Elis; as Hercules was at Rome. The Arcadians also sacrificed to the hero Myiagrus, from whence we may infer that the worship was very ancient. The like obtained at Cyrene, where the deity was stiled Achor, as we learn from Pliny.---3 Cyrenaïci Achorem deum (invocant) muscarum multitudine pestilentiam adferente; quæ protinus intereunt, postquam litatum est deo. From the supposed influence of the presiding deity many temples were said to have been free from this inconvenience. Thus we are told by Apollonius Dyscolus, that there were no flies seen in the temple of Venus at Paphos; and the altar of Hercules in the Forum' Boarium at Rome was said to have had the same immunity. The like is mentioned of the altar of Jupiter at Olympia and of another at Aliphera in Arcadia: likewise at other places.

4

6

Απομυιώ Διι θεασιν Ηλειοι, Ρωμαιοι δε Απομυιῳ Ηρακλεί. Clemens. Protrept. p. 33. See also Pausan. 1. 5. p. 410.

2 Pausan. 1. 8. p. 653. Ev tautη tη Tamyugel Mulaɣew πeo-και επικαλεμένοι τον Μυιαγρον.

θύεσιν, επευχομενοι

3 L. 10. c. 26.

tat. Plin. p. 10.

Salmasius would alter this-see ExerciSee also Pliny, 1. 29. c. 6.

+ See Rerum Mirabil. Scriptores by Meursius. c. 7. p. 14. 5 Nam divinitus illo neque canibus neque muscis ingressus est. Solinus, 1. 1. p. 2.

Pausan. 1. 5. p. 410.

Of Flies held sacred.

But this was not all. These insects, however incredible it may appear, were in many places worshipped. This reverence seems to have been sometimes shewn, to prevent their being troublesome, at other times, because they were esteemed sacred to the deity. Ælian accordingly tells us, that at Actium, where stood the temple of Apollo, they sacrificed in his time an ox to these objects-1 Ov80 C8v ταις μυιαίς. Clemens also mentions AλΑπολλωνος τε Ακτιο το ἱερον, and speaks of the same custom. The same is mentioned by Antiphanes the comedian in Athenæus, as being practised at Olympia in Elis.

3

Ολυμπίαισι φασι ταις Μυιαις ποιειν

Βεν, τους

ακλητους προκατακόπτειν πανταχε.

He seems to have introduced a person in his play, who is speaking in favour of Umbra and parasites and thinks, that they are a successful body. He compares them to the flies at

'Elian de Animal. 1. 11. c. 8. P. 613.

Cohort. p. 34. 1. 24.

3 L. 1. p. 5. See Casaubon's Notes, p. 17.

2

Olympia, to whom, says he, the people sacrifice an ox: and they always claim the first share, though they are never invited.

The worship of ACHOR, and ACORON, the
God-fly; called also ZEBUB.

Nor did they only shew an idolatrous regard to flies in general. There was a deity stiled Deus Musca, who was particularly worshipped under the characteristic of a fly. The god Achor of Cyrene, of whom we before made mention, seems to have been of this denomination and it is probable, that the word Achor denoted a Fly: or had some relation to it. This may be inferred from the city Acaron or Accoron, which we mistakenly render Ekron where the same insect was supposed to be worshipped by the name of , Zebub, J, a fly. We generally join it to the word Baal, and represent the deity as the Lord of Flies in

• Whether the author means Ολυμπιαισιν ἑορταις, οι Ολυμ Tidio fevidis, may not be certain: but I should think the latter to be the truth. Elian mentions-viai Пioniai. 1. 11. c. 8. p. 615.

• There seems to be a double meaning: and the words may signify, that those, who are not invited, are foremost, and fare best-from goxoTV, bene succedere.

not so.

the plural. But to my apprehension it was And here it is proper to remedy a mistake, into which we are led by our version, concerning Ahaziah, who is supposed to have enquired of Baal-zebub at the place above mentioned. The fly was probably worshipped at 'Ekron: and the god was called Baalzebub. But neither that place, nor the deity of the place, are referred to in that passage about Ahaziah, where they are supposed to be found. The history alluded to is in the first chapter of the second book of Kings; where it is said that---Ahaziah (the son of Ahab) fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber, that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease. ch. i. v. 2. So it stands in our translation: and the Vulgate is nearly to the same purport. Ite, consulite Baalzebub deum Accaron. This Baalzebub by our commentators is rendered the God of Flies; and they suppose the Ekron in Phili

'A Baal-zebub hæresin format Philastrius muscæ-Accaronitarum; qui (ut verba ejus sunt) muscam colunt in civitate Accaron dictá. Selden de Diis Syris, p. 228. All these evidences shew manifestly, that the fly was worshipped.

καρων.

stim to be the city here mentioned; and the place, to which the messengers were sent. But our most early version, the Septuagint, expresses the term Zebub, in the singular, Osov Mulav; distinct from the title Baal. And at the same time it makes Accaron, instead of a place, to be the proper name of the deity, the Deus Musca, or Fly-God---ETINTNOαTE EV τῳ Βααλ (i. e. εν τῷ ἱερῷ Βααλ) Μυιαν Θεον Ακxagwv. Go, and inquire in the temple of Baal of the Fly-God Accaron. This occurs three times in the same chapter: and these passages all shew that, according to the early interpretation of the Jews in Egypt, the person, to whom the messengers were sent by Ahaziah was Baal, Deus Musca, the deity stiled Accaron, the Fly. Gregory Nazianzen, among other writers, alludes to this passage, when he says, that the people, shall no more put their trust in idols, ' δε ζητησουσι Μυιαν Θεον Ακκάρων, nor seek, or inquire of, the Fly-God Accaron. The like occurs in Josephus, where he is giving the same history of Ahaziah, as has been af`forded above. He says, that the king, after his fall--- νοσησαντα πεμψαι προς τον Ακκαρων

2

1 Contra Julianum, 1. 2. p. 102. edit. Etonens.

Antiq. 1. 9. c. 2. p. 474. If there had been any refer