[. 8 ] 
ters, and the Bouftrophedom manner of writing The/e appear in 
the infcriptions found at Eugubium and Perufia in Italy, at Sigeum 
in Afia Minor, on coins and on tripods in the temple of Apollo at 
Thebes, mentioned by Herodotus. From the Ionians the alphabet 
received its laft improvements. This brief hiftory of the Greek 
alphabet was neceffary for the more clearly underftanding the paf- 
fage referred to in Homer. 
As few languages have experienced * greater changes in its 
matter and form than the Greek, fo the alterations in its letters 
have been not lefs remarkable. _The old eaftern alphabet, on the 
formation of a new and more convenient one by Cadmus, foon 
went into difufe, and as paleography was not ftudied became 
utterly unknown. ‘This appears plainly from the doubtful man- 
ner in which both Herodotus and Plutarch fpeak of ancient in- 
fcriptions. From the’ + laft-named author we learn, that when- 
ever literary remains occurred, it was ufual to apply to the Egyp- 
tian priefts for their explanation, becaufe they had books filled 
with various forts of { characters. Now thefe characters, to be 
ufefully applicable to ancient infcriptions, muft have been § obfolete 
letters, and fuch were the Roman Notes, as defcribed by Cicero 
and 
* Nulla autem fuit lingua que plures pertulerit mutationes ac perwmreces, non folum in yer= 
borum flexionibus per varios diale€tos, fed etiam in ipfis verbis. Salmaf. de Hellen. p. 403. 
+ Plutarch. fupra citat. 
f Borie tov rararwy ravrodamos xapaxtnpec. Plut. Sup. And Clem. Alex. Strom. I. 5. 
§ In robore infculptas prifcarum literarum Notas. Cic. de Div. 1. ii. c. 41. Naétus puerilem 
iconculam ejus eneam veterem ferreis ac fere exolefcentibus literis infcriptam. Suet. in O&. 
c. 7. This fubject is fully difcuffed in the Antiquities of Ireland, p. go. Edit. Dubl. 1790, by 
the author of this Differtation. 
a 
