s Any sacrifice or mystery which was celebrated during the whole of the night, wai thus denominated.
do not hesitate to believe that myriads of Gods 3
have reigned over them, before the earth was go¬
verned by men, and they trace the descent of their
kings from Piromis to Piromis.* When therefore
1 Every God, according to the arcana of ancient theology, beginning from on high, produces his proper series as far as to the last of things ; and this series comprehends many essences different from each other, such as Angelical, Daemoniacal, Heroical, Nymphical, and the like. The lowest powers also of these orders, have a great communion and physical sympa¬ thy with the human race, and contribute to the perfection of all their natural operations, and particularly to their procrea¬ tions. Such men, therefore, as transcended the herd of man¬ kind either in practical or intellectual virtue, in consequence of being inspired by and also knowing the divinity from whom they descended, called themselves by the name of that divi¬ nity, and were in consequence of this denominated Gods. For a copious account of these heroic souls, see the notes to my Pausanias, and to the Cratylus of Plato in the last volume of my translation of his works.
% i( When Hecatasus,” (says Herodotus in Euterp.) “ in the account of his family, came to mention the l6th God, they (i. e. the priests of Jupiter at Thebes) would by no means ad¬ mit of his supposition, that a man could be begotten by a God ; but on the contrary told him, that each of the images he saw, represented a Piromois begotten by another Piromois ; and that of the whole number, amounting to 345, no one had been reputed either a God or a hero ; the word Piromois signifying no more in their language than an honest and,virtuous man, which character all those represented by the images had, and yet were far inferior to the Gods.” — Littlebury’s Herodotus, vol. i. p. 221,
the divine laws had transferred him to the greater
Gods, and the day destined [for the election of his
successor] was present, the tribes of the priests,
and the soldiers that were natives of the land,
assembled together from every city of Egypt, hav¬
ing been previously cited by a proclamation for this
purpose. These, therefore, assembled from the
necessity of law. It was lawful, however, for the
rest of the people to be absent ; but no one was
prevented from being present, who intended to
come as a spectator of voting, and not as one who
was to give his vote* Swineherds, however, were
excluded from the spectacle, and such foreigners as
bore arms for the Egyptians : for it was not lawful
for these to be present. The elder son, therefore,
on this account had much fewer votes than the
younger. For the seditious faction of Typhos con¬
sisted of swineherds and foreigners, an insane and
numerous class of men ; yet yielding to custom,
and not attempting any thing contrary to it, nor
considering the disgrace of their exclusion as
something dire, but as that which was appropriate,
as being established by law, and natural to their
race.
A king, however, among the Egyptians was
created as follows : There is a sacred mountain
near the great city of Thebes, and another mono»
tain opposite to it, between both of which is the
stream of the Nile. Of these, the mountain oppo¬
site to that which is sacred, is called Libycus, in
which the candidates for the election of the king
were by law commanded to dwell, during the time
of preparation for the ceremony, in order that they
might not know any thing of the choice which
would be made. But the sacred mountain is
called Egyptius. On the summit of this is the
tabernacle of the king, with whom also those priests
dwell who transcend in wisdom, and the arrange¬
ment proceeds to every class of those of superior en¬
dowments, distributing the seats according to the dig¬
nity of the mysteries [in which those who filled them
were initiated.] The first circle, therefore, consists
of those, who are placed about the king as if sur¬
rounding a heart. The next circle to this consists
of the soldiers. And they, indeed, surround the
hill which forms another mountain on the extended
mount, like a rising breast, and enables those to see
the king who are at the greatest distance from him.
But those surround the foot of the mountain who
are permitted to be present at the spectacle» And
these only celebrate with propitious acclamations
that part of the ceremony which they behold.
