182 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



even to a proverb, however welcome its meat may 

 be at table*; and though we may not enter into 

 all the horror of an Egyptian on seeing the great 

 predilection of a Greek for the pig, we may our- 

 selves feel surprised at Homer's respect for a 

 feeder of pigs, who had the title *' divine," and 

 "prince of men. "t 



In the fete of Bacchus, the historian tells t us, 

 they did not eat the pig, which was sacrificed be- 

 fore their door, but gave it back to the person of 

 whom it had been purchased. Plutarch §, however, 

 says that '* those who sacrifice a sow to Typho once 

 a year at the full Moon, afterwards eat its flesh ; 

 giving as a reason for the ceremony, that Typho, 

 being in pursuit of that animal at this season, acci- 

 dentally found the chest wherein was deposited the 

 body of Osiris.'* But it does not appear whether 

 he had in view the festival of Bacchus (Osiris), 

 or that of the full Moon previously mentioned by 

 Herodotus j and it is possible tliat both writers in- 

 tended to confine the custom of eating swine's flesh 

 to one single day in the year, ^lian, indeed, af- 

 firms, that they only sacrifice the sow (which they 

 consider an animal most hateful to the Sun and 

 Moon) once a year, on the festival of the Moon, 

 but on no other occasion either to that or any other 

 Deity." 



* Cicero docs not pay a compliment to pigs, when he says they have 

 " animam pro sale ne putrcscant." Nat. Dcor. lib. ii. iElian, on the 

 authority of Agatharcides, gives the pigs of yl'-thioj)!;! Iiorns, v. 27. 



■j- Horn. ()d. xiv. 48. and 22. — '* Ajof vcjiopjioij," and " iirtojrr;*;, opx- 

 ufioi: avc-ixov." Vide also, xv. 350. 388. &c. 



X llerodot. ii. 48. § Pint, dc Is. s. 8. 



