30 



abjects of adoration ; for we do not find any traces of idcr- 

 latry properly so called, that is, the worship of images, even 

 so late as the Trojan war. No mention is made of them 

 either in the Iliad or in the Odyssey. 'J'hat the Greeks were at 

 that time Polytheists, is certain, but not idolaters until long 

 after the age of Cecrops ; for Herodotus assures us. Lib. 'J, 

 I 53, that for a long time they were ignorant of the origin, 

 form, or nature of their Gods, and whether eternal or not ; 

 consequently they could form no images of tlieni. 'I'he 

 statue of Minerva was therefore not that of a goddess, but 

 of a woman highly reputed by the Athenians. Thus the 

 practice of erecting images or statues of those who rendered 

 signal services to mankind began. They were at first res- 

 pected, then venerated, and finally adored as Gods.* Hence 

 we may conclude, that from the reign of Ogi/ges to that of 

 Cecrops, that is for 232 years, namely, from 1789 to 1557 B.C. 

 the religion of the Hellenes was pure and uncontaminated. 

 The first temple dedicated to Zen was built by Deticalion, 

 Pausanias p. 43, probably in the year 1528, the year sue* 

 ceeding that of the flood, called after bis name, to thank Zen 

 for. his deliverance. Deucalion, indeed, never reigned in 

 Athens.; but he must have possessed authority, for his son 

 Amphyction was married to the daughter of Cranaus, the 

 successor of Cecrops, and afterwards became king of Attica : 

 that Deuculion was a native Athenian I have shewn in my 

 last paper. 



Thus 



* Euseb. p. 70. 73. 



