The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Phenician Navigations into Greece under Cadmus.
The Phenicians expedition into Greece under Cadmus. That Cadmus was a Cananite, and Hivite. The Cadmonites mentioned Gen. 15.19. the ſame with the Hivites Joſh. 11.3. foreign from foreign Cadmoni i.e. orientals, and Harmonia from Hermon, the Seat of the Hivites. The Fable of Cadmus's being changed into a ſerpent, Phenician. Cadmus's ſowing the teeth of a Serpent &c. from a miſtake of the Phenician words. Of Cadmus's being the Kings Cook, or Steward &c. whence this miſtake? Cadmus a name common to ſeveral. Letters brought into Greece by Cadmus. The ſtory of Cadmus's cauſing the Iſmen river &c. from the Phenician foreign.
§. 1. The Phenicians fend Colonies into Greece under Cadmus &c.THe Cananites having been driven out of Canaan by the Iſraelites, firſt ſit down upon the Shore of the Midland Sea, which they call Phenicia: but that being too narrow for ſuch a numerous multitude, they thence tranſplant Colonies, throughout all Coaſts on the Midland Sea; and ſo diſperſe themſelves into ſeveral parts of Africa, Europe, and Aſia. We have already ſhewen how they ſent Colonies into Spain, and Africa, under the Conduct of Hercules, about Joſhua's time. We are now to manifeſt how theſe Phenicians, or Cananites, about the ſame time of their expulſion from Canaan by Joſhua ſent forth Colonies into Greece, and the parts adjacent, under the command of Cadmus, and other Phenician Commanders. So Euſebius tels us: that about the time of Joſhua and Othoniel, lived Cadmus, and Phaenix; two brothers, or two ſons of Agenor King of Phenicia; of whom the firſt i.e. Cadmus ſeated himſelf, firſt in Baeotia, and afterward in Illyricum: this latter Phenix fixed his ſeat in Thracia, and Bithynia. The like Carion, in his Chronicon lib. 2. de Graecis, acquaints us, that Cadmus ſailed from Phenicia into Baeotia &c. And learned Bochart in his Preface to Canaan, addes, that if we believe Mythologiſts, there ſprung from the ſame family of Agenor, Cilix, who gave original to Cilicia; and Thaſus, who gave name to the Iland Thaſus, and Membliarus, kinſman of Cadmus, who reigned in Thera, near Crete &c. Touching the original of the Grecians we find this general account in Carion of Greece l. 2. The name Japet, ſaies he, was well known to the Greeks, but whence it came they knew not. From Japhet deſcended Javan, from whom the Grecians ſprang, as the name Jonia ſhews. Hellas deſcended from Hellus, who reigned amongſt the Dononaei the offſpring of Dodanim the ſon of Japhet. The latter name Graecia was from Graecus the ſon of Theſſalus. Thus Carion.
§. 2. That Cadmus was a Phenician Cananite.As for Cadmus, that he was a Phenician Cananite, of the poſterity of the Hivites, who were ſeated near the Hill Hermon, we have very ſtrong preſumptions from learned Bochart, and others. Concerning Cadmus, ſee Stillingf. Orig. Sacr chap. 1. Sect. 19'Tis true Apollodorus, and others, too much addicted to the fabulous narrations of Poets, make Phaenix to be the ſon of Belus, and father of Cadmus, and both Phaenix and Cadmus to be born in Aegypt. Whence Euſebius in his Chronicon lib. 2. on the year 1062, ſaies: that Phaenix, and Cadmus coming from the Aegyptian Thebes into Syria, reigned at Tyre and Sidon. But this fable is ſufficiently refuted by the names of Belus, Phaenix and Cadmus, which are purely Phenician, and not Aegyptian; and the ancient Phenician Annals, compoſed by Sanchoniathon, prove thus much. Where foreign, the Sirname of Phaenix, is ſaid to ariſe out of Phenicia: now Chna (as has been proved) is but the Contract of Canaan. And that Cadmus was no other than a Phenician, deſcended from that part of the Cananites called Hivites near Hermon, we have good evidence from the Origination of the name &c.
§. 3. Cadmus from the Kadmonites Gen. 15.19. which were Hivites Joſh. 11.3.We read in Gen: 15.19. of Kadmonites which are the ſame with the Hivites mentioned Joſh. 11.2. where the Hivites under Hermon are reckoned amongſt the Cananites on the eaſt. This mount Hermon was the moſt eaſterne part of all Canaan: thence in Pſal. 87.13. Hermon is put for the Eaſt, as Thabor for the Weſt, whence theſe Hivites were called Kadmonites, i:e: the eaſtern people. Hence Cadmus received his Origination and Denomination. The Greek foreign from foreignFor the Greek foreign anſwers exactly to the Phenician or Hebrew foreign Cadmoni i:e: a Cadmonite deſcending from the Cadmonites, or Hivites. Thus Carion Chron. l. 2. Cadmus ſailed from Phenicia into Baeotia: and his name diſcovers his original. For Cadmus in the Phenician tongue ſignifies Oriental. This is farther evident, from the name of Cadmus's Wife, who is called Harmonia, or Hermione, from the mountain Hermon, whence they both had their original. So Pſal. 42.6. Pſal. 42.6. Judg. 3.3.Theſe Hivites or Cadmonites are called Hermonites as Judg. 3.3. See Bochart his Preface to Phaleg: alſo his Canaan lib. 1. cap. 19, 20.
