Eafru, Afru, or Ofru Sru Tath Paimp Agnaman Nemed. Stairn or Efs-tiearna, i. e. Dux Navium, i. e. .Si-torn צי־טרן Beoan i. e. Boun. prudentem effe: Hercules Ogham or the Philofopher. Earcoloin i. e. Erkol, the Merchant, or Trader, from the Irish Earrdha, Wares, Commodities, Merchandize. Semeon or Siim Abreac, the Dux Navium, or original Hercules: the Sem, Som, or Somnoutha of the Ægyptians. (a) Orteachta Gorten (a) Moft Nouns in the Old Irish, Persian, Arabian and Chaldean languages, when applied to any thing having life, form their former plurals in An,. the fame of people, nations, &c. and of the fingular inn by way of eminence. Stairn, Beoun, Earcoloin, Semeon, faid to be the 4 Sons of Nemed, I think were different names of one perfon, the "Hercules of the Eaft." The name Aiteach-ta, (b) i. e. he who is eldeft, has led the Irifh Seanachies to affert, he was the eldeft Son of Magog, whereas it only here implies, that Fathocda, was the eldeft in the Magogian Line, to whom their hiftory extended. Broum or Ke-Bacche, the illuftrious Bacchus. Ke or Ce, is ftill preserved in feveral ancient Perfic names, it fignifies a Prince (fays Sir Wm. Jones in his life of Nadir Shah.) This Broum or Bacche overrun the Indies. Bacht in Irish fignifies fire, bachan or beocan, a small fire: beocas or buacas, the lighted wick of a Candle-bacuas, an Oven; bacala, a bakehoufe; hence the English to bake. Bacht fignifying fire, became an Epithet of the Sun; hence Aufonius obferves, that in Egypt they call him Oferis, but in the land of Ogygia, they give him the name of Bacchus. (Epigr. 30.) This derivation from the Irish or ancient Perfian Language, is one ftrong proof of Monf. Bailly's affertions, that the ancient Southern Scythians or Perfians, were the original Inhabitants of Ogygia or Atlantis. (See his Letters fur l'Atlantide, p. 402.)-Les Atlantes, aiant rompu la ligne de feperation, & forcé le paffage, fe repandirent fucceffivement de proche, en proche & de fiecle & fiecle, dans les Indes, dans la Phénicie & dans l'Egypte. (ib. p. 471.)-les traces des origines fe confervent dans les langues: une science eft iffue du païs où les mots techniques dont elle fe fert ont pris naiffance c'eft un principe inconteftable. (ib. p. 393. (c) The Root of this word is Scy A 2 thian, (b) pny atica, prifca. Arab. Atik. (c) Hence Bacanach or Paganach. (P for B and g for c) a Heathen thian, viz. bacam to heat, whence Bacchus, the origin of heat, it is corrupted to Boit and Boite, whence in the Oriental we have Bott, lucidum, and Botta, Splendor in like manner the guttural in bocht, poor, is dropt in the Oriental, and written 12 Boti, i. e. pauper. (See Dav. Depomis.) (d) Eafru or Ofru, was the Father of the Ofrhoeni, or Parthians. Ofrou vel Ofrois cognomine dicto a viro qui ibi regnavit fuperioribus temporis, cum homines qui iftic colebant in foedere effent Perfarum. (Procopius). On which paffage, Bayer notes, Perfas vocat qui tunc quidem Parthi fuerunt. (Hift. Ofrhoena,. p. 34.) Theod-Cyrenenfis fays, quæ Ofrhoene tum erat eam antea Parthyacam fuiffe dictam.-It is the fame thing if called Ofrhoens Parthians or Perfians, for they were originally one people. Scythæ Parthos, Bactrianofque condiderunt. (Justin) Confequently Broum, the father of Ofru, was the Bacchus of Bactria. All that part of Mefopotamia including Media and Parthia, was called Ofruan by Heathen i. e. a fire worshipper, and not from Pagus a Village, as Dr. Johnfon has it, or from Pagus, Gens as Salmafius, or as Baronius thinks, from the Chriftians becoming mafters of the Cities, and the heathens dwelling in the Villages. (d) Porro cum Lingua Scythica cujus propaginem noftram cognatafque plures effe, infra docebimus, fecundum Ebræam antiquiffima fit: fieri non poteft, quin fub ea viciffitudine, cui omnes fubfunt linguæ, varice in hac remanferint, quæ primævæ cognationis indicia perhibeant. Et illo fundamento nixos quam plufimos eruditorum origines linguarum Europcarum ex Oriente deduxiffe videmus: & quia non pauca feliciter fuccefferunt, operofo labore quicquid habent linguæ Occidentales ab Ebræa derivare, aggressi funt. (Cl. Ihre prooem.) our our Scythi; Shiruan by the Perfians and Al Mah by the Arabs. (Hyde de Vet. Perf. p. 415.) Parthi, gens olim Scythica, tandem fugerunt vel transmigrarunt fub Medo; fic dicti a Medis, propter naturam Soli, in quo confederunt: quod paludofum eft, & humile. (Stephanus in Παρθ. The PHENOICE Line, from PHENIUS. Baoth or Bith, Magog. Phenius Farfa, from whom Pharz or Pontus and. Fars, Paras or Perfia. Nionnuall, Niul, Gaodal-glas, Eafru, Sru, Ebir-Scuit, Beoaman, Agaman or Achemon, Father of Uranus, first King of the Antlantides. See Introd. hence Perfia was anciently called Achemenia. Tat, Agnaman, Emir gluin Finn, Agmon Finn, Emir-glas, Nuadad, Alldad, Earcada, Deagatha, Baatha, Baatha, Breogán, Bile, Golam, or Milefs, Eremon. According to the Irish Annals, Magog's poffeffions contained all Armenia, Pontus, and Mefopotamia. His defcendants, one of whom was Baath, Baoth or Bith, had the Country bordering on the Bofporus Thracius, from him named Bith-Aon, the territory of Bith. (e) Of his Son Phenius Pharfa we fhall treat in a particular Chap ter. Bithynia was anciently inhabited by various nations differing in manners and language, viz. the Bebryces, Mariandyni, Caucones, Dolliones, Cimmarii, &c. &c. to enquire into the origin of thefe different nations, would be both a tedious and useless task, fay the Authors of the Universal history, and as to the beginning of this Kingdom, we are quite in the dark. (f) It is one of the most ancient Kingdoms recorded in profane hiftory; Appian tells us that 49 kings had reigned in Bithynia before the Romans were acquainted with Afia, confequently Bithynia must have been a Kingdom before the Trojan War. It was known by the name of Myfia, Mygdonia, Bebrycia, Mariandynia, and Bithynia. (g) (e) Aon or Aoin, is the diminutive of Aoi, a Region. (f) Un. Hift. V. 19. p. 124. 8vo. (g) Herodotus. p. 406.- Steph. Byzant. p. 223.-Appianus Vol. 2. p. 296.-Schol. Apoll. L. 2. Eufebius p. 15. — Euftath. in Dionys. p. 140.-Solinus C. 42. Herodotus |