of the Assyrian Monarchy. 309 
born the names of their national divinities, 
and thus the histories of the two may have 
been confounded; or 3. What we call their 
history is only a corruption of mythological 
legends respecting the gods, and instead of 
the sovereigns having been exalted to the 
heavens, the gods have been brought down 
to the earth. 
It would lead me too far from my present 
purpose to discuss the general question, whe- 
ther the gods of the Gentiles were. deified 
men ; I shall content. myself with observing, 
that ancient and deeply rooted as this opinion 
is, all the latest and most philosophical in- 
vestigators of heathen mythology have found 
themselves compelled to abandon it. In the 
particular case under our consideration, if 
we believe Ninus, Semiramis, &c. to. have 
been deified for their exploits, we must ad- 
mit the Ctesian account of those exploits, 
with all the intrinsic absurdities, and incon- 
sistencies with other histories, which we have 
already pointed out. Semiramis was. -wor- 
shipped throughout many countries, and Ara- 
bians, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Capadocians 
and Cilicians brought their offerings to. the 
temple of Hierapolis, which was devoted to 
her honour... Now if she were the head of a 
monarchy. which extended itself over all .these 