Those, however* who have the power of voting*
when the king invokes the Gods, and those to
whom this office belongs* excite the whole assembly
(as if divinity w as present* and paid attention to the
election), and the name of one of the candidates for
the kingdom being announced, the soldiers elevate
their hands. But the comasta , (or those that fur¬
nish banquets) the asdiles and prophets, give their
votes, these being, indeed, less numerous, but pos¬
sessing the greatest power in the election. For the
vote of a prophet is equal to a hundred hands ; that
of one of the com as tee to twenty ; and that of an
aedile to ten hands. Another name of the royal
candidates being announced, hands are elevated
and votes given. And if the number of the votes
happens to be nearly equal, then the king by adding
his vote to the part which exceeds causes it to be
much greater than it was ; but if he adds it to the
less part, he renders it equal to the other part. In
this case it is necessary to dissolve the assembly of
voters, and pray to the Gods, supplicating them
for a long time ; and sanctifying themselves in a
more irreprehensible manner, till the Gods indicate
the king, not through veils, or usual signs, but
openly, and the people with their own ears become
witnesses of the choice of the Gods, Such was the
usual mode of election, the choice sometimes fall-
ingon one, and sometimes on another person. But
in the election of Osiris and Typhos, the Gods
without the performance of any sacred ceremonies
by the priests, became at first immediately visible,
and themselves presiding conducted the affair.
Each of them also appointed their priests, and it
was obvious to every one on what account they
were present ; though if they had not been present,
every hand and every vote would have expected
the name of the younger of the royal youths*
With us, however, great things are pre-indicated to
greater and wiser 1 men, and divinity signifies they
will happen whether they are for the better or the
worse, by portents of an admirable nature*
Osiris, therefore, as it was lawful for him to do,
remained in that place into which he was at first
brought. But Typhos, being impatient of delay,
1 For tppoi/nois here, it is necessary to read φρονψοιχ*
was restless and disturbed, and anxious to know
the state of the election ; and at length could not
refrain from attempting to corrupt the suffrages.
Not sparing, therefore, either himself, or the royal
laws, and plunging into the river, in which he was
borne along, swimming, and doing and suffering
every thing, and derided by those who saw him, he
et length passed over the stream ; fancying that he
was not seen except by those to whom he came,
and to whom he had promised a pecuniary reward.
He was, however, recognized by every one, and
every one hated both him and his design. Yet no
one thought fit to reprove an insane disposition.
Hence it happened to this most miserable man,
that while he was himself present, and in his own
hearing, he was rejected by the decision of every
one, and all hands were against him. The Gods
also execrated him. But Osiris being sent for
came, not at all solicitous about the event, the
Gods, the priests, and in short, the whole assembly,
meeting him with sacred crowns, and sacred pipes,
on the bank of the river in which the ship destined
to receive the new king from the Libyc coast, ought
to sail. Mighty signs likewise were immediately
exhibited from the heavens, accompanied with
divine voices indicative of good, and every kind of
prodigy from which a judgment of futurity is formed
both in great and small affairs,— all which por¬
tended a prosperous empire to the Egyptians.
Hence daemons of the worse part [L e. evil das»
mens] could not endure to remain quiet, nor to bear
with mildness this felicity of men, but thought lit
to attack it, and became tumid [with rage] ; in con¬
sequence of which something of demoniacal strata¬
gem was portended* After Osiris, therefore, was
initiated by his father in the royal mysteries, [the
Gods] clearly announced to him, as perspicuously
knowing every thing, both a certain abundance of
good, and that it would be requisite to extermi¬
nate his brother, who was born with a destiny un-
propitious both to the Egyptians,, and to the house
of l\is father, if he did not intend to confound all
things, in order that his brother might neither see
nor hear of the prosperity and fertility of Egypt,
during the reign of Osiris* For no good could be
borne by the nature of Typhos. The Gods also
unfolded to Osiris the twofold essence of souls, and
the necessary opposition existing between terrene
and supernal souls* In consequence of this, they
thought it requisite that he should subvert and cut
off the nature which was hostile to the beneficent
and divine co-ordination of things/ not being at all
prevented from so doing through what is called alli¬
ance by mankind. They likewise informed him
what calamities would happen to himself, to the
Egyptians, to the neighbouring kingdoms, and to
those in subjection to the Egyptians, if he was neg¬
ligent in this respect. For they said that neither
would the evil be debile which would befal him,
nor would a casual circumspection be sufficient to
exclude and weaken both the obvious and latent
attacks of Typhos. For, they added, that a strong
tribe of envious and malignant daemons were pre¬
sent with Typhos as his patrons, to whom also he
was allied, and by whom he was hurled forth into
light, in order that they might employ him as an
* The twofold co-ordination of things according to the Py¬ thagoreans, or the opposition which every where prevails in the universe, and also the fertile and barren periods which alter¬ nately take place in the sublunary region, appear to be indi¬ cated by this Egyptian fable. But this opposition in the Gods, is that of bound and infinity ; in intellects, it is that of same¬ ness and difference ; in souls, that of the circle of sameness, and the circle of difference ; but in bodies, it is that of heaven and generation. And universally the division is into that which adorns, and that which is adorned, that which fills, and that which is filled. For an account of the fertile and barren periods, see the additional notes.
