240 VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



history is the Boeotian Thebes, which was built by 

 King Ogygos; ^ the oldest town in Roman territory 

 Rome, which King Romulus built. With regard 

 to this matter it is possible now, though it was not 

 when Ennius wrote, to say with truth '^'Tis a 

 little more or less than seven ^ hundred years 

 since far-famed Rome was founded under august 

 auspices." 

 3 Well, Thebes, which was founded it is said before 

 the Ogygian deluge, has yet not existed for more 



^ Ogygos. 'Qyvyt]Q, King of the Hectenes, who were the oldest 

 inhabitants of Boeotia. The flood which occurred in his time 

 preceded that of Deucalion and Pyrrha (Serv. Vergil, E., vi, 

 41), and happened, according to Eusebius, 1,040 years before 

 the foundation of Rome. 



The Phoenician Cadmus is generally supposed to have 

 founded the Boeotian Thebes ; cf. Diodorus Siculus (v, 2), who 

 is followed by Propertius (i, 7), Lactantius, and Statius, and 

 others. The story is familiar (Herod., v, 58, 59). It is highly 

 probable that Thebes was a Phoenician settlement, and the 

 name Cadmus is connected by most scholars with the Phoe- 

 nician Kadmon, i.e., "the aged one," or "the Oriental." 

 Homer frequently uses Kadfisloi or KaS/ieiutveg as the name of the 

 ancient inhabitants of Thebes (cf. II, iv, 385), and the Acropolis 

 there was known in historical times (Xen., Hell., vi, 3, 11) as 

 r) KaSfieia. Amphion and Zethus built the lower city and walled 

 it: 01 TTpijJToi Or)(3j]g 'idog tKritrav liTTaTrvXoio (Odyssey, xi, 262) 

 though a scholium to this passage makes Amphion the original 

 founder, and Solinus (13) agrees with him. 



Varro is followed by Festus : Ogygia moenia Accius in Dio- 

 mede appellans significat Thehas quod earn urbem Ogygus con- 

 didisse traditur. 



^ Septingenti. Ennius died about 170 B.C. Varro was writing 

 this work in 36 B.C. 



