ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 129 



Potitius firft, his gratitude to prove, 



Ador'd Alcides in the facred grove ; 



And, with the old Pinarian facred line, 



Thefe altars rais'd, and paid the rites divine, 



Rites, which our fons for ever fhall maintain ; 



And ever facred mall the grove remain. Pitt. 



the fymbol oF the Moon, being worfliipped by moon- 

 light in open temples and groves, firft with pure, and afterwards 

 with impure, rites. In the facred writings fhe is ftiled Aj7jfaro. l b, 

 alfo the Deity and abomination of the Sidwians (n) ; a mercan- 

 tile people, to whom a curious author afcribcs the firft invention 

 of building long mips of war, and the contrivance of filling 

 them with oars, in fuch a manner that no void fpaces might be 

 left (o). The Prophet complains, that Solomon went after AJIsta- 

 roth, the Goddefs of the S'ulonlans. Jezabel firft paid her divine 

 honours in Ifrael; the moft antient Temple that of Afcalon; 400 

 Prophets attending her. 



Her altar here is thought to have been made by a marine le- 

 gion, raifed by Hadrian in Syria, called, The Ulpian legion j which 

 in Maxiniian's time followed the fortunes of Caranfms. 



She is reprefented on coins as cloathcd in a fhort garment, nuda 

 genu. On the reverfe of a medal of Antoninus Pius, ftruck at 

 Orotho/ia, a maritime town in Syria, we have her treading on a 

 river (p). That antient city and Corbridgs have in one refpecT: a 

 fimilar fituation, being both built on a riling ground, and on the 

 northern banks of a river (ql. 



(n) Judg. 2. 13. (o) M. Meihmii tie Fabiica Trircmium, Lib. 410. Anift. 1671. 



(p) StukeJeys Carnus. (q) Dr. Sfaiv's Travels. 



VOL. II. S In 



