On the Ancient HELLENES. 1g 
tives, would readily determine the petty ftates lying between 
the modern Theflaly and Peloponnefus to prefs into the alliance. _ 
At the fame time, gratitude for this. benefit, as well as for thofe 
enumerated in the preceding pages, might naturally enough 
engage them to adopt the Gentile denomination of their gra- 
cious benefactors. 
Ar firft the Gentile name Hellenes was confined to the can- 
tons connected by the Amphic¢tyonic confederacy ; and thefe, 
as was ju{t now obferved, were all fituated between the con- 
fines of modern Theflaly and the Ifthmus of Corinth. When 
the Dores, who were members of that confederacy, invaded 
and conquered Peloponnefus, they communicated that name, 
which themfelves had adopted before they left their original 
feats, to the inhabitants of their new conquefts ; and now all 
the Grecian tribes without diftinction became Hellenes. At 
length the epithet of Barbarians, which at firft comprehended 
only the tribes in the neighbourhood of the Hellenes who did 
not accede to the alliance reprefented by the Amphiétyones, 
was extended to all the nations. unconnected with the Hellenic. 
tribes. 
To conclude ; the Hellenes were not a particular race of peo- 
ple, nor were they denominated from He ten, the fabulous 
fon of Drucation. They were a fect of idolaters, peculiarly 
addicted to the worfhip of the fun, who was, in fome of 
the eaftern dialects, called Hel-En, i. e. the fountain of light. 
They were found in Babylon, in Midian, in Arabia on the 
confines of Egypt, and more particularly in Egypt itfelf, where 
there were feminaries of learned men called Hellenes. From 
one of thefe facerdotal feminaries, eftablifhed at Thebes or Di- 
ofpolis, emigrated the leaders of the colony of Helladians,. 
which fettled in the neighbourhood of Dodona. Thefe built 
the city of Hellas, and from them the canton which they pofleffed. 
2 was; 
