Σὸν δέμας ἔκπαγλον τεῦξαν θεοὶ αἰὲν ἔοντες,
Φεισάμενοι χώρης πύριδα μαζομένης
Εἰς μέσον εὐθύναντες ἀρουραίοιο τραπέζης,
Νήσου πετραίης ψάμμον ἀπωσάμενοι·
Γείτονα πυραμίδων τοίην θέσαν εἰσοράασθαι,
Οὐ τὴν Οἰδιπόδαο βροτοκτόνον, ὡς ἐπὶ Θήβαις,
Τῇ δὲ θεᾷ Λητοῖ πρόσπολον ἁγνοτάτην,
[Εὐ μάλα] τηροῦσαν πεπονημένον ἐσθλὸν ἄνακτα,
Γαίης Αἰγυπτίοιο σεβάσμιον ἡγήτηρα,

Οὐράνιον μέγαν αὐτομέδοντα, [θεοῖσιν ὅμαιμον,]
Εἴκελον Ηφαίστῳ, μεγαλήτορα, [θυμολέοντα]
[Αλκιμον ἐν πολέμῳ, καὶ ἐράσμιον ἐν πολιήταις]
Γαίαν ἀθυρῶσθαι [πάσαις θαλίαισι κέλοντα].

ΑΡΡΙΑΝΟΣ.

Tuum corpus stupendum struxerunt dii sempiterni,
Parcentes terræ triticum pinsenti.
In medium erigentes arvensis tabulæ,

Insulæ petrosæ arenam detrudentes.
Vicinam pyramidibus talem te posuerunt visu:
Non Edipodis homicidam, sicut ad Thebas;
Sed deæ Latonæ famulam purissimam,
[Sedulo] observantem desideratum bonum regem,
Terræ Ægyptiæ venerandum ductorem,
Coelestem magnum imperatorem [diis affinem]
Similem Vulcano, magnanimum [fortissimum]
[Validum in bello, et amabilem inter cives]
Terram lætari [omnigenis epulis jubentem].
ARRIANUS.

Thy form stupendous here the gods have placed,
Sparing each spot of harvest-bearing land;
And with this mighty work of art have graced
A rocky isle, encumber'd once with sand;
And near the pyramids have bid thee stand:
Not that fierce Sphinx that Thebes erewhile laid waste,
But great Latona's servant mild and bland;
Watching that prince beloved who fills the throne
Of Egypt's plains, and calls the Nile his own.
That heavenly monarch [who his foes defies],
Like Vulcan powerful [and like Pallas wise].

ARRIAN.

The

The signature gives it a more than common interest, which will not be weakened, if it should be decided that it is to be ascribed to the celebrated historian whom Gibbon has dignified with the epithet of the elegant and philosophical Arrian.'

On the digits of the southern paw were only discovered a few of the usual dedicatory phrases in homage of Harpocrates, Mars, and Hermes. One inscription gives, as Mr. Salt reads it, to the Emperor Claudius the extraordinary appellation of ' αγαθος δαίμων, an instance of flattery which can only be outdone by that of another inscription, lately discovered in Upper Egypt, where Caracalla is styled 'piissimus,' on the very same stone from which the name of his murdered brother Geta had, probably, been erased by his own orders. On another small edifice in front of the Sphinx was an inscription with the name of Septimius Severus, in which the name of Geta was erased, as in the former, and as it also is in the triumphal arch erected by the same emperor at Rome. The former inscription however is not to Claudius, but to his successor NEPWN, as may be distinctly traced in the first line through the imperfect erasure. Mr. Combe observes, that on some of the coins of this emperor, which were struck at Alexandria, he is flattered with the title of

NEOC. ΑΓΑΘΟΣ. ΔΑΙΜΩΝ.

The inscription, as far as can be made out from the stone now in the British Museum, is as under :

ΑΓΑΘΗ ΤΥΧΗΙ.

ΕΠΕΙ ΝΕΡΩΝ ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ CEBACTOC

ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟΣ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ Ο ΑΓΑΘΟΣ ΔΑΙΜΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΥΝΑ ΠΑΕΙΝΟΙΣ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΗΣ ΕΝ ΑΓΑΘΟΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΝ ΤΗΝ ΕΝΑΡTECTATHN ΠΡΟΝΟΙ 5. ΑΝΠΟΙΗΣAMENOΣ Ε... ΕΝ ΗΜΕΙΝ ΤΙΒΕΡΙΟΝ ΚΛΑΥΔ. ΟΝ ΒΑΛΒΙΛΛΟΝ ΗΓΕΜΟΝΑ ΔΙΑ ΔΕ ΤΑΣ ΤΟΥΤΟΥΧ.. PITAL ΚΑΙ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΣΙΑΣ ΠΛΗΜΥΡΟΥΣ ΑΠΑΣΙΝ ΑΓΑΘΟΙΣΗ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΣ TAL ΤΟΥ ΝΕΙΛΟΥ ΔΩΡΕΑΣ ΕΠΑΥΞΟΜΕ ΝΑΙ ΚΑΤΕΤΟΣ ΘΕΩΡΟΥΣΑ ΝΥΝ ΜΑΛΛΟΝ ΑΠΕΛΛΥ 10. ΣΕ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΚΑΙΑΣ ΑΝΑΒΑΣΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΕΔΟΞΕ ΤΟΙΣ ΑΠΟ ΚΩΜΗΣ ΒΟΥΓΕΙΡΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΛΗΤΟΓ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΡΟΙΚΟΥΣΙ ΤΑΙΣ ΠΥΡΑΜΙΣΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΙΣ ΕΝΑΥΤ.. ΚΑΤΑΓΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΤΟΠΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΕΙ ΚΑΙ Κω ΜΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΥΕΙ ΨΗ... ΑΣΘΑΙ ΚΑΙ... ΓΑ ΘΕΙΝΑΙ ...... 15. ΣΤΗΛΗΝ ΛΙΘΙΝΗΝ ΠΑ

