THE FRAGMENTS OF Diodorus Siculus. OUT OF Some of his BOOKS that are Lost.
THE last Twenty Books of Diodorus Siculus are entirely lost, (except some Ecclogues or Fragments in Photius his Bibliotheca and others, recover'd by Hoes Chelius, and published by Laurentius Rhodomannus,) which contain'd an Account of Affairs for the space of 244 Years, or there abouts; i. e. from the End of the 119th Olympiad, (when Antigonus and Demetrius Poliorcetes were routed by Ptolemeus Lagus and the other Confederates, An. M. 3650.) to the End of the 180th Olympiad, at which time Julius Caesar made his first Expedition into Britain, which was in the 693d Year of the City, as Eutropius accounts, Lib. 6.
The Reader is desired to observe, That these being but Fragments, or Pieces of Diodorus, recover'd out of the Rubbish (as it were) of Antiquity, the Relations are often broken, and new Matter sometimes begun that has no Coherence with what went before. Where they are broken, they are Noted generally thus,—The new Matter is easily discern'd by Observation.
THese therefore are the most remarkable Things that are recorded among the Atlantides concerning the Gods; and they say, the Grecians use the same Rites and Ceremonies. The same things Diodorus says in the 3d Book of his History: And the same Diodorus confirms the same Theology in his 6th Book, from the History of Euemerus the Messenian, where these are his words—The Ancients therefore held two Opinions (which are brought down to Posterity) concerning the Gods: Some they say are Immortal and Incorruptible, as the Sun, Moon, and rest of the Stars; and likewise the Winds, and other Things of the like Nature, for none of these have either Beginning, or End. But there are others, they say, that are Earthly Gods, but for their good Deeds to the benefit of Mankind, have attain'd to the highest pitch of Honour and Glory; and such were Hercules, Dionysius or Bacchus Aristaeus, and such like. Of these Terrestrial Gods, many and various Stories are related by Historians, and Mythologists. Among the Historians, Euemerus has compos'd a Sacred History, and written peculiarly of these Deities. Among the Mythologists or Poets, Homer, Hesiod, Orpheus, and others of that kind, have seign'd most prodigious Stories of the Gods. We shall endeavour in short to run over what has been writ by both, observing a Mean. Euemerus, a special Friend of King Cassander, being forc'd to undertake some great and weighty Affairs, and long and tedious Voyages for the King, they say, was driven far away through the Ocean, Southward; and loosing from Arabia Faelix, after many days sail, arriv'd at certain Islands situated in the midst of the Ocean; the greatest of which was one call'd Panchaia, in which he saw the Panchaians very zealous and eminent for Religion, who ador'd the Gods with magnificent and pompous Sacrifices, and rich Gifts both of Gold and Silver. They say moreover, that the Island is consecrated to the Gods, and that there were many other Things in it that were admirable, both for their Antiquity and Excellency of Workmanship; of which, we have given a particular Account in the precedent Books. That there is likewise in it, upon the top of an high Mountain, a Temple dedicated to Jupiter Tryphylius, built by him when he convers'd here with Men, and govern'd the whole World; in which Temple there is a Golden Pillar, whereon are distinctly describ'd in Panchaian Letters, the Acts of Ʋranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. Afterwards he says, That the first King was Ʋranus, a just and good Man, and very skilful in Astrology: And that he was the first that ador'd the Heavenly Gods, and therefore was call'd Ʋranus: And that he begat on his Wife Vesta two Sons, Pan and Saturn, and two Daughters, Rhea and Ceres. He says moreover, that Saturn reign'd after Ʋranus, and marry'd Rhea, and begat Jupiter, Juno, and Neptune; and that Jupiter succeeding Saturn, marry'd Juno, Ceres, and Themis: Of the first of which he begat the Curetes, Proserpina of the second, and Minerva