were, I believe, formed from the same "original. Moses informs us, that the bow in the cloud was instituted as a token of a covenant, which God was pleased to make with man. 20 And God said, this is the token of the COVENANT, which I make between me and you, and every creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I do set my bow in the cloud,—and I will remember my COVE, NANT, which is between me, and you, and every living creature of all flesh and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. To this covenant Hesiod alludes, and calls it the great oath. He says, that this oath was Iris, or the bow in the heavens; to which the Deity appealed when any of the inferior divinities were guilty of an untruth. On such an occasion Iris, the great oath of the Gods, was appointed to fetch water from the extremities of the ocean; with which those were tried who had falsified their word, 21 Παυρα δε, ΘΑΥΜΑΝΤΟΣ θυγατηρ, πόδας ώκέα Ιρις 19 The original word was Coset, which the Grecians translated τοξος. The Seventy uniformly use τοξις for the bow in the heavens. 20 Genesis. c. 9. v. 12. 15. 21 Hesiod. Theog. v. 780, 'OTTOT' ερις και νείκος εν Αθανατοισιν ὁρηται. I am induced to think that Iris and Eros were originally the same term; and related to the Divine Love exhibited in the display of the bów, which it pleased God to make a test of his covenant with man. But a difference arose in "time": and the former was appropriated to the phænomenon in the heavens; and of the latter was formed a boyish Deity: by which means it was made to vary from its original purport. The attendant upon Cleopatra was named Irás: and thể servant who was employed by Marcus Antonius to do him the last office, when he wanted to be dispatched, was 22 Eros. Hence I am led to imagine that they were the same name; only represented, after the mode of the country, masculine or feminine, according as they were applied. There was a particular kind of chaplet, familiar among the Greeks; and composed, Ex Tavтwv avdεwv, of every εκ παντων ανθεων, kind of flower. It was called Eros: undoubtedly 22 Plutarch in Antonio. from having all the variety of colours, which are conspicuous in the Iris. When there are two terms or titles, which have a reference to the same object; the Greeks generally form some degree of relation between them. Thus, in the present instance, Plutarch takes notice that the Poets are very wild in their notions of the God of Love: but there is one circumstance in which he thinks they are right, however they may have been led to the discovery and this was in making Eros the son of Iris by Zephyrus the western wind. And he accordingly quotes from some antient anonymous author a line or two to that purpose. Ολίγα δε είρηται μετα σπεδης αυτοις (ποιηταις) είτε κατα μεν και λογισμόν, είτε συν Θεῳ της αληθείας άψαμενοις· ὧν εν εςι και το περί της γενέσεως (τα Ερωτος) Δεινότατον Θεων γείνατο ευπεδιλος Ιρις, χρυσοκομα Ζεφυρῳ μιχθείσα. From these data I think we may infer that Eros and Iris were the same. After the descent from the Ark, the first wonderful occurrence was the bow in the clouds, and the covenant, of which it was made an emblem. To this purpose there seems to be a verse of Parmenides, quoted from the author above: 23 24 Πρωτισον μεν Έρωτα Θεων μητίζετο παντων, 23 Plutarch. Amatorius. vol. 2. p. 765. 24 Ibid. At this season another æra began: the earth was supposed to be renewed; and time to return to a second infancy. They therefore formed an blem of a child with the rainbow, to denote this renovation in the world; and called him Erós, or Divine Love. But however like a child he might be expressed, the more early mythologists esteemed him the most antient of the Gods. And 26 Lucian with great humour makes Jupiter very much puzzled to account for the appearance of this infant Deity. Why, thou urchin, says the father of the Gods, how came you with that little childish face, when I know you to be as old as Tapetus? *Hence he is called in the Orphic Argonautics * Πρεσβύτατον τε, και αυτοτελη, πολύμητιν Ερωτα. The Greek and Roman Poets reduced the character of this Deity to that of a wanton, mischievous pigmy but he was otherwise esteemed of old. He is in the quotation above styled δεινότατον Θεων: and by Phædrus in Plato, 28 μεγας 25 Απλανεες κλωθεσι πολυτροπα νηματα Μοιραι. Nonnus. 1. 41. p. 1070. v. 23. Eros by Hesiod is the first, who is made to appear after the chaotic state of nature. Theog. v. 120. Θεος ο Ερως, και ΘΑΥΜΑΣΤΟΣ εν πρεσβύτατοις των Θεων. Plato here in the term θαύματος has an eye to the antient Amonian name Thaumaz, and Thamuz. Plutarch in his account of Eros has the same allusion : 29 Μακαριον, ὡς αληθως, εκείνο, και θαυμας σιον καλον. At the beautiful appearance of the bow in the heavens, it pleased God to make his promises to man; and to take off the curse from the earth: and to ordain, that there should be some respite from labour. The very name of Noah was 30 rest. This Hesiod seems to allude to, when he describes Eros first appearing : 31 Ηδ' Ερος, ὃς καλλιςος εν αθανατοισι θεοισι, Love also was produced, the most beautiful of the Gods: Love, the soother, and softener, who unbends the wearied limbs. By some he is made the 39 Amatorius. p. 765. 30 Hesychius. 31 Hesiod. Theogon. v. 120. He calls the Deity Egos, not Egws. Ο Διονυσος ΛΥΣΕΩΣ εσιν αιτιος, διο και ΛΥΣΕΥΣ ὁ Θεός και Όρφευς Φεσιν, Λύσεις εκ τε πονων χαλεπων, και απείρονος οις. Olympiodor. Comment. in Phædonem. Σπερμα πολύμνητον, πολυωνυμε, Λυσιε Δαιμον. Orph. Hymn. 49. |