...

......

.....

...ΑΡΜΑΧΕΙ

25.

....

...

.. ΣΤΗΛΕΙ

AWMENACTOICIEPOICEPAMMACINAIWNMNHMONEYEC . . . . . . . ΕΘΙΑ ΓΕΝΟΜΕΝΟΣ ΓΑΡ ΗΜω .... ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΝΟΜΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΣΑΣ ΤΟΝ ΗΛΙΟ ... ΙΝΕΠΟΠΤΗΝ ΚΑΙΣΤΗΡΑΤΗΙΤΕΤΩΝ ΠΥΙ ....... ...ΝΝΕΙ .... ΕΙΟΤΗΤΙ ΑΙΥΠΕΡΘΥΓΑΤΕΡΦΘΕΙΣ.

. ΑΜΕΝΟΣ Τ.. ΠΛΕΙΣΤΗΣ X....ΟΥ ΔΙΑ ΤΟ ΜΗΚΟ ... TOY...N... EME... ... EON.... ΜΑΤΑΠΡΩΤΟΣ.

(Cetera desunt.)

(Under a winged globe.)

With good fortune.

(1) Whereas the Emperor [Nero] Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, the Good Genius of the world, besides all other services which he has rendered to Egypt, taking the most especial care of its (5) interests, has appointed us [orσev μv] Tiberius Claudius Balbillus for a prefect; and by his favours and benefits, abounding with all good things, Egypt has seen the gifts of the Nile increasing from year to year, and has now still more fully (10) enjoyed [άπéλavσe] the due ascent of the deity: it has seemed fit to the inhabitants of the village of Busiris in the Letopolitan district.... living near the pyramids, and to the local scribes and village scribes among them, to pass a decree, and to erect a (15) stone column.....(20) to celebrate his divine virtues, engraved in the sacred character, by which [iv] it is customary to record them: for having been present at our lawful rites, and having worshipped the sun, the overseer and saviour of the world: and.... being excessively delighted with the... of the py......

The following inscription, found near the same spot as the preceding, is also in the British Museum. It appears to have been placed there in the reign of Antoninus Pius and his son Verus. ΑΓΑΘΗ ΤΥΧΗ.

ĽS ANTWNEINOY

KAI OYHPOY TWN

KYPIWN AYTOKPATOPWN
ΗΓΕ .......YONTOC ΦΛ

ΤΙΤΙΑΝΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΥΝ

TOC

TOC AOYKKHIOY OPEXXIANÝ

ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΥΝΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΝΟ
ΜΟΥ ΘΕΩΝΟΣ ΑΠΟ

KATECТHCEN TATI
ΧΗ ΕΠΑΓΑΘΗ 1

ΠΑΧΩΝ ΤΕ.

With good fortune.

[In the sixth year] of Antoninus and Verus, the sovereign emperors, in the prefecture of Flavius of Titianus, Lucceius Ŏfellianus being commander in chief, and Theon general of the nome; he rebuilt the walls for a good purpose.

Pachon XV. (May 11.)

The walls here alluded to were uncovered by Caviglia, and appear to have been intended to inclose the Sphinx. The edifices on which the inscriptions appeared were on two elevated platforms, on the outside of the altar, and directly in front of the animal, accessible by two flights of steps. The wall was of brick, but cased on the interior side with stone. Mr. Salt supposes that, from the commanding position of the two edifices above-mentioned, they were intended as stations for the Roman emperors or the prefects to view the solemn rites performed in the temple and at the altar in front of the Sphinx.

The annexed sketch will convey to the reader the disposition of the ground, and the objects by which it was occupied, in front of the Sphinx and between its paws, in which

A. Is the granite tablet, 14 feet high, 7 feet wide, and 2 feet thick.

B. The side tablet, still standing.

C. The tablet fallen, which has been sent to the British Mu

seum.

D. Two small Sphinxes, supposed to have stood in these places, fragments of them having been found near.

E. Statue of a lion, of the best Egyptian sculpture.

F. Two lions of ruder sculpture supposed to stand here, being found near the spot.

G. The granite basement of an altar.

H. The upper part of the altar.

I. Top of the altar, bearing the marks of burnt sacrifices.
K. The horns of the altar, one of which was found in its place.
L. The first digit of the Sphinx's paw.

M. The second.

Q. The pavement.

PP. Parts of the two fore legs of the Sphinx.