recorded of him. Some of the Greek writers mistake the time of his coming into Greece; who report that it was about thirteen generations after Phoroneus, king of Argos. But we must not suppose it so late; for from Menelaus who warred at Troy up to Lelex, we find ten successive kings of this country exclusive of Menelaus ;" and in Castor's list we have but fourteen successions from Phoroncus down to Agamemnon the leader of the Greeks, contemporary with Menelaus;* so that Lelex cannot have been at most above three or four reigns later than Phoroneus. We find a hint in Strabo, which may well fix for us the time of Lelex's entering Laconia. He records, that the Leleges were in Boeotia, when Cadmus came thither; and that Cadmus expelled them that country." They were hereupon compelled to a further travel, and therefore at this time, they and their leader marched to Laconia, and began the kingdom of Lacedæmonia. Cadmus came into Boeotia, A. M. 2486.2 and therefore to this year I should fix Lelex's going into Laconia; who according to this computation came thither in the reign of Triopas, or Crotopus the fourth or fifth king of a Argos from Phoroneus. Agreeably to this computation, we may well suppose ten kings of Lacedæmonia from Lelex to Menelaus; but if we place Lelex

t Pausan. in Attic, c. 39.

* Euseb. in Chronico.

a

Strab. Geog. ib. 9, p. 401.

u Id. in Laconic.

* See vol. ii. lib. 8.

a

Triopas was noted by the ancient writers, to live

about the times of Cecrops. See vol. ii, b. 8.

lower, there can be no room for such a succession. 1 might add, that it further appears, that Lelex lived about these times, from what Pausanias records of Polycaon his younger son, that he married Messene the daughter of Triopas; so that Lelex and Triopas were nearly contemporaries. I suppose Lelex somewhat elder than Moses; his coming into Laconia after so many travels, must have been towards the end of his own life; but the year 2486 in which he entered that country, falls about the middle of Moses' days; in Moses fifty-third year, twenty-seven years before he led the Israelites out of Egypt. We are no where told how long Lelex governed his new settlement; eldest son Myles succeeded him, and at Myles' h, Eurotas son of Myles became king. Eurotas at death left no male heirs, and Polycaon the younger of Lelex was settled in another country. appened at the demise of Eurotas, hat the crown of conia went into another family; and Lacedæmon, son Jupiter and Taygete was promoted to it. Pausanias recorded the names of the Lacedæmonian kings;" from Lelex to Menelaus who warred at Troy, they as follows; Lelex, Myles, Eurotas, Lacedæmon, yclas, Argalus, Cynortas, Oebalus, Hippocoon, ndareus and Menelaus. Castor and Pollux were

с

Hence

Сил

Pausan. in Laconic. c. 1, et in Messenic.c. 1.

i

the sons of Tyndareus, and engaged in the Argonautic expedition ; but they were never kings of Lacedæmonia, but died before their father;' and upon their death, Tyndareus sent for Menelaus to succeed him in his kingdom."

The famous Jupiter of the Greeks was also contemporary with Moses. He was son of Saturn, a king of Crete." The remains we now have of the ancient writers seem to give but a confused account of the early history of the Cretans; though it is remarkable, that the Cretans were formerly so famous for their history, as to have the wisest of men think it worth while to travel to them to peruse their records. But of what now remains about them, almost all is fable; though I cannot but think, a careful enquirer may still collect part.culars, and give them more light, than they are generally thought capable of receiving. Cres was king of Crete, about the fifty-sixth year of Abraham," Talus was son of Cres, Vulcan of Talus, and Rhadamanhus of Vulcan. About the time of this Rhadamanthus, we may place the Dactyli

r

i Apollod. Biblioth. lib. 3, c. 9. * Apollon. Argon. et. Val. Flacc. 'Id. ibid. li. 3, c. 10.

m Id. ibid.

"Diodor. Sc. lib. 5, p. 232. Apol. Biblio. lib. 1.

• Εγω τε και Σολων ο Αθηναίος πλώσαντες μεν εις Κρητην κατά

The copy Diogen. Laerat. in vit. Thalet. την κειθι

P Euseb. in Chron.

a Cinathon. in Paus. Arcad. c.53.

'We are not to suppose that the Rhadamanthus here spoken of, was the same person with one of that name,

Idæi ;' who were five brothers, as many in number as the fingers of a man's hand, and for that reason called Dactyli. One of these Dactyli was probably named Jupiter; for there was a more ancient Jupiter than the son of Saturn," who was father of the Curetes,* and brother of Ouranus ; so that Ouranus might be another of the Dactyli. Saturn was son of Ouranus," and Jupiter was son of Saturn. From Abraham to Moses are seven descents; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Cohath, Amram, Moses; and there are about as many from Cres to Jupiter, namely, Cres, Talus, Vulcan, Rhadamanthus, Ouranus, Saturn, Jupiter. If Ouranus and the rest of the Dactyli were of the same descent with Rhadamanthus, we have but six; but if they were in the descent next after him, we have exactly seven, as in the family of Abraham. Diodorus Siculus mentions no kings of Crete between Cres and the Dactyli; but it is observable, that he does not say that the Dactyli flourished in or next after the times of Cres. Diodorus reckoned up the worthies who lived between Cres and Saturn, whom the ages which suc

who was brother of Minos; nor the Vulcan here mentioned to be the same with Vulcan son of Jupiter. Persons of later ages frequently had the names which their ancestor had borne ages before them.

'Diodor. Sic. p. 230.

'Id. ibid. Strabo. Geog. lib. 10, p. 487. "Diodor. lib. 3, p. 136.

y Id. ibid.

* Id. ibid.

Id. 1. 5, p. 231. Apollod. Bib. 1. 1.

Diodorus, p. 233. Apollod.ubi sup.

ceeded, had mentioned with honour; and it is easy to imagine, that there might be two or three descents between the times of Cres and the Dactyli, in which nothing memorable was done, in the way of either great actions or useful inventions, to bear their fame down to posterity, and so the names of those who lived in these generations, might either not come to Diodorus, or he not think it worth while to mention them. If Cres himself had not excelled those who lived before him, in teaching his countrymen many things conducive to their public welfare ; Diodorus had probably taken no notice of him. And had his successors been as eminent as he was; their names perhaps would have been recorded by him. But after the death of Cres, no advance being made either in arts or government, until the Dactyli; the names between Cres and their times, were omitted by Diodorus.

с

Ouranus lived in the eastern parts of Crete; for his son Saturn afterwards removed westward. Ouranus married Titæa, who, according to the custom of these

• Τον μεν Βασιλέα Κρητα καλέμενον πλείςα και μέγιςα κατα την νήσον ευρείν τα δυνάμενα τον κοινον των ανθρώπων βίον ωφελησαι Diodor. Sic. lib. 5, p. 230.

Perhaps Cres having none to second him, the useful designs he attempted might drop at his death; and though he had the descendants we have mentioned, yet none of them might be kings, nor any government set up in Crete in their names.

Diodor. p. 231.

• Id ibid.