p. 630. Naos is certainly a transposition for Noας, Noah. 16 There is some mistake in this name. Nawazo may have been a variation for Nαυάκος, Noacus : or it may be for Nav-Nakos, Noah Rex. proverb, which had no relation to time, nor to antient persons; but was made use of in a general calanity, whenever it could with propriety be said, I suffer as Noah suffered, or, the calamities of Noah are renewed in me. Stephanus gives great light to this history, and supplies many de ficiencies. He calls the person Annacus; and like Suidas, makes him of great antiquity, even prior to the reputed wra of Deucalion. He supposes him to have lived above three hundred years; at which period, according to an oracle, all mankind were to be destroyed. This event happened by a deluge; which this author calls the deluge of Deucalion, instead of Annacus. In consequence of this unfortunate distinction between two characters, which were one and the same, he makes the aged person to be destroyed in the general calamity, and Deucalion to be saved. He takes notice of the proverb, and mentions the renewal of the world. " Φασι δε ότι ην τις Αννακος, ὃς εζησεν υπέρ τα τριακόσια έτη τες δε περιξ μαντεύσασθαι έως τινος βιωσεσθαι. Εδόθη δε χρησμος, ότι τετε τελευτήσαντος παντες διαφθαρησονται. Οι δε Φρυγες ακέσαντες εθρήνον σφοδρώς αφ' ε παρόμια, το επί Αννακε κλάυσειν, επί των λιαν οικτιζομενων. Γενομενη δὲ τε κατακλυσμα επι Δευκαλίωνος, παντες διεφθάρησαν. Αναξηραν δέ 17 Stephan. Byzant. Ικόνιον, θείσης δε της γης, ὁ Ζευς εκέλευσε τῷ Προμηθει και τη Αθηνα ειδωλα διαπλασαι εκ τε πηλό, και προσκαλεσάμενος τις ανεμος εμφύσησαι πασιν εκέλευσε, και ζωντα αποτελέσαι. The tradition is, that there was formerly a king named Annacus, the extent of whose life was above 18 three hundred years. The people, who were of his neighbourhood and acquaintance, had inquired of an oracle how long he was to live. And there was an answer given, that when Annacus died, all mankind would be destroyed. The Phrygians, upon this account, made great lamentations: from whence arose the proverb, το επι Αννακε xλavor, the lamentation for Annacus; made use of for people or circumstances highly calamitous. When the flood of Deucalion came, all mankind was destroyed, according as the oracle had foretold. Afterwards, when the surface of the earth began to be again dry, Zeus ordered Prometheus and Minerva to make images of clay in the form of men: and when they were finished, he called the winds, and made them breathe into each, and ren IS Noah lived above three hundred years after the flood; which this writer has supposed to have been his term of life when the flood came. The antients estimated the former life of Noah, or Osiris, to his entrance into the ark: this interval in the ark was esteemed a state of death: and what ensued was looked upon as a second life, and the renewal of nature. This will appear all through the Gentile history of the deluge... der them vital. However the story may have been varied, the principal outlines plainly point; out the person who is alluded to in these histories. Many personages having been formed out of one has been the cause of great confusion, both in, these instances, and in numberless others. Indeed, the whole mythology of the antients has, by these means, been sadly clouded. It is, I think, manifest, that Annacus and Nannacus, and even Inacus, relate to Noachus, or Noah. And not only these, but the histories of Deucalion and Prometheus have a like reference to the Patriarch,: in the six hundredth year (and not the three hundredth), of whose life the waters prevailed upon the earth. He was the father of mankind, who were renewed in him. Hence he is represented by another author under the character of Prometheus, as a great artist, by whom men were formed anew, and were instructed in all that was good. He makes 20 Minerva co-operate with him in making images of clay, according to the history before given: but he additionally gives to her the province of inspiring them with a living 19 Genes. c. 7. v. 11. 20 Και το μεν όλον, αρχιτεκτων αυτας (ὁ Προμηθευς) ην συνειργάζετο δε τοι και η Αθηνα, ΙΜΠΝΕΟΥΣΑ τον πηλον, και εμψυχα ποιέσα ZIVAI TA THAOμAT. Lucian. Prometh. in Verbis, vol. 1. p. 16. soul, instead of calling the winds together for Hence the soul of man, according that purpose. to Lucian, is an emanation of Divine Wisdom. Noah was the original Cornus, and Zeus; though the latter is a title conferred sometimes upon his son, Ham. 21 Πρωτισος μεν ανασσεν επιχθόνιων Κρονος ανδρων. 23 22 καταπινειν τα There is a very particular expression recorded by Clemens of Alexandria, and attributed to Pythagoras; who is said to have called the sea 2 Kgove Saxguov, the tear of Cronus: and there was a farther tradition concerning this person, TEXva, that he drank, or swallowed up, all his children. The tears of Isis are represented as very mysterious. They are said to have flowed, whenever the Nile began to rise, and to flood the country. The overflowing of that river was the great source of affluence to the people: and they "Lactant. de Fals. Relig. v. 1. c. 13. p. 61. 22 Τοιαυτα και δι Πυθαγοριοι ηνίσσοντο, Περσεφονης μεν κύνας της πλανητας, Κρον δε δάκρυον την θαλασσαν, αλληγορούντες και μυρία επι μυρίοις ευρούμεν αν υπο τε φιλοσοφων, ὑπο τε ποιητων αινιγματωδως gms Clemens, of the wilful obscurity of the antient Greek writers. Strom. 1. 5. p. 676. 23 Etymolog. Magnum. |