On the Perfefolitan hifcriptionf. 85 



and partly in contributions in kind. We fliall however men- 

 tion thofe benefits which are conne6led with hiilory. Anion| 

 the fervices rendered by the king, is the fiege and capture m' 

 LycopoHs. The infurgents of" the laft years had ihrowtt 

 themfelves into this place, and had fortified it ; fo that thfe 

 fiege was attended with difficulties, efpecially in the e'lghik 

 year (of the government). The Nile had increafed in an 

 extraordinary degree, and the king was obliged to oppoffe 

 dvkes to the water, in order that the fiege might be continued 

 with advantage. Polybius fpeaks of the fiege of Lycopolis *; 

 but he places it in the 4th year of the 148th Olympiad, 185 

 years before the birth of Jefus Chrift, and therefore la years 

 later. Vaillant alfo places it in this year. The infcription 

 evidently contradicts this opinion ; but we need only exa- 

 mine with attention the words of Polybius, w-ho fpeaks of 

 the fiege of Lycopolis as an event that took place fome years 

 before. 



The honours decreed to the kingconfift partly in a confir- 

 mation of the antient honourable titles, and partly in the 

 addition of a new one, that of protestor (or avenger) of 

 Kgypt. Tlro'KiiMxiQv t2 £7ra//ywvTa; rji AiyvTrru, which was to 

 be every where inferted in the facerdotal rite, and then a 

 ftatue was to be erected in all the temples. The ftatue was 

 to be placed in fuch a manner, tliat the fl;atue of the deity of 

 the temple (hould prefent to it vidorious arms. The priefts 

 were to adore the ftatue three times a day, in the facred pro- 

 ceflions, when fmall golden temples [vaoi) were carried about, 

 withfmall images of the gods. The image of the king was 

 to be carried about in a fimilar facellum. 



Some other circumftances, which require further explana- 

 tion, the author has referved for another opportunity. Un- 

 fortunately the hifcription has fuf^ered in the lower part. It 

 concludes with thcfe vv'ords : {a-) Ttpeou ?Adou toij te Upon; xai 

 tyxupioti xai eXA»iv»;oi{ ypaufxaaiv km (rrvcrai bv mawM twv t£ ttss- 

 Tuv xai hincpuv (^Upuiv) . 



On the Perfepolitan In/criptions. ,•{ 



In the fame fitting a memoir was read of M. George 

 Grotefend, entitled : Prttvla Je cuneatis quas vocant injcrip- 

 tionibtis Perfepolittin'ts legendu et explicandts relatio; the con- 

 tents of which are the more allonifhing, as the author is not 

 an orientalift, and employed hinifelf accidentallv ih decy- 

 pheringthis writing, hitherto fo obfcure. The author, who 

 has lo;ig exercifed himfclf in decyphering, in conlequence o^' 



♦Excerpt, lib. xxiii, 16. 



G 3 a trifling 



