350 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



that the Vulture (not Eagle) on his back was one 

 of his characteristics, supplied, no doubt, like 

 many others, by the priests themselves. 



To Apis belonged all the clean oxen *, chosen 

 for sacrifice ; the necessary requisite for which, 

 according to Herodotus, was, that they should be 

 entirely free from black spots, or even a single 

 black hair; though, as I shall have occasion to re- 

 mark in treating of the Sacrifices, this statement of 

 the historian is far from accurate. It may also be 

 doubted if the name Epaphust, by which he says 

 Apis was called by the Greeks in their language, 

 was of Greek origin. 



He is called in the hieroglyphic legends Hapi ; 

 and the bull, the demonstrative and figurative sign 

 following his name, is accompanied by the crux 

 ansatay or emblem of life. It has seldom any or- 



It::-*"? ^-^^« ^ 



•^^ 'I ^H^ 



I 



m 



Hieroglyph ical name of Apis. 



nament on its head ; but the figure of Apis- (or 

 Hapi-)Osiris generally wears the globe of the Sun, 

 and the Asp, the symbol of divine Majesty ; M'hich 

 are^also given to the bronze figures of this bull. 



Memphis was the place where Apis was kept, 

 and where his worship was particularly observed. 

 He was not merely looked upon as an emblem, 

 but, as Pliny and Cicero say, was deemed "a God 



* Herodot. ii. 38. 



f Herodot. ii. 28. 153., and iii. 27. 



