DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4372#0343
327
near the truth ; but it would be a much more difficult task to re-
concile with the present state of these monuments what the
former writer says about the canal which introduced the waters
of the Nile entirely round the pyramid of Cephren, which thus
stood on an island*. The monument indeed appears, as it were,
built in a hollow cut out of the rock : and on the walls of this
hollow are excavated several catacombs, with sculptures and
paintings resembling those of the Thebaid.
Nor can I give implicit credit to the circumstanee he relates of
the great pyramid, or that of Cheops, having been riveted or
cased-j~, which interpretation is given by some critics to the word
iKTroisiv, there being no remains whatever, on the pyramid or on
the ground, which seem to authorize such an opinion. The top of
the second pyramid has indeed been riveted, and is still smooth,
but 1 should conceive that it was left in this unfinished state; which
tallies very well with what Herodotus assures us, that they were
finished first at the top, and the workmen proceeded gradually to-
wards the bottom. The loAver tier in the second pyramid, he adds,
was of ./Ethiopian stone, of various colours, that is, granite. For
though the greater part of this stone was brought from the neigh-
bourhood of Elephantine, yet it was very natural that it should
obtain this more comprehensive name from the mountains that
* Herod, lib. ii. § 127. "Oure ydg Zifzo-ft oixij'/Aara; uVo yr.v, yrt lie rS Nei'As SiupuZ rtx£i
t; auTYjV, £utT7fjf a; rrtv httorp, pinvcC SiouoSou.yju.sva Si o-uawvo; to-ui vt)<tov Tte^ippht, h tt\
dvrov \eyt*n nsloSai yjoitcv biroSt'i^xs Si rov if^uirov Sotx-oy \iQ& 'AiSionxs itoixixu, r£<r<ra.oz-
Kovra. irdSa; inroad;, rrj; tripy; to ptyeHo;, iyouJv^v tiff psyd\x; o'ixoSo^os.
-f 'EjeTroii;9i) SI cJv ?d dviura.ro. durr,s tpdiTcc' \>.ird Si, ra B-rrojj.sva mrujv ^sttoUvv rsXsv-
rala. Si, aurijj ra tiriyaia xai rd xarcurdrw f^stfo.'ijtrav* <rfcn;y.avrai Si Sid ypappdrtuv
'Atyw>riu>v tv rV HupacuSt o<rcc i( ri eriif aanjv jcai x.pd[J.u.va, xai o-xdooSz ^vcchtiixUi^tj roien ieyec-
gousvoltri. Herod, lib. ii. § 125.-------Travellers have in vain looked tor those characters
which might verify the latter part of this citation.
overhang
near the truth ; but it would be a much more difficult task to re-
concile with the present state of these monuments what the
former writer says about the canal which introduced the waters
of the Nile entirely round the pyramid of Cephren, which thus
stood on an island*. The monument indeed appears, as it were,
built in a hollow cut out of the rock : and on the walls of this
hollow are excavated several catacombs, with sculptures and
paintings resembling those of the Thebaid.
Nor can I give implicit credit to the circumstanee he relates of
the great pyramid, or that of Cheops, having been riveted or
cased-j~, which interpretation is given by some critics to the word
iKTroisiv, there being no remains whatever, on the pyramid or on
the ground, which seem to authorize such an opinion. The top of
the second pyramid has indeed been riveted, and is still smooth,
but 1 should conceive that it was left in this unfinished state; which
tallies very well with what Herodotus assures us, that they were
finished first at the top, and the workmen proceeded gradually to-
wards the bottom. The loAver tier in the second pyramid, he adds,
was of ./Ethiopian stone, of various colours, that is, granite. For
though the greater part of this stone was brought from the neigh-
bourhood of Elephantine, yet it was very natural that it should
obtain this more comprehensive name from the mountains that
* Herod, lib. ii. § 127. "Oure ydg Zifzo-ft oixij'/Aara; uVo yr.v, yrt lie rS Nei'As SiupuZ rtx£i
t; auTYjV, £utT7fjf a; rrtv httorp, pinvcC SiouoSou.yju.sva Si o-uawvo; to-ui vt)<tov Tte^ippht, h tt\
dvrov \eyt*n nsloSai yjoitcv biroSt'i^xs Si rov if^uirov Sotx-oy \iQ& 'AiSionxs itoixixu, r£<r<ra.oz-
Kovra. irdSa; inroad;, rrj; tripy; to ptyeHo;, iyouJv^v tiff psyd\x; o'ixoSo^os.
-f 'EjeTroii;9i) SI cJv ?d dviura.ro. durr,s tpdiTcc' \>.ird Si, ra B-rrojj.sva mrujv ^sttoUvv rsXsv-
rala. Si, aurijj ra tiriyaia xai rd xarcurdrw f^stfo.'ijtrav* <rfcn;y.avrai Si Sid ypappdrtuv
'Atyw>riu>v tv rV HupacuSt o<rcc i( ri eriif aanjv jcai x.pd[J.u.va, xai o-xdooSz ^vcchtiixUi^tj roien ieyec-
gousvoltri. Herod, lib. ii. § 125.-------Travellers have in vain looked tor those characters
which might verify the latter part of this citation.
overhang