330 PLINY'S NATUIIAL BISTORT. [Book VIII. 



altar. It was a not uncommon prodigy among the ancients, 

 for an ox to speak -^ upon such a fact being announced to 

 the senate, they were in the habit of holding a meeting in 

 the open air. 



CHAP. 71. (46.) THE EGYPTIAN APIS. 96 



In Egypt an ox is even worshipped as a deity ; they call it 

 Apis. It is distinguished by a conspicuous white spot on the 

 right side, in the form of a crescent. There is a knot also under 

 the tongue, which is called " cantharus." 97 This ox is not 

 allowed to live beyond a certain number of years ; it is then de- 

 stroyed by being drowned in the fountain of the priests. They 

 then go, amid general mourning, and seek another ox to replace 

 it ; and the mourning is continued, with their heads shaved, 

 until such time as they have found one ; it is not long, however, 

 at any time, before they meet with a successor. When one has 

 been found, it is brought by the priests to Memphis. There 

 are two temples appropriated to it, which are called thalami, 98 

 and to these the people resort to learn the auguries. Accord- 

 ing as the ox enters the one or the other of these places, the 

 augury is deemed favourable or unfavourable. It gives 

 answers to individuals, by taking food from the hand of those 

 who consult it. It turned away from the hand of Germanicus 

 Caesar, and not long after he died. 99 In general it lives in 

 secret ; but, when it comes forth in public, the multitudes 

 make way for it, and it is attended by a crowd of boys, singing 

 hymns in honour of it ; it appears to be sensible of the adoration 

 thus paid to it, and to court it. These crowds, too, suddenly 

 become inspired, and predict future events. Once in the year 

 a female is presented to the ox, which likewise has her appro - 



95 Instances are mentioned by Livy, B. xxxv. c. 21, and by Yal. Maxi- 

 mus, B. i. c. 65. B. 



96 We have an account of Apis in Herodotus, B. iii. c. 28 ; also in Pora- 

 ponius Mela, B. i. c. 9 ; and in ^Elian, Anitn. Nat. B. xi. c. 10. B. 



97 " Quern cantharum appellant." According to Dalechamps, " So 

 called from the blackness of the colour, and its resemblance to a beetle." 

 Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 516. He refers the reader to a further account in B. 

 xxx. c. 30. B. 



98 From the Greek 0aXa//6i, " bed-chambers." 



99 Tacitus, Ann. B. ii. c. 69, gives an account of the sickness of Ger- 

 manicus after his return from Egypt, but does not refer to the circumstance 

 here mentioned. B. 



