CHAP. XII. 



THK GREAT GODS. 



229 



were ten. Twelve and eight were tlie numbers 

 applied to the Dii Consentes and Selecti of the 

 Romans ; but of these the twelve held the first 

 rank. 



From Seb also, who was confounded by the 

 Greeks with Saturn, other Gods proceeded, and 

 the offspring of this Deity and Netpe were Osiris, 

 Isis, Aroeris, Typlio, and Nephthys. 



According to IManetho's Chronology, given by 

 Syncelhis, two dynasties of Gods preceded the 

 first Kings of Egypt; one consisting of seven Gods, 

 the otiier of sixteen Demigods. 



The usual mode of accounting for this reign of 

 the Gods is by referring it to the time during 

 which the priests of each Deity held the supreme 

 authority, when Egypt was governed by a hier- 

 archy, previous to the election of a King j but 

 great doubts are thrown on the accuracy of this 

 list of Deities from its inconsistency, the names of 

 some of the great Gods being classed in the order 

 of Demigods. 



It were to be wished that more dependance 

 could be placed on the accounts of Herodotus 

 and other Greek writers ; but when they so erro- 



Q 3 



