400

SERPENT-TEMPLES.

that there were in these temples serpents petri-fied \ It is possible that in later times the deitymay have been worshipped under this form;whence it might be truly said of Cadmus andHarmonia , that they would one day be exhibitedin stone.” Bryant here refers to Nonnus Dionu-siac. 1. xliv. p. 1144, who says of Cadmus andHarmonia ,

Aatver/v ripeWov tyjuv o<j>iw$ca popfnv.

This line, however, I cannot find in Nonnus :but one not much unlike it occurs in lib. xliv.line 367, of that writer :

T * */

-OIC “xpovoe 6p7 T(x)V

’'Qwciot TTErpritGaav ryeiv fiop<j>r)v.

In which the allusion to the serpentine form ofthe temple appears evident. The conversion oftemples into gods is of common occurrence inmythology ; and I have no doubt but that theline from Nonnus , above cited, describes thefigure of the \i8oi ko.1 upov, remarked by Scylax .Bryant seems to think that “ the stones ” sacredto Cadmus and Harmonia were merely styles —

1 This notion was derived from the serpentine figures of thetemples themselves.