ient Deity [Greek: Metis].

[944][Greek: Arsen men kai thelus ephus, poluonume Meti.]

In one of the fragments of the Orphic poetry there is every thing, which I
have been saying comprehended within a very short compass.

[945][Greek: Zeus arsen geneto, Zeus ambrotos epleto Numphe,]
[Greek: Zeus puthmen gaies te kai ouranou asteroentos.]----
[Greek: Zeus pontou rhiza, Zeus] [946][Greek: Helios, ede Selene,]
[Greek: Zeus Basileus, Zeus autos hapanton archigenethlos]----
[Greek: Kai Metis, protos genetor kai Eros poluterpes.]
[Greek: Panta gar en Zenos megaloi tade somati keitai.]
[Greek: Hen kratos, heis Daimon, genetai megas archos hapanton.]

Whom he meant under the title of Zeus, he explains afterwards in a solemn
invocation of the God Dionusus.

[947][Greek: Kekluthi teleporou dines helikaugea kuklon]
[Greek: Ouraniais strophalinxi peridromon aien helisson,]
[Greek: Aglae ZEU, DIONYSE, pater pontou, pater aies,]
[Greek: Helie, pangenetor, panaiole, chruseophenges.]

As we have seen how the father of the Gods was diversified, it may be worth
while to hear what the supposed mother of all the Deities says of her
titles and departments, in Apuleius. [948]Me primigenii Phryges
Pessinuntiam nominant Deum Matrem: hinc Autochthones Attici Cecropiam
Minervam: illinc fluctuantes Cyprii Paphiam Venerem: Cretes sagittiferi
Dictynnam Dianam. Siculi trilingues Stygiam Proserpinam: Eleusinii vetustam
Deam Cererem. Junonem alii: alii Bellonam: alii Hecaten: Rhamnusiam alii:
et qui nascentis dei Solis inchoantibus radiis illustrantur AEthiopes,
Ariique, priscaque doctrina pollentes AEgyptii, ceremoniis me prorsus
propriis percolentes, appellant vero nomine Reginam Isidem.

Porphyry acknowledged, that Vesta, Rhea, Ceres, Themis, Priapus,
Proserpina, Bacchus, Attis, Adonis, Silenus, and the Satyrs, were all one,
and the[949] same. Nobody had examined the theology of the antients more
deeply than Porphyry. He was a determined Pagan, and his evidence in this
point is unexceptionable. The titles of Orus and Osiris being given to
Dionusus, caused him in time to partake of the same worship which was paid
to the great luminary; and as he had also many other titles, from them
sprung a multiplicity of Deities. [950]Morichum Siculi Bacchum nominarunt:
Arabes vero eundem Orachal et Adonaeum: alii Lyaeum, Erebinthium, Sabazium;
Lacedaemonii Scytidem, et Milichium vocitarunt. But let Dionusus or Bacchus
be diversifie