ndered still more apparent from Damasenus, a
supposed hero, who took his name from the city Damasene, or Damascus. He is
represented as an earthborn giant, who encountered two dragons:
[318][Greek: Kai chthonos apleton huia, drakontophonon Damasena.] One of
the monsters, with which he fought, is described of an enormous size,
[Greek: pentekontapelethros Ophis], _a serpent in extent of fifty acres_:
which certainly, as I have before insinuated, must have a reference to the
grove and garden, wherein such Ophite temple stood at Damascus. For the
general measurement of all these wonderful beings by [319]jugera or acres
proves that such an estimate could not relate to any thing of solid
contents; but to an inclosure of that superficies. Of the same nature as
these was the gigantic personage, supposed, to have been seen at Gades by
Cleon Magnesius. He made, it seems, no doubt of Tityus and other such
monsters having existed. For being at Gades, he was ordered to go upon a
certain expedition by Hercules: and upon his return to the island, he saw
upon the shore a huge sea-man, who had been thunderstruck, and lay extended
upon the ground: [320][Greek: touton plethra men pente malista epechein];
_and his dimensions were not less than five acres_. So Typhon, Caanthus,
Orion, are said to have been killed by lightning. Orpheus too, who by some
is said to have been torn to pieces by the Thracian women, by others is
represented as slain by the bolt of Jupiter: and his epitaph imports as
much.

[321][Greek: Threika chrusoluren ted' Orphea Mousai ethapsan,]
[Greek: Hon ktanen hupsimedon Zeus psoloenti belei.]

All these histories relate to sacred inclosures; and to the worship of the
serpent, and rites of fire, which were practised within them. Such an
inclosure was by the Greeks styled [322][Greek: temenos], and the mound or
high place [Greek: taphos] and [Greek: tumbos]; which had often a tower
upon it, esteemed a sanctuary and asylum. Lycophron makes Cassandra say of
Diomedes, [323][Greek: TYMBOS d' auton eksosei]: _the temple, to which he
shall fly, shall save him_. In process of time both the word [Greek:
tumbos], as well as [Greek: taphos], were no longer taken in their original
sense; but supposed uniformly to have been places of sepulture. This has
turned many temples into tombs: and the Deities, to whom they were sacred,
have been represented as there buried. There was an Orphic Dracontium at
Lesbos; where a serpent was sup