CH.AP.XIV. THE CROCODILE. 233 



the lands, dare not swim across the river from the 

 number of these animals ; and one great impe- 

 diment would be removed, if they were hunted 

 and destroyed. An historical tale relates that 

 Menas*, one of their ancient kings, being driven 

 by his own dogs into the lake Moeris, was mi- 

 raculously taken up by a crocodile, and carried to 

 the other shore. In commemoration of which 

 benefit the king built the city of the ' Crocodiles' 

 in that district, ordering divine honours to be paid 

 to them, and assigning the lake for their main- 

 tenance. Near it he built a tomb for himself, with 

 a four-sided pyramid, and a labyrinth, which are 

 the admiration of all who behold them." 



The crocodile was supposed by some to be an 

 emblem of the Sun, its number sixty being thought 

 to agree with that luminary t; and Clemens tells 

 ust the Sun was sometimes placed in a boat, at 

 others on a crocodile. § 



On the subject of the crocodile M. Pauw ll 

 makes a very judicious remark, "that on his ex- 

 amining the topography of Egypt, he observed 

 Coptos, Arsinoe, and Crocodilopolis (Athribis), 

 the towns most remarkable for the adoration of 



* From what follows of his tomb, and the labyrinth, he evidently 

 means Moeris. 



t lamblich. de Myst. sect. 5. c. 8. Porphyr. de Abstin. Vide infra, 

 p. 237. and sujord, p. ofi-^ 



-\, Clemens, Strom, lib. v. Vide supra, p.3G.; and Vol. 1. (2d Series) 

 p. 433. 



§ There is a curious subject at Philse of a man's body on a croco- 

 dile's back, with ether sculptures referring to the sun, moon, and stars. 

 They are of late time. 



II M. Pauw, Recherches Philos. vol. li. part 3. sect. 7. p. 122. This 

 has been quoted by Mr. Pettigrew. 



