[hose J 
his Treatife upon the Virtues of Women.—Tom. ii, p. 248.—Edit. 
Par.—And affigns as its caufe, that, when Bellerophon, in revenge 
for the ingratitude of the people of Xanthus, a principal city of 
Lycia, who returned him no thanks for having deftroyed a boar 
that laid wafte their country, had by his prayers drawn down a 
curfe of barrennefs upon the whole region, he was at length 
induced, by the interceflion of the women, to deprecate the 
wrath of his patron Neptune, and to reftore fruitfulnefs to the 
foil—‘“ From hence,” continues he, “ it was a law among the 
‘“« people of Xanthus to be called after the names of their mothers, 
“ and not of their fathers —dia was Nooo q tas Zavbioss, wy Tarpobey 
wAN aro Mytpav Xpypeci]iCewv. 
WE find too, in a fragment of Nicolaus Damafcenus, an account 
of this fame cuftom, which is ftill more to our purpofe.—Avuo rag 
syuvectncs juocAdov ¥ TOUS avdpus Tyswow, Ker xeAoUIjas pentpoler, Tas TE 
xAmpovoperes Tas Ouyatpacs AaTOUTW, ov Tog vioig.—Vide Excerpta ex 
ColleGtaneis, &c. p. 517.——— ’ 
“ The Lycians honour their women more than their men, and 
“ are named after their mothers.—TZhey Jeave the inherttances to 
“* their daughters, not to their fons. 
In 
purpofe, viz.: That this hero not only freed the Lycians from an invafion of 
pyrates, but from the Amazons alfo, whom he drove out of their country. So 
that there may be fome reafon to fuppofe that the Lycian women, by an inter- 
courfe with the Amazons, who had,. it fhould feem, dwelt among them, were 
already previoufly prepared for the introduction of thofe cuftoms, which were 
finally eftablifhed in confequence of their patriotick merit in deprecating the 
wrath of Bellerophon, and in averting its fatal confequences. 
