BENEATH a beach the war-affecting race Of Amazons, to thee a ftatue rais'd, Where Ephefus' proud towers o'erlook the main: 325 Otrera firft perform'd the holy rites, While round in faliar dance they clang'd their arms, Ver. 323. Beneath, &c.] The poet in the following lines gives us an hiftory of the firft rife and progrefs of Diana's celebrated temple at Ephefus, which he affures us, the Amazons were the first occafion of, by the little ftatue they raised under a beach, or (as Dionyfius has it) in the niche of an elm, a ftriking inftance of the fimplicity of the first ages. The grandeur of that temple in after-times, and the particular veneration wherein Diana was held there, is too well known to require any thing from me on that head. Great is Diana of the Ephefians," was the cry of her blind adorers; and that Diana, was a fmall ftatue, as we are told, of ebony, made by one Canitia, which the Ephefians called AoTeres, or one that fell down from Jupiter. There were two temples, the first not fo grand as the fecond: Eroftratus, to make himself famous, burnt the firft, which Alexander offered to rebuild at his own expence, if the Ephefians would put his name on the front: but they rejected it, by telling him," it was not fit one God fhould build to another." The fecond, and the more fumptuous Edifice, is fuppofed to have been burnt in the time of Conftantine. There are fome ruins, and a few broken pillars of this ftructure ftill remainingan account of which may be feen in Spon's voyage. See Montfaucon's antiquities, b. 2. p. 1. c. 11. plate 6. fig. 24, 25. Otrera or Hippo, it feems, was the firft priestess, and 3 330 Drew Marw Apa Condwr, one of the Amazonians, as the fcholiaft informs us. Ver. 331. Not yet, &c.] From this paffage in the author, we may gather two things:that the Tibia of the antients were of the (Ora) bones of deer, and that their inventress was Minerva : fays Prima terebrato per rara foramina buxo, Ars mihi non tanti eft, valeas mea tibia, dixi, 697. Minerva in Ovid's faftorum lib. 6. ver. Τοις οίνοις φυσητε τον πρωκτον κυνος. Drew from the hollow'd bones the flutes ripe found. Fair Sardis heard, the Berecynthian realms And rich magnificence, the fumptuous east Alas how loft! nor thou, nor one of those Ver. 341. Touch'd, &c.] Lygdamis and the Cimmerians in the reign of Ardyes king of Lydia, invaded and over-ran all Afia minor, as Strabo tells us. They took Sardis, the metropolis of Lydia, but could never win the caftle. As Strabo and Herodotus are filent upon that head, I imagine what Hefychius fays, namely, "That Lygdamis burnt the temple of Diana," ot true; and Callimachus particularly fays, did not lay it wafte, he only threatned on his Cimmerians fo to do, ax: 335 340 345 Or for he fubjoins, mistaken prince, he tells us he erred from his defign IT! He perished in Cilicia, according to Strabo. The Cimmerians were the descendants of Gomer, and the fame with the Gauls of Afia minor. Pliny speaking of them fays, Cimmerei populi feptentrionales funt, ad Bofporum ponti Euxini fretum habitantes: cujus ora curvatur in maotim, Scythia Paludem. See Univerfal History, vol. 1. p. 375. And first triumphant hail'd the Deity. Not with lefs hate the nine pursue the bard Him who forgets his DELOS :-Be my strains THO' to tempestuous feas and storms expos'd, Unfhaken stands the ifle; round whofe rough fhores Μη μοι κραναά νεμεσάσαι Δαλος, εν α κεχυμαι Ειξον ως πολλωνίας Αμφοτέραντοι χαρίτων Philo makes it clear, that Pindar performed his Ver. 3. Most facred, &c.] As thefe iflands had their name from furrounding Delos (Cycladas fic appellatas, quod omnes ambiunt Delum.) It seems probable they had thence also their title of gwrala, or moft facred) as Delos was a part of thefe Cyclades, and looked upon itself the moft facred place in the world. Otherwise why a parcel of poor wretched islands famed for nothing but the mifery and horror wherewith they threatned the offending Romans. (Spreta Myconos, humilifque Seriphos ) why they should be fo highly honoured, I know not: Spanheim's first conjecture, that they probably were once in better cafe, feems quite groundless and his fecond, though more reafonable is yet, I think, not fatisfactory: he says, they were called grata, on account of the great veneration they paid to Delos: it is true, they are known fo to have done; but were not other places equally religious in the worship they payed to that ifland?-a town has been celebrated and esteemed venerable for having had a great man in it, a country for a particular city or temple, and why not a number of iflands for having one of themfelves fo eminently renowned? The reader muft judge. Ver. 13. Tho', &c.] This is a very difficult paffage in the original: I have endeavoured to give it as poetical a fenfe, as I am able: I had once rendered it more paraphraftically, thus: About its defert coafts tho' rough winds blow F facred DELOS, great APOLLO's nurse, When, when, my foul, or ever wilt thou fing? Each furnish theme divine: But DELOS firft From every Muse demands the tribute lay, 5 And first triumphant hail'd the Deity. Not with less hate the nine pursue the bard Him who forgets his DELOS :-Be my ftrains At once may favour and inspire the song. THO' to tempeftuous feas and storms expos'd, Its firm foundations rooted in the deep, Unfhaken stands the ifle; round whofe rough fhores Μη μοι κραναα νεμεσάσαι Δαλος, εν α κεχυμαι Ειξον ως πολλωνίας Αμφοτέραντοι χαρίτων Philo makes it clear, that Pindar performed his Ver. 3. Most facred, &c.] As these islands had their name from furrounding Delos (Cycladas fic appellatas, quod omnes ambiunt Delum.) It seems probable they had thence alfo their title of gurala, or moft facred) as Delos was a part of the fe Cyclades, and looked upon itfelf the moft facred place in the world. Otherwise why a parcel of poor wretched islands famed for nothing but the mifery and horror wherewith they threatned the offending Romans. (Spreta Myconos, humilifque Seriphos) why they should be fo highly honoured, I know not: Spanheim's first conjecture, that they probably were once in better cafe, feems quite groundless and his fecond, though more reasonable is yet, I think, not fatisfactory he says, they were called gwrara, on account of the great veneration they paid to Delos: it is true, they are known fo to have done; but were not other places equally religious in the worship they payed to that ifland?-a town has been celebrated and esteemed venerable for having had a great man in it, a country for a particular city or temple, and why not a number of iflands for having one of themfelves fo eminently renowned? The reader must judge. Ver. 13. Tho', &c.] This is a very difficult paffage in the original: I have endeavoured to give it as poetical a fenfe, as I am able: I had once rendered it more paraphraftically, thus: About its defert coafts tho' rough winds blow |