14 Imbellem avertis Romanis arcibus Indum. 15 If we change the scene, and betake ourselves to Colchis, we shall meet with Indians hére too. The city Asterusia, upon Mount Caucasus, is styled Indica. Ασερεσία Ινδική πολις. I have mentioned from Jerom, that St. Matthias preached the gospel at Colchis, near the Phasis and Apsarus; which country is called Æthiopia. Socrates, in his Ecclesiastical History, mentions the same and adds, that St. Bartholomew was in these parts; and that his particular province was India; which India joined to Colchis, and to the region upon the Phasis, where Matthias resided. Βαρθολομαιος δε εκληρετο την συνημμένην ταύτη ΙΝΔΙΑΝ, την ενδοτερω He calls it the innermost India, to distinguish it from that which was not mediterranean, but lay on the Southern Ocean. The country here mentioned was a part of Iberia Colchica: and as some of the same family settled in Iberia Hispaniæ, we find 14 Virg. Georg. 1. 2. v. 173. The poet means here the Parthians, who were in possession of Persis and Babylonia. 15 Stephan. Byzantinus. 16 Socratis Hist. Ecclesiast. 1. 1. c. 19. See also 1. 1. c. 20. p. 50. and 51. Ινδών των ενδότερω και Αθηρων τα έθνη. Ρ. 49. there too an Indic city; " ΙΝΔΙΚΗ, πόλις Ιβηρίας, wansion Пugnvos. The author adds, what is very remarkable, τινες δε Βλαβερέραν αυτην καλεσι; Some call it Blaberoura. Is not Blaberoura ill expressed? I think that there is a transposition of a single letter: and that it was originally Bebel-Oura; so denominated from the two chief cities of the Cuthites, Babel and Our, in Babylonia, and Chaldea. The river Indus was often called the Sindus: and nations of the family, whereof I am treating, were called Sindi. There were people of this name and family in Thrace, mentioned by Hesychius: Edo (s Oggxins) edros Ivdinov. The Sindi (of Thrace) are an Indian nation. Some would alter it to Edixov, Sindicum: but both terms are of the same purport. He mentions in the same part of the world, πολις, Σινδικος λιμην λεγομενη; a city, which was denominated the Sindic, or Indian, harbour. 18 Herodotus speaks of a regio Sindica upon the Pontus Euxinus, opposite to the river Thermodon. This some would alter to Sindica; but both terms are of the same amount. This Indica was the country of the Mœotiæ, a Cuthic tribe. The Ind, or Indus, of the east, is at this day called the Sind; and was called so in the time of Pliny: 19 Indus, incolis Sindus appellatus, in jugo Caucasi montis, quod Paropamisus vocatur, adversus solis ortum effusus, &c. If this title be peculiar to the Cuthite Ethiopians, we may well expect those above Egypt, among whom the Nile took its rise, to be so called. We accordingly find that river distinguished for being derived from the country of the Indi; 20 Usque coloratis amnis devexus ab Indis; and the same poet, in another place, speaking of Augustus, says, 21 super et Garamantas et Indos Proferet imperium, Nor is this a poetical rant, but a just appellation, 19 Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 20. p. 319. Edos woraμos. Arriani Peripl. apud Geogr, Vet. Græc. v. 1. P. 21. 20 Virgil. Georg, 1. 4. v. 293, 21 Virgil. Æn. 1.6. v. 794. The like occurs in another place, Omnis Arabs, omnes verterunt terga Sabæi, Æneid. 1. 8, v. 75, By the Indi are meant the Ethiopians above Egypt, 23 Ælian, in describing the Libyans of interior Africa, says that they bordered upon the Indi ; 22 Λιβύων των γειτνιώντων τοις Ινδοις, by which were meant the Ethiopians. And Apollonius of Tyana, in a conference with these southern Ethiopians, finding that they spoke much in praise of the Indians in general, tells them, "Ta μe Ivdwv Τα μεν Ινδών επηνείτε, ΙΝΔΟΙ το αρχαίον παλαι οντες : You speak much in favour of every thing relating to the Indians; not considering that originally you were Indians yourselves. In short, Egypt itself was in some degree an Indic nation; having received a colony of that people, by whom it was named Aït or Aëtia. 14 Εκλήθη δε και Μυζαρα, και Αερία, Αετία, απο τινος ΙΝΔΟΥ και Ποταμία, και Hence it is said, 26 25 Αετό 3 Οσιριδα Ινδον είναι το γενος, That 22 Elian de Animalibus. 1. 16. c.33. 23 Philostrati Vit. Apollon. Tyanai. 1. 6. c. 6. p. 277. There are some remains of an antient city between the Tigris and Euphrates, near the ruins of antient Babylon, which still retains the name of Sindia, mentioned by Gaspar Balbi. See Purchas. v. 2. 1. 10. c. 5. p. 1723. 24 Stephanus Byzantinus. 25 Ναι μην και Αετιά, εκ τινος ΙΝΔΟΥ, Αετω καλεμενα. Eustath. in Dionys. Perieg. v. 241. 26 Diodor. Sic. 1. 1. p. 17. Add to the above a remarkable passage, concerning the people about the Palus Mœotis, who were a colony of Cuthites; Osiris was an Indian by extraction because the Cuthite religion came from the Tigris. Thus have I endeavoured to shew, from the names of places, and of men, but more particularly from various parts of antient history, that' the Scythic Indians were in reality 27 Cuthic; as were all people of that denomination. They were divided into various casts, most of which were denominated from their worship. The principal of these names I have enumerated, such as Erythræi, Arabes, Oritæ, Æthiopes, Cathei, Indi: and, however various in title and characteristic, I have shewn they were all one family, the Cuthites from Babylonia and Chaldea. There is a remarkable passage in the Chronicon Paschale, which must not be omitted. This author tells us, Εν τοις χρόνοις της Πυργοποιΐας εκ τε γενες τα Αρφαξαδ ανηρ τις Ινδος ανεφάνη σοφος αςρονομος, ονοματί Ανδεβαριος, ὃς και συνέγραψε πρώτος Ινδοις αςρονομιαν At the time, when the tower of Babel was erected, a certain person made his appearance in the world, 28 Σαυροματας d3 επέχεσιν επασσυτεροι γεγαωτες 27 Hence Hesychius: Eds, or, as Albertus truly reads it, Σίνδία, ή Σκυθια. 23 Chron. Pasch. p. 36. |