instrument of the evil which they inflict on man¬
kind. And that proceeding in this path, they had
procreated, nourished, and performed the office of
a midwife to Typhos, and educated him in an ap¬
propriate manner, that he might eventually be of
great advantage to them. Nevertheless they thought
that one thing was yet wanting to the accom¬
plishment of all his wishes, viz. that he should be
environed with the strength of empire. For thus
he would be completely perfect, being both willing
and able to perpetrate mighty evils. But you
(said some one of the Gods) they hate, as the gain
of mankind, but their detriment. For the calami¬
ties of nations are the banquets of evil daemons.
Again, therefore,, and again the Gods admonished
Osiris that he should expel his brother, and send
him to some distant land, as they both knew and
saw that Osiris was naturally mild, in consequence
of which they were at length forced to tell him that
for a certain time he would endure [the depravity
of his brother], but that at length Typhos would
latently betray both him and all men, and in reality
exchange the benignant name of brotherly-love for
the greatest of calamities. Osiris, however, said,
in answer to this, While you are propitious and
afford assistance* I shall not fear my brother*
though he should remain* and I shall be safe from
the indignation of [evil] daemons. For you being
willing, can easily procure a remedy for what may
have been overseen by me/*
But the father of Osiris said in reply* a You do
not conceive rightly in this affair, my son. For that
portion of the divine nature which is in the world is
conversant with mundane affairs, yet for the most
part it energizes according to its first power, and is
filled with intelligible beauty. For there [i, e. in
the intelligible world] there is another supermun¬
dane genus of Gods, which connectedly contains
all beings as far as to the last of things. But this
genus of Gods is immoveable, and has no tendency
whatever to matter. It is also a blessed spectacle
to those beings who are Gods by nature [or the
mundane Gods]. And to behold the fountain of
it, is a still more blessed vision. This genus like¬
wise because it abides with itself is exuberantly full
of good, being exuberantly full of itself. But the
good of these Gods consists in a conversion to the
God who reigns in the intelligible world. Never¬
theless the energy of good is not simple, nor of one
form. But these divinities direct their attention
to the parts of the world, deducing as much as pos¬
sible the energy which consists in contemplation to
the subject of their government. That which is
pure and entire, therefore, in these, is immediately
arranged under that first essence. But they ar¬
range the natures proximate to themselves, and a
succession of orders descends in a continued series,
as far as to the last of beings. All things likewise
enjoy the providential care of first natures through
those of a middle rank, yet not equally. For if
this were the case, that which is successive would
have no subsistence ; but beings in descending
would be debilitated, till by confounding and adul¬
terating their order, things would cease to exist.
A thing of this kind also takes place in these infe¬
rior abodes. The essence of that which is in gene¬
ration being naturally erratic, fis allotted the extre¬
mity of a corporeal destiny, and the most obnoxious
to corruption. But to the heavens the first and an
undecaying condition of being is distributed, and a
form analogous to that of soul. Hence, what they
are, said he, (pointing out the Gods) in the hea-
Plot . 2 I.,