212 Origin of Mythology. 



of Syria and Egypt ; and that they originally Spoke one 

 language. 



1 shall close this sketch of the history of Pagan My^ 

 thology, with some account of the origin of the name 

 God, in German Gott. 



In the ancient Persian, Codai signified Lorcl^ or seign- 

 €ur. Now we find in Hesiod a demi-god or giant, na^ 

 med Co?, icarras, Cuthus^ who was one of the sons of Co- 

 elus and Terra. 



AX>M ^ av yatr.z ts >mi ovpcevov e'^syevovra, 



KoTToi re, BpixpiMi re, Tvyzi B-' vTrspntpcvci reyjx. — 



There were born of Coelus and Terra, three sons, 

 great, mighty, and of indescribable fame, Cottos, Bria- 

 reus, and Gyges, an illustrious progeny. ^'^ 



It is w^ell known that Hesiod is the most ancient, or 

 one of the most ancient of the Greek authors, whose 

 works are now extant ; and his placing Cottos among 

 the fabled giants, indicates that this character was of 

 the highest antiquity. We hear of the same character 

 in Herodotus, the most ancient Greek historian. In 

 speaking of the names given to the three great divisions 

 of the earth, he says that many of the Greeks alledge 

 Asia to have been named after Asia, the wife of Prome- 

 theus. But, he observes, the Lydians contradict this, 

 and assert that Asia was so called from Asias, a son of 

 Cotys, and grandson oi Manis.-\ 



This is a remarkable fact ; for all ancient nations ap- 

 pear to have retained traditions respecting Mmiis or Man^ 

 the first of the human race ; altho these traditions are 

 somewhat confused. 



From the veneration paid to this illustrious character, 

 the name became a common title of princes in Persia, 

 Armenia and Thrace, the very countries through which 

 the Teutonic tribes can be distinctly traced in their mir 

 j^Tations to the western parts of Europe. Liv / mentions 

 a Cotys, king of the Odrj^sians in Thrace, in the Consul- 

 ship of P. Licinius and C. Cassius, in the sixth century 

 of Rome. The same author mentions a Cotto, a Bastajv 



* Hes, Theog. line 147.— Orient. Coll. i. 94. 



f Herod, in Melpomene, ca. 45. 



