lyO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



bastis. This Deity had the head of a Cat, or of a 

 lioness; and the demonstrative sign following her 

 name * was sometimes the latter, in lieu of the 

 Cat, her peculiar emblem. Hence it is evident 

 that the Egyptians not only included those two 

 animals in the same family, but considered them 

 analogous types. This, however, seems only to 

 apply to the female, and not to have extended 

 to the male lion, which was thought to partake of 

 a different character, more peculiarly emblematic 

 of vigour and strength. 



Macrobius pretends that the Egyptians employed 

 the Lion to represent that part of the heavens where 

 the Sun, during its annual revolution, was in its 

 greatest force, "the sign Leo being called the abode 

 of the Sun;" and the different parts of this animal 

 are reputed by him to have indicated various seasons, 

 and the increasing or decreasing ratio of the solar 

 power, t The head he supposes to have denoted 

 the "present timet;" whicli Horapollo interprets 

 as the type of vigilance; and the fire of its eyes 

 was considered analogous to the fiery look which 

 the Sun constantly directs towards the world. 



In the temple of Dakkeh, the Lion is represented 

 upon the shrine or sacred table of the Ibis, the 

 bird of Hermes; and a monkey, the emblem of the 

 same Deity, is seen praying to a Lion with the disk 

 of the Sun u})on its head. 



Some also believed the Lion to be sacred to the 



* Vide xuprn, Vol.T. (2(1 Series) p. 278. f Macroh. Saturn, i. 26. 



J Macrol). Saturn, i. 25. Macrobius also says the Sun is the 

 " heart of heaven," and the " mind of the world " (i. 20.). Besides 

 other names, he has that of Phanes (i. 18.). 



