DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7416#0059
49
if. they had been merely signs and characters of convention ; and,
in some countries, were even substituted as objects of adoration,
instead of the deity, whose attributes tliey were meant to signify.
64. Such seems to have been the case in iEgypt; where various
kinds of animals, and even plants, received divine honors ; concern-
ing which, much has been written, both in ancient and modern
times, but very little discovered. The ./Egyptians themselves would
never reveal any thing concerning them, as long as they had any
thing to reveal, unless under the usual ties of secrecy ; wherefore
Herodotus, who was initiated, and consequently understood them,
declines entering into the subject, and apologises for the little which
the general plan of his work has obliged him to say.1 In the time
of Diodorus Siculus the priests pretended to have some secret con-
cerning them ;* but they probably pretended to more science than
they really possessed, in this, as well as in other instances : for
Strabo, who was contemporary with Diodorus, and much superior
to him in learning, judgment, and sagacity, says that they were
mere sacrificers without any knowledge of their ancient philosophy
and religion.3 The symbolical characters, called Hieroglyphics,
continued to be esteemed more holy and venerable than the con-
ventional signs for sounds: but, though they pretended to read, and
even to write them,4 the different explanations which they gave to
different travellers, induce us to suspect that it was all imposture ;
and that the knowledge of the ancient hieroglyphics, and conse-
quently of the symbolical meaning of the sacred animals, perished
with their Hierarchy under the Persian and Macedonian kings. We
may indeed safely conclude, that all which they told of the exten-
1 To>v 5e etWcep avtnai ra Ipa (6n}pia) el \eyoijj.L, icaTa^atTjv rtp \oyq> es ra Baa irpTjy~
/AdTa, Tct <ryw fpevyai fxaMffTa. arniyseaOar ra. Se Kat eLpr}ica avrav ciri^avaas, avayKairi
KciTaAo.p.fiavoixevos ei7iw. Heiodot. 1. ii. s. 65.
a Oi [lev ovv Uptis avrcov (rwv AiywiTittiv) airoppTiToit tl Soy^a 7repf tovtwv txoviytv'
lib. i. p. 96. ed. Wess.
3 Strabo lib. xvii. p. 806.
4 See the curious inscription in honor of Ptolemy V. published by the
Society of Antiquaries of London, 1803.
D
if. they had been merely signs and characters of convention ; and,
in some countries, were even substituted as objects of adoration,
instead of the deity, whose attributes tliey were meant to signify.
64. Such seems to have been the case in iEgypt; where various
kinds of animals, and even plants, received divine honors ; concern-
ing which, much has been written, both in ancient and modern
times, but very little discovered. The ./Egyptians themselves would
never reveal any thing concerning them, as long as they had any
thing to reveal, unless under the usual ties of secrecy ; wherefore
Herodotus, who was initiated, and consequently understood them,
declines entering into the subject, and apologises for the little which
the general plan of his work has obliged him to say.1 In the time
of Diodorus Siculus the priests pretended to have some secret con-
cerning them ;* but they probably pretended to more science than
they really possessed, in this, as well as in other instances : for
Strabo, who was contemporary with Diodorus, and much superior
to him in learning, judgment, and sagacity, says that they were
mere sacrificers without any knowledge of their ancient philosophy
and religion.3 The symbolical characters, called Hieroglyphics,
continued to be esteemed more holy and venerable than the con-
ventional signs for sounds: but, though they pretended to read, and
even to write them,4 the different explanations which they gave to
different travellers, induce us to suspect that it was all imposture ;
and that the knowledge of the ancient hieroglyphics, and conse-
quently of the symbolical meaning of the sacred animals, perished
with their Hierarchy under the Persian and Macedonian kings. We
may indeed safely conclude, that all which they told of the exten-
1 To>v 5e etWcep avtnai ra Ipa (6n}pia) el \eyoijj.L, icaTa^atTjv rtp \oyq> es ra Baa irpTjy~
/AdTa, Tct <ryw fpevyai fxaMffTa. arniyseaOar ra. Se Kat eLpr}ica avrav ciri^avaas, avayKairi
KciTaAo.p.fiavoixevos ei7iw. Heiodot. 1. ii. s. 65.
a Oi [lev ovv Uptis avrcov (rwv AiywiTittiv) airoppTiToit tl Soy^a 7repf tovtwv txoviytv'
lib. i. p. 96. ed. Wess.
3 Strabo lib. xvii. p. 806.
4 See the curious inscription in honor of Ptolemy V. published by the
Society of Antiquaries of London, 1803.
D