A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 2 (of 6)Bryant, Jacob
History
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 2 (of 6)
Bryant, Jacob
History, Ancient; Mythology
more certainty about the place of his burial, than of his birth; concerning
which Callimachus could not determine.
[411]Ζευ, σε μεν Ιδαιοισιν εν ουρεσι φασι γενεσθαι,
Ζευ, σε δ' εν Αρκαδιῃ.
He was at times supposed to have been a native of Troas, of Crete, of
Thebes, of Arcadia, of Elis: but the whole arose from the word ταφος being,
through length of time, misunderstood: for there would have been no legend
about the birth of Jupiter, had there been no mistake about his funeral. It
was a common notion of the Magnesians, that Jupiter was buried in their
country upon Mount Sipylus. Pausanias says, that he ascended the mountain,
and beheld the tomb, which was well worthy of [412]admiration. The tomb of
[413]Isis in like manner was supposed to be at Memphis, and at Philæ in
Upper Egypt: also at Nusa in Arabia. Osiris was said to have been buried in
the same places: likewise at Taphosiris, which is thought by Procopius to
have had its name, [414]because it was the place of sepulture of Osiris.
The same is said of another city, which was near the mouth of the Nile, and
called Taphosiris parva. But they each of them had their name from the
worship, and not from the interment of the Deity. This is plain from the
account given of the ταφος Οσιριδος, or high altar of Osiris, by Diodorus;
from whom we learn that Busiris and Osiris were the same. [415]_The
Grecians_, says this author, _have a notion, that Busiris in Egypt used to
sacrifice strangers: not that there was ever such a king as Busiris; but
the_ ταφος, _or altar, of Osiris had this name in the language of the
natives_. In short, Busiris was only a variation for Osiris: both were
compounded of the Egyptian term [416]Sehor, and related to the God of day.
Hence the altars of the same Deity were called indifferently the altars of
Osiris, or Busiris, according as custom prevailed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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