138 On the Ancient HELLENES. 
a palm-iree. Heroporus tells us, that this was the moft_an- 
cient oracle of all Greece. The fame hiftorian gives us an ex- 
act account of the tradition of the Egyptian eftablifhment of 
that oracle * ; a tradition ‘‘ which,”’ fays he, “‘ was authenticated 
‘ by the priefts of Dodona in my days.” 
It appears plainly from Heroporus, that this oracle was in- 
ftituted by a prieftefs from Egypt f, and that it was copied 
from that of JuprreR at Thebes, or Diosporis of Egypt. 
Both were originally confecrated to the fun, who was undoubt- 
edly the primary Jupirer of the Pagan world. STRaBgo in- 
fers {, I believe not juftly, from HomeEr’s account of the Selli 
who miniftered in the temple of Dodona, that the original re- 
tainers of that eftablifhment were men, and not women. HeE- 
rnopotus, who had a much fairer opportunity of difcovering 
the genuine tradition, plainly intimates, that the perfon who 
firft inftituted the oracle, was one of the prieftefles of the E- 
gyptian Thebes. Though the Greek poet mentions only “ the 
“ Se/li, who lay on the ground with feet unwafhed,” it does 
not follow, that there were not likewife Se//e of the like afcetic 
chara@ter. ‘The fame geographer informs us, “ That in pro- 
« cefs of time, when Dione was admitted toa fhare of that 
“temple, three old women were appointed to ofliciate as her 
“ priefteffes §.”” Thefe female minifters were called Peleiades, 
which, in the language of Theflaly, fignifies doves ||, and hence 
the origin of the fable concerning the oracular pigeons of Do- 
dona. 
Heropotus, who had converfed with the Egyptian priefts 
upon the fubject of the eftablifhment of the oracle and temple 
of Dodona, informs us, in the paflage above quoted, that they 
homologated the tradition of the Dodoneans with relation to 
the 
* Lib. ii. cap. 55, 56, 57- § P. 320. 
+ Ibid. || Hesyeu. in voc. Tere. 
£ P. 329. 
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