————— 
i aii ae 
On the Ancient HELLENES. 135 
“ ground with their feet unwajbed. But whether we ought to 
“ call them He//i, as Pinparus does, or Selli, as they imagine 
the name ftands in Homer, the ambiguity of the orthogra- 
phy does not fuffer us to determine. Puitocnorus tells us, 
“ that the diftriét about Dodona, as well as that of Eubea, was 
“ called Hellopia: For Heston fpeaks thus: There is a certain 
“ place called Hellopia, diverfified with dales and meads. Here, in 
“* the uimoft corner, is built the city of far-famed Dodona.” From 
the concluding part of this quotation, it appears, that the coun- 
try about Dodona was called Hellopia, as well as Hellas, which 
are indeed names nearly of the fame import, as we hope to 
make appear in the fequel. With refpe@ to the difference of 
the terms He//i and Se//i, we may obferve, that the confonants 
4 and s being both afpirates, are often ufed promifcuoufly in. 
different dialeéts, and that of confequence the Hel/i of PINDAR 
ce 
ce 
and the Se//i of Homer were one and the fame people. 
From,the above quotation it plainly appears, that the original 
Hellas was a city in the neighbourhood of Dodona; that the 
diftric&t where it ftood was called Hellopia ; that the inhabitants 
were called Helli and Selli; and that thefe were the minifters of the 
temple there eftablifhed. The Theffalian. Hellenes were a colo- 
ny of the Dodoneans, who emigrated from that canton at a 
very early period. ‘The Pelafgi were at that time mafters both 
of Theflaly and Epire. Under their prote@tion the Helli ere@: 
ed the oracle of Dodona*. With them a numerous body of 
thofe people found a fanctuary when expelled from Theflaly by > 
Deucation and the Curetes }. It was then natural enough for 
the fuperfluous numbers of the Epirotic Helli or Hellenes to 
emigrate to Phthiotis in Theflaly, and to colonize a part of 
that country, efpecially as it was fituated at no great diftance 
from their native feat, and was then in. the poffeffion of thefe: 
very. 
* Heron. Lib. ii. cap. 52. 
+ Dion. Halic. Antiq. Rom. Lib.i. p. x3, Edit. Stern. 
