CHAP. XIII. ATIN-RE. 297 



He was usually accompanied by the asp, the 

 emblem of royalty and dominion, as well as by the 

 symbols of life and purity, in token of his vivify- 

 ing infiueuce over all the animated creation ; and 

 in his concave resting-place, the lower firmament of 

 heaven, he was sometimes supported on the backs 

 of lions. This calls to mind an observation of 

 Proclus *, that lions were considered solar animals. 

 It also confirms the statement of Horapollo, that 

 " the Egyptians place lions under the throne of 

 Horus, showing that the animal bears a very great 

 resemblance to the Sun : for the Sun is called by 

 them Horus. t " And though he may be wrong in 

 identifying the Sun with Horus, it is evident that 

 he alludes to a similar mode of representing the 

 Sun supported by lions. They were placed back 

 to back, seated or lying down; and when made of 

 stone, pottery, or other materials, they were united 

 together, forming one body terminated by a head on 

 either side. They were worn as amulets and orna- 

 ments, — the ring by which they were attached an- 

 swering to the Sun ; and I have found one instance 

 of a cow*s head substituted for that of one of the 

 lions.t 



The name Atin-re cannot fail to call to mind 

 Attin, or Atys, the Phrygian Sun ; and from the 

 ovals of the King, who was noted for the })eculiar 

 worship of the Sun represented at the grottoes of 



* Proclus cle Sacrif. " Some animals are solar ... as lions. 

 Vide Plate 29. fig. 6. 

 -|- Horapollo, i. 17. ; and infra, on Horus. 

 j Vide Macrob. Saturn, i. 26. 