§. 4. The Fable of Cadmus's being changed into a Serpent from a Phenician word.That both Cadmus, and his Wife Harmonia were Cadmonites, or Hivites, receives farther appearance from that ancient Fable of their being both changed into a Serpent, which ſeems to have its original from the near cognation betwixt the name Hivite and Serpent in the Syrian or Hebrew tongue: for foreign, which ſignifies a Serpent, is of the ſame ſound with Hivite: whence the Greeks, who frequently coined Fables from the imitation of ſounds, raiſed this fiction. So Boch. Phal. lib. 4. cap. 36. The habitation of the Hivites (ſaies he) was on the mount Hermon; deſervedly therefore were the Hivites called Cadmonites, i:e: orientals Gen. 15.19. Gen. 15.19.From Cadmon, and Hermon, is Cadmus (Graec. foreign) and his Wifes name Harmonia plainly drawen. That they were both Hivites is from thence manifeſt, that they are both ſaid to be turned into a Serpent: for the name Hivites ſounds Serpents. The Gibeonites, and Sichemites were Colonies of theſe Hivites Joſh. 11.19. Thus Bochart.
§. 5. The Fable of Cadmus's ſowing Serpents teeth &c. from Phenician ſounds.We have farther illuſtration hereof, from that old Grecian Fable touching Cadmus's ſowing the teeth of a Serpent, whence ſprung up a numerous company of Soldiers, who deſtroying each other, there remained only five which ſubjected the whole of Baeotia to their Empire. This Fable, though ridiculous enough, yet has it much to diſcover its original to be from the Phenician tongue: Learned Bochart in his Canaan lib. 1. cap. 19. does thus decipher this riddle: firſt, (ſaies he) Cadmus in the Hebrew phraſe, is ſaid to make Soldiers which he listed: So 1 Sam. 14.48. foreign and he made forces i.e. liſted. But why of the teeth of a Serpent? In the Phenician tongue, which is partly Syrian, partly Hebrew, foreign teeth of a Serpent, ſignifies alſo ſpears of braſse, with which Cadmus firſt armed his Soldiers in Greece: for he was the firſt finder out of braſſe: ſo Hyginus cap. 274. Cadmus, the ſon of Agenor firſt purifyed braſſe found at Thebes. Thence Pliny lib. 34. c. 1. ſaies: that the ſtone or mineral of which Cadmus made braſse was even to his time called Cadmia. Now that the Soldiers are ſaid to be reduced to five; was occaſioned from the ambiguity of the word foreign, which, according to its variety of ſound, may ſignify either five, or him who is prepared for war. Exod. 13.18. to ſumme up the whole: it is moſt likely the Phenicians writ thus of Cadmus, in their own Language foreign, which words the Grecians, not underſtanding the Phenician tongue, thus rendred? He made an army of five men armed with the teeth of a Serpent: whereas it ſhould have been rendred thus: he gathered an army furniſhed with the ſpears of warlike men: i.e. with ſpears made of braſſe; ſuch were the ſpears of the old Grecians, who uſed braſſe in ſtead of iron.
§. 6. Cadmus commander of the Phenician Colonies.We have another Grecian Fable touching Cadmus, which argues his original to be Phenician. Athenaeus lib. 14. makes mention of Cadmus, being the Kings foreign, he fled with his wife Harmonia: foreign, is uſually rendred Cook, but here it ſignifies Steward anſwering to the Hebrew foreign, ſuch were Potiphar & Nebuzaradan, which the LXX render foreign, but the Chaldee better foreign the maſter of the Guard; and Jerom, the maſter of the Soldiers, or the General of the Army: and the miſtake was eaſy becauſe foreign, in its common ſignification, imports both to play the Cook, and to kill: ſo that indeed Cadmus, being General of the Phenician Colonies, went with his Wife Harmonia, into Greece &c. See Bochart Can. lib. 1. cap. 19.
§. 7. Cadmus a name common not pro…r.Some make Cadmus a Tyrian; others a Sidonian; but the latter ſeems moſt probable: becauſe Tyre was not built in Cadmus's age. Though I am apt to think, the name Cadmus was not appropriated to any ſingle perſon, but common to ſeveral of thoſe Phenician Hivites, or Cadmonites, which ſetled in Greece. For Suidas makes two mileſian Cadmus's; whereof the one he makes to be Pandonians ſon; the other the ſon of Archelaus. The former he counts more ancient; whom he makes to live between Eumelus and Pherecydes the Syrian. Strabo, lib. 1. makes mention of the ſame, affirming: that there were three that began to write in proſe, Cadmus, Pherecydes, and Hecataeus. This Clemens Alexandr. l. 6. cals foreign, Cadmus Senior: yet was he far younger than our Phenician Cadmus, who ſeems to be contemporary with Joſhua. Voſſ. H…ſt. Graec. lib. 4. C. 1.
§. 8. Cadmus's bringing Letters into Greece.Cadmus tranſported into Greece, together with his Phenician Colonies, the Hebrew Alphabet, at leaſt ſixteen Letters thereof; which by an inverſion and change of the manner of writing, from left to right, received a Grecian forme. To theſe Pythagoras added one; and Simonides, or Epicharmus four more, of which hereafter. Neither did the Grecians receive their Letters only, but alſo much of their Mythologie or Fables and other Learning from Cadmus, and the Phenicians. I ſhall at preſent only mention that one Fable of Cadmus, who at his landing is ſaid: to have made more than ordinary impreſsion with his foot on the mud; and ſo to have cauſed the Iſmen River; thence ſtiled the foot of Cadmus. Which Fable aroſe hence; becauſe the Phenician foreign, according to the various appoſition of the letters, may ſignifie either a foot or a river: therefore for the river of Cadmus, Iſmenus is called the foot of Cadmus; and thence the Fable. See Bochart praef. ad Canaan.