208 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



Egypt, and is seldom seen even in the valley of 

 the Nile, 



At Hieraconpolis, or the City of the Hawks, 

 which stood nearly opposite Eilethyas, on the west 

 bank, and at Hieracon, opposite Lycopolis, this 

 bird likewise received divine honours ; and the re- 

 mains at the former, of the time of the first Osir- 

 tasen, prove the antiquity of that place, and argue 

 that the worship of the hawk was not introduced 

 at a late period. 



The universal respect for the Gods, of whom it 

 was the type, rendered the honours paid to the hawk 

 common to all Egypt ; and though the places above 

 mentioned treated it with greater distinction than 

 the rest of the country, no town was wanting in re- 

 spect to it, and no individual was known to ill-treat 

 this sacred bird. It was one of those " confessedly 

 honoured and worshipped by the whole nation*,'* 

 and "not only venerated while living, but after 

 death, as were cats, ichneumons, and dogst;" and 

 if, says Herodotus t, "any one, even by accident, 

 killed an ibis or a hawk, nothing could save him 

 from death." 7Elian§, indeed, asserts that the Copt- 

 ites showed great hatred to hawks, as the enemy 

 of their favourite animal the crocodile, and even 

 nailed them to a cross ; but this appears impro- 

 bable, since the Sun and othcM- Deities, of whom 

 they v/ere embleins, were worshii)ped at Coptos, 

 as throughout Egy])t. || 



* Pint. (Ic Is. s. 7;J. t Diodor. i. 8.S. 



X Herodot. ii. 05. ^ yl^^lian, Nat. An x. 24". 



II J'idc .siiprci, p. 20G. 



