302 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



doxus, and other Greek sages repaired, in order to 

 study " the wisdom of the Egyptians ; " and " Py- 

 thagoras," according to Phitarch*, *' was the disci- 

 ple of Oinuphis the HeUopohte.'* Astrononny and 

 all branches of science were studied at Heliopolis : 

 and tlie priests of tlie Sun enjoyed the greatest re- 

 putation for learning. Their city, though small, 

 was the university of Egypt ; and near it was an 

 observatory, which Strabot attributes to Eudoxus, 

 but which we may conclude with greater reason 

 belonged of old to the city, whither he had gone 

 from Greece to study the secrets of the Egyptian 

 wisdom. 



In tlie time of the geographer, the reputation 

 of this seat of learning had already declined; the 

 spacious mansions in which the priests lived were 

 pointed out to him as objects of bygone days ; and 

 the inhabitants spoke of the former sojourn of 

 learned men among them. Tlie colleges, as well 

 as the doctrines they taught, no longer existed in 

 Heliopolis; nor was any one shown to him who 

 occupied himself in the pursuits of former times. 

 Alexandria was the seat of learning at that period : 

 philosophy seemed to have sought an abode and 

 patronage near the court ; even its obelisks were 

 removed with its learning from Heliopolis, and all 

 that could give it splendour or celebrity was taken 

 to the new city. 



The hawk, as before stated, was peculiarly sacred 

 to the Sun. Herodotus also mentions a bird called 



* Pint, de Is. s. 10. f Strabo, xvii. p. 555. 



