On the Ancient HELLENES. 147 



ry one verfed in etymological enquiries will, I am perfuaded, 

 admit them as probable, if not abfolutely certain. Perhaps the 

 Phoenicians conflituted the more numerous part of the colony, 

 and of courfe, though the leaders were Egyptians, the lan- 

 guage of the majority, as is ufual in fuch cafes, might become 

 the prevailing dialed. This too muft have been mingled with 

 the Pelafgic, which was probably a branch of the old Phoeni- 

 cian, or, at the moft, very little different from that language. 

 At the fame time, it is generally allowed, that the Egyptian and 

 Phoenician were no more than different modifications of the 

 fame tongue. Thus, it appears, that moft of the names of 

 places and perfons connected with the temple of Dodona, as 

 well as that of the temple itfelf, were of a Phoenician or E- 

 gyptian original ; a circumftance which, in my opinion, ought 

 to give additional weight to the arguments above adduced in 

 confirmation of my pofltion. — I fhall now endeavour to point 

 out the means by which the Hellenes of Theflaly grew fo con- 

 fiderable as to communicate their name to all the other tribes 

 of Greece. 



The Hellenes, when they arrived in Greece, brought along 

 with them a large (hare of the culture and civilization both of 

 Egypt and Phoenicia, at that time the two moft polifhed coun- 

 tries upon earth. The emigrants from Dodona to Phthiotis 

 no doubt carried along with them all the improvements of the 

 parent colony. The inhabitants of ThefTaly were at that time 

 a race of barbarians. This affertion (lands in no need of be- 

 ing authenticated by quotations. It is confirmed by the una- 

 nimous confent of antiquity. It is no hard matter to conceive 

 how quickly a race of people, prodigioufly fuperior both in 

 arts and arms, muft gain the afcendant among a rout of uncul- 

 tivated, vagabond favages. Their rrianners, their dexterity, 

 their fkill in the mechanical arts, their policy, perhaps their 

 fuperior courage and difcipline, would naturally enough excite 

 the admiration, and conciliate the affections, of all the tribes of 



t 2 barbarians 



