CHAP. XIV. THE CERASTES. 245 



navians considered the snake the type of an evil 

 Deity ; and the tempter of mankind was represented 

 under the same form. Gods and heroes obtained 

 credit for ridding the world of these hatefid crea- 

 tures ; and hmnble individuals were sometimes 

 made to partake of this honour, ^lian* speaks of 

 snakes expelled by Helen from the isle of Pharos, 

 on planting a herb, called after her Heleniumt, 

 which she had received from Polydamna, the wife 

 of Thonis ; and a similar kind office is attributed to 

 some Christian saints. 



A remnant of superstitious feeling in favour of 

 the serpent still exists in Egypt, in the respect paid 

 to the snake of Shekh Hereedee ; which is sup- 

 posed to perform cures for the credulous and devout, 

 when propitiated through the pockets of its keepers. 



The winged serpents of Herodotus have been 

 already mentioned t, whose existence was believed 

 by Aristotle§ and many other writers of antiquity. 

 Those introduced into the paintings of Egypt are 

 of a different kind, and merely emblematic repre- 

 sentations connected with the mysterious rites of 

 the dead, or the fables of Amenti. 



The Cerastes, or Horned Snake. 



"In the environs of Thebes," says Herodotus ||, 

 " is a species of sacred snake of a very small size, 

 on whose head are two horns. They do no harm 



* TElian, ix. 21. 



f Vide ^lian, ix. 20., where he mentions a stone o'f similar efficacy. 

 % Supra, p. 2\S. et seq. Herodot. ii. 75. and iii. 107. Cicero brin<is 

 them from Libya (Nat. Deor. lib.i.); Herodotus from Arabia. 

 § Aristot. An. i. 5. |j Herodot. ii. 74. 



R 3 



