Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. I — G. R. S. Mead (1906)
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2. That when the Goddess revealed herself, she claimed for herself the pillar of the roof ; and, taking it down with the greatest care, she cut away the heathertree from round it, then wrapping this 6 up in fine linen, and pouring the juices of sweet herbs over it,7 she placed it in the hands of the royal couple ; and even unto this day the people of Byblos venerate the wood 8 lying in the holy place of Isis.
tion of the intensified rf-0r; from \/Oa, " suckle " ; the common form of " nurse " was n-B^-vn. On the contrary, a,6iivats is a daughter or derivative of d-e^-j^, one who does not give suck ; for Athena was born from the head and was the virgin goddess par excellence. Mythologically, Athena'is was wife of Alalkomeneus, the eponymous hero of a city in Boaotia, where was a very ancient temple of Athena. In the Pindaric ode quoted in S. (1) of chapter, " Myth of Man in the Mysteries," Alalkomeneus is given as one of the equivalents for the " first man."
1 The child's name was Diktys, according to viii. 2.
2 The V5eK in 8<ttcTv\o$ is said to be the same as that in Se'wa, " ten," and " ten " is the number of " perfection."
3 Or " away."
4 Lit., " croaking " like a raven, to match the " twittering " of the swallow.
6 This presumably hints that Isis, as the Divine Mother, endeavours to make all perfect and sound, while the earthly mother prevents this.
6 Sc. the erica.
7 Cf. John xix. 40 : " So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in fine linen together with sweet herbs."
8 -rb £v\ov — the term used repeatedly in the New Testament for the cross.
3. As for the coffin, she flung herself round it, and kept moaning so long, that the younger of the little ones of the king died away ; * and, taking the elder with herself, and placing the coffin on a boat, she sailed away.
4. And when the Eiver Phsedrus 2 raised too rough a wind 3 just after dawn,4 waxing wrath, she dried up his stream.
XVII. 1. And [they say] that when first she found solitude and was by herself, she opened the chest, and laying her face on his face, she kissed [him] and shed tears.
2. And that when the little one came up in silence from behind and understood, on sensing it she turned herself about, and passionately gave him an awe-ful look. And the little one could not hold himself up against the awe of her, and died.
3. But some say [it was] not thus, but, as it has been said before,5 that he fell out 6 into the river.
4. And he has honours owing to the Goddess, for the
Maneros7 whom Egyptians hymn at their symposia is he.
5. While others relate that the boy was called Palaestinos8 or Pelousios, and that the city9 was named after him when it was founded by the Goddess ; and that the Maneros who is hymned was the first to discover the art of the Muses. 10
1 Or " swooned," or lost consciousness.
2 <f><it$pos — lit., Bright, Beaming, Shining — that is, the Sunstream.
3 Or " breath" (™v/*a). * That is "at sun-rise."
5 Cf. viii. 2. 6 Sc. of the boat of Isis.
7 Mav-epus. I fancy this is a play, in conjunction with the Ka-ra-nai'-ddv-ovTa, and avo-Odv-ovra (the " understanding " and "dying away") above; the name would then mean either "love of understanding " or " understanding of love."
8 ira\ai<niv6s — perhaps a play on iraA.ai<rHjy, "a wrestler"; hence a " rival " or " suitor."
9 Pelusium ; the Pelusian was the eastern mouth of the Nile.
10 See note on xii. 1.
6. But some say that it is the name of no one, but a manner of speech for men drinking and feasting, — with the meaning " May such and such things be present in becoming measure ! " For the Egyptians on every such occasion shout out this, it being indicated to them by " Maneros."
7. Just as, doubtless, also their being shown the image of a dead man carried round in a small wooden coffin, is not a reminder of the Osirian passion, as some suppose ; but it is in order to exhort them while filled with wine to make use of things present, in that all will very presently be such [as it], that they bring in an unpleasing after-revel.
XVIII. 1. And [they say] that when Isis had gone a journey to her son Horus, who was being reared at Boutos,1 and had put away 2 the chest,3 Typhon, taking his dogs 4 out by night towards the moon, came upon it ; and recognising the body, tore it into fourteen pieces, and scattered them abroad.