Herodotus tells us, that, when he discoursed with the priests of Thebes about the kings who had reigned in Egypt, they described them to him under three denominations, of Gods, of heroes, and of men. The last succeeded to those above, and were mere mortals. The manner of succession is mentioned in the following words: [449]Πιρωμιν εκ Πιρωμιος γεγονεναι--και ουτε ες θεον, ουτε ες Ἡρωα αναδησαν αυτους (ὁι Αιγυπτιοι). There are many strange and contradictory opinions about this [450]passage; which, if I do not deceive myself, is very plain; and the purport of it this: _After the fabulous accounts, there had been an uninterrupted succession of Piromis after Piromis: and the Egyptians referred none of these to the dynasties of either the Gods or Heroes, who were supposed to have first possessed the country_. From hence I think it is manifest that Pi-romis signifies _a man_. Herodotus, indeed, says, that the meaning of it was καλος καγαθος, _a person of a fair and honourable character_: and so it might be taken by implication; as we say of a native of our own country, that he is a true and staunch [451]Englishman: but the precise meaning is plain from the context; and Piromis certainly meant _a man_. It has this signification in the Coptic: and, in the [452]Prodromus Copticus of Kircher, Πιρωμι, Piromi, is _a man_; and seems to imply a native. Pirem Racot is an Alexandrine; or, more properly, a native of Racotis, called Raschid, and Rosetta. Pirem Romi are [453]Romans. By means of this prefix we may be led to understand what is meant by Paraia in the account given by Philo from Sanchoniathon: who says, that Cronus had three sons in the region of Paraia: [454]Εγεννηθησαν δε και εν Παραιᾳ Κρονῳ τρεις παιδες. Paraia is a variation of P'Ur-aia; and means literally the land of Ur in Chaldea; the region from whence antient writers began the history of mankind. A crocodile by the Egyptians was among other names called [455]Σουχος: and the name is retained in the Coptic, where it is expressed [456]Pi-Souchi.