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288 NOTES.
of Grecian, but Celtic origin ; and if any thing further were
•wanting to establish this point, it is presumed that Carnea will
compensate the deficiency. These Carnea were feasts held in
htfnour of Apollo, over all Greece, but chiefly at Sparta, where
Callimachus (see his hymn to Apollo) says they were first iotrodared.
This festival was celebrated at Sparta in the month
Carneus, and at Athens in the month Metageitnion, both corresponding
to our month of May. The whole festival was
clearly descriptive of a military expedition. Nine tents were
erected, and the festival lasted nine days. The chief priest was
called Agetes, i. e. general. Oat of every tribe five ministers
•were chosen, named Carneatai, i. e. Carn.men, or attendants at
the Cam. The hymns sung were called Cameioi nomoi, i. e.
Cam tunes, or hymns. The musicians, on these occasions, con.
tended for victory. The first prize was won by Terpander.
See Potter's Antiquities of Greece, vol. 1. p. 374 & 380.
With regard to the etymon of Carneus, and the origin of this
festival^ there has been much diversity of opinion. Bryant and
Z>r. Tytler derive Carneus from the Greek Keren, which Bry.
ant renders a Horn, and Dr. Tytler a Stork, informing us at the
same time that Clarios is a name of the same import, whereas
Claries is evidently derived from Claras, a city of Ionia, famous
for an oracle of Apollo, See Tytler' s Callimachus, p. 44. & 45.
Others have imagined that Carneus is a corruption of Cyreneus,
from Cyrene, a town of Lybia. This idle idea is sufficiently
confuted by Callimachus in the following
lines elegantly translated
by Dr. Tytler :
Some Bordromiiij, Clarios some implore,
But naoi'd Carneus ou my native sliore.
Tliec, great Carneus ! Sparta first possessd.
Next Thera's isle was with thy presence bltss'd,
you cross'd the swelling main from Thera's bowers
And then resided in Cyrmc's towers, i:c.— p. 4-1. & 4:i.
Thus we see that Apollo was named Carneus at Sparta, long
before he was known at Cyrene.
It would be almost endless to
jidvert to all the groundless opinions vented on this head. It is