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the Ethiopians, and returning homeward arrived
at length at Thebes, after lofing a confiderable
number of his men. From Thebes he proceeded
to Memphis, from whence he permitted the Greeks
to embark.-Such was the termination of the Ethi-
opian expedition.

Jore Mass to the Dimen

XXVI. The troops who were dispatched against the Ammonians left Thebes with guides, and penetrated, as it should feem, as far as Oafis.

This

place is distant from Thebes about a feven days379

journey over the fands, and is faid to be inhabited
by Samians, of the schryonian tribe. The coun-

try is called in Greek, "The happy Islands." The
army is reported to have proceeded thus far; but
what afterwards became of them it is impoffible to
know, except from the Ammonians, or those whom
the Ammonians have inftructed on this head. It is
certain that they never arrived among the Ammoni-
ans, and that they never returned". The Ammoni-
ans affirm, that as they were marching forwards from
Oasis through the fands, they halted at some place
of middle distance, for the purpose of taking repast,
which whilft they were doing, a strong south wind

31 Never returned.]—The route of the army makes it plain that the guides, who detested the Perfians, led them aftray amidst the deferts; for they fhould have departed from the lake Mareotis to this temple, or from the environs of Memphis. The Ægyptians, intending the deftruction of their enemies, led them from Thebes to the great Oafis, three days journey from Abydus; and having brought them into the vaft folitudes of Lybia, they no doubt abandoned them in the night, and delivered them over to death.Savary.

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arofe, and overwhelmed them beneath a moun
tain of fand 3, fo that they were feen no more.—
Such, as the Ammonians relate, was the fate of
this army.

XXVII. Soon after the return of Cambyfes-to
Memphis, the god Apis appeared, called by the
Greeks Epaphus". Upon this occafion the Ægyp-46.7
tians clothed themselves in their richeft apparel, and
made great rejoicings. Cambyfes took notice of this,
and imagined it was done on account of his late un-
fortunate projects. He ordered, therefore, the ma-
giftrates of Memphis to attend him; and he asked
them why they had done nothing of this kind when
he was formerly at Memphis, and had only made

32 Mountain of fand.]-What happens at present in performing this journey, proves the event to be very credible. Travellers, departing from the fertile valley lying under the tropic, march feven days before they come to the first town in Æthiopia. They find their way in the day-time by looking at marks, and at night by obferving the ftars. The fand-hills they had obferved on the preceding journey having often been carried away by the winds, deceive the guides; and if they wander the least out of the road, the camels, having paffed five or fix days without drinking, fink under their burden, and die: the men are not long before they fubmit to the fame fate, and fometimes, out of a great number, not a fingle traveller efcapes; at others the burning winds from the fouth raise vortexes of dust, which fuffocate man and beaft, and the next caravan fees the ground ftrewed with bodies totally parched up.-Savary.

33 Epaphus.]-Epaphus was the son of Io, the daughter of Inachus. The Greeks pretended he was the fame perfon as the god Apis; this the Egyptians rejected as fabulous, and afferted that Epaphus was pofterior to Apis by many centuries.

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rejoicings now that he had returned with the lofs of fo many of his troops. They told him, that their deity had appeared to them, which after a long abfence

34

34. Their deity.]—It is probable that Apis was not always confidered as a deity; perhaps they regarded him as a symbol of Ofiris, and it was from this that the Ægyptians were induced to pay him veneration. Others affert confidently that he was the fame as Ofiris; and fome have said, that Ofiris having been killed by Typhon, Ifis inclofed his limbs in an heifer made of wood. Apis was facred to the moon, as was the bull Mnevis to the fun. Others fuppofed, that both were facred to Ofiris, who is the fame with the fun. When he died there was an univerfal mourning in Egypt. They fought for another, and having found him, the mourning ended. The priests conducted him to Nilopolis, where they kept him forty days. They afterwards removed him in a magnificent veffel to Memphis, where he had an apartment ornamented with gold. During the forty days above mentioned the women only were fuffered to fee him "They flood round him, and lifting up their garments, difcovered to him what modefty forbids us to name. Afterwards the fight of the god was forbidden them.

Every year they brought him a heifer, which had alfo certain marks. According to the facred books, he was only permitted to live a ftipulated time; when this came he was drowned in a facred fountain.-Larcher.

A few other particulars concerning this Apis may not be unacceptable to an English reader.

The homage paid him was not confined to Ægypt; many illustrious conquerors and princes of foreign nations, Alexander, Titus, and Adrian, bowed themselves before him. Larcher fays that he was confidered as facred to the moon; but Porphyry exprefsly fays, that he was facred to both fun and moon. The following paffage is from Plutarch: "The priests affirm that the moon fheds a generative light, with which fhould a cow wanting the bull be ftruck, the conceives Apis, who bears the fign of

that

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407

abfence it was his cuftom to do; and that when this
happened, it was cuftomary for all the Ægyptians
to hold a folemn festival. Cambyfes difbelieved
what they told him, and condemned them to death,
as guilty of falfhood.

XXVIII. As foon as they were executed, he fent for the priests, from whom he received the fame answer." If," faid he, " any deity has fhown "himself familiarly in Egypt, I muft fee and "know him." He then commanded them to bring Apis before him, which they prepared to do. This Apis, or Epaphus, is the calf of a cow which can have no more young. The Egyptians fay, that on this occafion the cow is ftruck with light. ning, from which the conceives and brings forth Apis. The young one fo produced, and thus named, is known by certain marks: The fkin is black, but on its forehead is a white ftar of a triangular

that planet." Strabo fays, that he was brought out from his
apartment to gratify the curiofity of strangers, and might al-
was be seen through a window. Pliny relates with great folem-
nity that he refused food from the hand of Germanicus, who
died foon after; and one ancient hiftorian afferts, that during
the feven days when the birth of Apis was celebrated, crocodiles
forgot their natural ferocity, and became tame.

The bishop of Avranches, M. Huet, endeavoured to prove
that Apis was a fymbol of the patriarch Jofeph.

It has been generally allowed, that Ofiris was reverenced in the homage paid to Apis. Ofiris introduced agriculture, in which the utility of the bull is obvious; and this appears to be the most rational explanation that can be given of this part of the Egyptian fuperftition. See Savary, Pococke, &c.-T.

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prefence, Cambyfes was tranfported with rage. He I drew his dagger, and endeavouring to stab him in the belly, wounded him in the thigh; then turning to the priests with an insulting smile, "Wretches," he exclaimed, "think ye that gods are "formed of flesh and blood, and thus fufceptible of "wounds? This, indeed, is a deity worthy of Ægyp"tians: but you fhall find that I am not to be mock"ed with impunity." He then called the proper officers, and commanded the priests to be fcourged: he directed also that whatever Ægyptian was found celebrating this feftival fhould be put to death. The priests were thus punished, and no further folemnities obferved. Apis himself languished and died in the temple, from the wound of his thigh,

35 The tail.]--The Scholiaft of Ptolemy fays, but I know not ch what authority, that the tail of the bull encreased or diminifhed according to the age of the moon.-Larcher.

36 Under the tongue.]-In all the copies of Herodotus, it is Ati de îḥ yawoon, upon the tongue; but it is plain from Pliny and Eufebius that it ought to be 'vo, under. The former explains what it was, Nodus fub lingua quem cantharum appellant," a knot under the tongue, which they call cantharus, or the beetle." viii. 46. The fpot on the forehead is alfo changed by the commentators from quadrangular to triangular. Pliny mentions also a mark like a crefcent on the right fide, and is filent about the eagle. The beetle was confidered as an emblem of the fun.-T.

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