SERPENT-TEMPLES.

405

dragon above mentioned seems to have been ofthe same nature. It was, probably, a templeand its environs, where a society of priests re-sided, who were maintained by the public, andwho worshipped the deity under the semblanceof a serpent V’

Besides these Ophite temples, Bryant dis-covered a legend of two others in the neigh-bourhood of Damascus 2 . These dragons, ac-cording to Nonnus , were overcome by the heroDamascenus, an earth born giant. “ One of themonsters with which he fought is described ofan enormous size—a serpent, in extent of fiftyacres: which certainly must have a referenceto the grove and garden, wherein such Ophitetemple stood, at Damascus . For the generalmeasurement of these wonderful beings byacres, proves that such an estimate could notrelate to any thing of solid contents, but to aninclosure of that superficies.”

The dragon of Colchos , which guarded thegolden fleece, is also considered by Bryant tohave been a dracontic temple. There ^was asettlement of Ophites in Colchis , which is in-dicated by the name of the river Ophis. This1 Bryant. Anal. ii. 105, &c.

J Ibid. 142.