I 



31 



Thus we see that the Hellenic Greeks were the last of all 

 civilized nations that embraced either polytheism or idolatry. 

 How they were seduced into polytheism I shall now 

 explain. 



That the Hellenes were led into polytheism by their inter- 

 course with foreigners is generally admitted ; and that the 

 Egyptians and Pheuicians were those who principally con- 

 tributed to the alteration of the primitive Hellenic religion, 

 is also commonly supposed : but notwithstanding the asser- 

 tion of Herodotus, I think it impossible to attribute this 

 perversion to the Eg3'ptians ; and to shew how little Hero- 

 dotus is to be credited in this instance, the passages of his 

 history which relate to it must be stated. Lib. 2, § 4, he 

 says, the Egyptians invented the names of the twelve Gods, 

 and that from them the Greeks borrowed them ; and § 50 he 

 tells us, " Egypt has certainly communicated to Greece the 

 " names of almost all the Gods ; that they were of barbarian 

 " origin, I am convinced by my different researches." His 

 own researches then have taught him nothing more, than 

 that these names were not of Greek origin, but did not prove 

 they were derived from Egypt. He adds " the names 

 " of Neptune and the Dioscuri, I mentioned before (§ 43) 

 " Avith those, if we except Juno, Vesta, Themis, the Graces, 

 " and the Nereids; the names of all other deities have always 

 " been known to the Egyptians. In this instance I only 

 " repeat what the Egyptians themselves say." It is then oh 

 the assertion of the Egyptian priests, and not on his own 

 researches, that his certainty rested. " Those names, of which 



" tbey 



