posed to have been going to devour the
remains of Orpheus: and this temple being of old styled Petra, it was
fabled of the serpent, that he was turned into stone.

[324] Hic ferus expositum peregrinis anguis arenis
Os petit, et sparsos stillanti rore capillos.
Tandem Phoebus adest: morsusque inferre parantem
Arcet; et in lapidem rictus serpentis apertos
Congelat; et patulos, ut erant, indurat hiatus.

All the poetical accounts of heroes engaging with dragons have arisen from
a misconception about these towers and temples; which those persons either
founded, or else took in war. Or, if they were Deities of whom the story is
told, these buildings were erected to their honour. But the Greeks made no
distinction. They were fond of heroism; and interpreted every antient
history according to their own prejudices: and in the most simple narrative
could find out a martial achievement. No colony could settle any where, and
build an Ophite temple, but there was supposed to have been a contention
between a hero and a dragon. Cadmus, as I have shewn, was described in
conflict with such an one near Thebes, whose teeth he sowed in the earth:

[325][Greek: odontas]
[Greek: Aonioio drakontos, hon ogugiei eni Thebei]
[Greek: Kadmos, hot' Europen dizemenos eisaphikane,]
[Greek: Pephne.]

Serpents are said to have infested [326]Cyprus, when it was occupied by its
first inhabitants: and there was a fearful dragon in the isle of
[327]Salamis. The Python of Parnassus is well known, which Apollo was
supposed to have slain, when he was very young; a story finely told by
Apollonius.

[328][Greek: Hos pote petraiei hupo deiradi Parnessoio]
[Greek: Delphunen toxoisi pelorion exenarixe,]
[Greek: Kouros eon eti gumnos, eti plokamoisi gegethos.]

After all, this dragon was a serpent temple; a tumbos, [Greek: tumbos],
formed of earth, and esteemed of old oracular. To this, Hyginus bears
witness. [329]Python, Terrae filius, Draco ingens. Hic ante Apollinem ex
oraculo in monte Parnasso responsa dare solitus est. Plutarch says, that
the dispute between Apollo and the Dragon was about the privilege of the
place. [330][Greek: Hoi Delphon theologoi nomizousin entautha pote pros
ophin toi Theoi peri tou chresteriou machen genesthai.] Hence we may
perceive, that he was in reality the Deity of the temple; though the Greeks
made an idle distinction: and he was treated with divine honours.
[331][Gree