CHAP. Xlir. BURIAL PLACES OF OSIRIS. 347 



possible." * Indeed, the name of that city, whicli 

 signifies the " place of good," appears to refer to, 

 and perhaps to have been called from, Osiris, who 

 was the *^ Good?iess'' of the Deity; and from its 

 being his reputed burial place, and the abode of his 

 representative on earth, the bull Apis, we may find 

 reason to prefer this explanation to that given by 

 Plutarch t, who considers Memphis to mean the 

 "haven of good men." The name of Busiris im- 

 plies t, as Diodorus observes §, the burial place of 

 Osiris ; and the same interpretation is given to 

 Taposiris, though the word is not Egyptian as the 

 former, but Greek ; as are most of the names of 

 towns mentioned by ancient writers. 



Hapi, Apis, Apis-Osiris. 



Osiris was also worshipped under the form of 

 Apis, the Sacred Bull of Memphis, or as a human 

 figure with a bulFs head, accompanied by the name 

 *' Apis-Osiris." According to Plutarch ||, " Apis 

 was a fair and beautiful image of the Soul of 

 Osiris;" and the same author^ tells us that 

 " Mnevis, the Sacred Ox of Heliopolis, was also 

 dedicated to Osiris, and honoured by the Egyp- 

 tians with a reverence next to that paid to Apis, 

 whose sire some pretend him to be." This agrees 

 with the statement of Diodorus, who says. Apis 



♦ Plut. de Is, s. 20. t Plut, de Is. s. 21. 



J There were more than one phice in Egypt of this name. Diodor. 

 i. 17.; and Plin. v. 10., and xxxvi. 12. 



§ Diodor. i. 88. || Plut. de Is. ss. 29. and 20. 



IT Plut. de Is. s. .33. 



