132 On the Ancient HELLENES. 
occurs in Homer, and indeed very ra rely in other Greeku- 
thors. ArisToTLE, fpeaking of the inundation of Theflaly 
in the reign of Deucation, is, I believe, the moft ancient 
writer who mentions that name *. 
Puiny, in the beginning of his defcription of Greece, in- 
forms us, that Grecia was the name given by the Romans to 
that region. ‘* 4b Ifhmi anguftiis Hellas incipit, noftris Gracia 
“ appellata}.’’ The word Grecia was peculiar to the Romans; 
for we never meet with the word 'gai:zsa in any Greek author. As 
Homer never ufes the word T'gaizoi, we may juftly conclude, that 
it was become obfolete in his days. Whence then did the Ro- 
mans borrow this Gentile appellation? According to Dionysi- 
us of Halicarnaffus {, a confiderable body of the Pelafgi, expel- 
led from Theflaly by Deucation, after hovering fome time 
about Dodona, crofled over into Italy, and poffeffed themfelves 
of a confiderable part of that country. Thefe Pelafgi carried 
over the name [games and Tgasmo into Italy at that early pe- 
riod, and the Romans, a people by no means fond of innova- 
tions, retained it to the laft. 
Hesycuivs informs us, that Iga fignifies the earth, and 
likewife Ceres. Every body knows, that the ancient Heathens 
looked upon the earth as the moft ancient of beings. By con- 
fequence, 
* Qiney ya oi Lerror evrevdeac, nas ob mervpeevor rors wey Tpasnos, yur de “EAAnvice Meteor. 
Lib. i. cap. 14. Lycorunon, an author who affects the antique ftyle, calls Protesitaus 
Thaixay aereros, Alex. 532. and in another place he fays,—I'¢ aixoicwy, auvewais TE Tos Epex= 
Yiwe. Ib. 138. Upon this place Tzzrzes has the following obfervation,—Tgaixor yag 
meortgoy of ts EhAados sxaAuyro. Grorcius Syncexuus to the fame purpofe,—EAaany dros 
Asvxarsmvos EyrmgiGeto aQ? S"EAAnves of Teaixes werexAvdncar. Edit. Par. p. 153. Edit. Ven. 
p- 122. Hzsycntvs is of opinion, that the word was changed by the Romans. Puasxoc, 
"Baan. Pwpasos de to y meorderres Teuixoy Pace In voce Pem@. But this conjecture is 
evidently falfe. See Auperti’s Edit. of Hzsycurus, Vol. ii. p. 1098. 
+ Lib. iv. cap. 7. 
+ Lib. i. p. 13. Edit. Stern, 
, tea 
