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النشر الإلكتروني

OF

EGYPTIAN RITES

AND

OF THE COLONIES BY WHICH THEY WERE INTRODUCED VERY EARLY INTO GREECE.

As some of the evidences, concerning the religion and customs of Egypt, are taken from those which prevailed in Greece; it may be proper to prove, that these customs of the Grecians were certainly borrowed from the former country: and at the same time to shew, at what intervals, and by what persons, they were introduced. For if the rites alluded to were of late date, or doubtful origin, their authority would be of little weight: and no just inference could be made from them. But it will be found, that a near relation subsisted of old between the two nations: that the one was in a great degree constituted by colonies from the other: that these emigrants came over to Hellas in times of very high an

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tiquity: most of them long before the supposed æra of Troy, and became superior to the original inhabitants. They brought with them the religion and rites of the people, from whence they came. We may therefore from the stream judge of the fountain.

Of some early and particular

MIGRATIONS.

First, then, it will be proper to shew that Greece, according to the traditions of the natives, was in great measure peopled from Egypt. Diodorus Siculus tells us, that some of the principal persons upon record among the Athenians were from this' country: and that the Athenians in general were from * Egypt. The Peloponnese was for the most part peopled by Dorians: and the ancient leaders of these Dorians, according to ' Herodotus, were of the same original, and came from the same part of the world. The Lele

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Γεγονέναι δε και των Ηγεμονων τινας Αιγυπτιες παρά τοις Αθη
Diodor. Sic. 1. 1. p. 25. Rhodomanni.

2 Και τες Αθηναίες δη φασιν αποικός είναι Σαΐτων των εξ Αιγύπτε. Ibid. p. 24.

3 Φαινοίατο αν εοντες οι των Δωριέων Ηγεμονες Αιγυπτιοι ιθαγενείς. Herod. 1. 6. c. 54. p. 461.

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