lOG THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



Ibis, from its being the destroyer of serpents ; and 

 much might be added respecting the utiUty of the 

 ichneumon, the crocodile, and the cat." 



" Goats, bulls, wolves, and others," continues 

 Diodorus, "are reported to have been venerated 

 for similar motives." The historian then pro- 

 ceeds to give other reasons, one of which, though 

 highly improbable, deserves to be mentioned, — 

 " that in the early period of the Egyptian mo- 

 narchy, the people being prone to rebellion against 

 the Government, one of the Kings devised this 

 method of sowing the seeds of discord among 

 them, and preventing their union. He divided 

 the country into several parts, to each of which 

 lie assigned a peculiar animal, — establishing its 

 worship there, and forbidding it to be eaten. By 

 which means, the same animal that was adored 

 in one place, being regarded with no respect, and 

 even despised, in another, all community of feeling 

 was destroyed, and the animosity arising between 

 neighbouring provinces, prevented their uniting 

 against their rulers." 



The historian also refers, in another place*, to 

 the supposed sojourn of the Gods on earth ; when, 

 in their visits to different places, they assumed the 

 form of various animals; "a notion, which," he 

 adds, "the poet having learnt during his stay in 

 Egy))t, introduced into his verses, — 



" Krtt Tt Btoi K.eivoi(riv eoikotiq aWoSaTroifft, 

 HavToiot TtXtOovreQ tTrtorpaif/jwfft 7ri)\t]rtg, 



AvO()0)TnoV vUpiV Tt KCIl tWOimjl' KJOpMVTtQ." 



Plutarcli, in mentioning the same subject, sayst, 



* Dioclor. i. 1:.'. f Pint, du Is. s. 7'^. 



