380 



Sota observes, ^' that some Spanish, historians had made a great mis- 

 take in respect to the name of that most ancient portion of the Spanish 

 territory, Gallicia, which name they stated was an abbreviation of one 

 more ancient, of Gallo-Grecia. Bnt they who made that mistake had 

 not read Pausanias, and were ignorant of the fact that the name Gallo- 

 Grecia was the name first given to the colony founded in Asia Minor by 

 the Gauls who fled from Greece after Brennus had died, and the invad- 

 ing army of the Gauls was routed at Delphos. And at that period the 

 Spanish Gallicia was a very old settlement, and bore the same name then 

 that it does now, derived from the name of its founder, the son of that 

 Hercules so famed in Spain, the Prince Galate.^' 



Sota has treated very extensively of the ancient history of Cantabria, 

 and collected with great labour all references to that region and its peo- 

 ple that are to be found in the more common MSS. of Latin and Greek 

 historians, geographers, and early ecclesiastical writers. He repudiates 

 the fabulous Chaldean histories of John Annius de Viterbo, but adopts 

 the forged ecclesiastical annals of Father Higuera, ascribed to Elavius 

 Lucius Dexter. 



The first illustrious stranger he brings from the East into Spain is 

 the most ancient Egyptian sovereign Osiris, alias Dionysius Bacchus, 

 antiquissimo Eey Osiris Dionysio Baccho. Osiris, he states, made only 

 a passing visit to Spain, when he was on a benevolent mission of civili- 

 zation, visiting all the countries of the world, teaching the inhabitants 

 the art of making bread, of cultivating the vine, and of producing in 

 general all things fit for the food of man. 



On the arrival of Osiris in Spain, Sota informs his readers of a great 

 achievement of his, by other Spanish chroniclers ascribed to Hercules. 

 Osiris, we are told, found the country tyrannized over 'hj the giant King 

 Jerio (the Gerione of other writers). He therefore slew the tyrant, 

 and departed from the Spanish shores to the opposite ones of Africa. f 

 The region visited by Osiris, and subsequently ruled over by his descen- 

 dants, was that part of Spain now called Andalusia. 



Of the sons of Osiris who came into Spain and colonized the country, 

 we are informed one was named Horus, and surnamed Hercules ; the 

 other was Astur, also called Anubis and Mercury. There were 

 three heroes of celebrity for their valour named Hercules, the most 

 ancient the Hercules of Mount Ida, afterwards stj' led of Crete — this 

 was the brother of Osiris ; the second Hercules was Horus, the son of 

 Osiris, called the Egyptian, and also the Lybian Hercules ; the third 

 Hercules was the Greek hero, more properly designated Heraclius, to 

 whom the Greeks falsely attributed manj^ of the exploits of the two 

 preceding celebrated personages. It was the second Hercules, Horus, 

 son of Osiris, who came into Spain as a conqueror and colonizer, died 

 in that country, and was buried in Cadix.J 



* Sota, " Chron. de y Cantab.," p. 172. f Sota, ib., p. 62. 



J lb., p. 155. 



