CHAP. XIII. APIS KEPT AT MEMPHIS. 351 



by the Egyptians*:" and Strabot calls "Apis 

 the same as Osiris." Psammaticiist there erected 

 a grand court, ornamented with figures in lieu 

 of columns 12 cubits in heiglit, forming a peri- 

 style around it, in which he was kept when exhi- 

 bited in public. Attaclied to it were probably the 

 two stables, " delubra," or " thalami," mentioned 

 by Pliny §: and Strabo says, " Before the enclo- 

 sure where Apis is kept, is a vestibule, in which 

 also the mother of the Sacred Bull is fed ; and 

 into this vestibule Apis is sometimes introduced, 

 in order to be shown to strangers. After being 

 brought out for a little while, he is again taken 

 back. At other times he is only seen through a 

 window." " The temple of Apis is close to that 

 of Vulcan; which last is remarkable for its archi- 

 tectural beauty, its extent, and the richness of its 

 decoration." 



The festival in honour of Apis lasted seven days ; 

 on which occasion a large concourse of people as- 

 sembled at Memphis. The priests then led the Sa- 

 cred Bull in solemn procession, every one coming 

 forward from their houses to welcome him as he 

 passed ; and Pliny and Solinus affirm that children 

 who smelt his breath were thought to be thereby 

 gifted with the power of predicting future events. 



Diodorus 1| derives the worship of Apis from the 



* " Quid igitur censes ? Apin, ilium sanctum .?^gyptiorum bovem, 

 nonne Deum videri /Egyptiis?" Cicero, de Nat. Deor. 1. Plin. viii. 46. 



-j- ytrabo, xvii. p. 555. When iElian says, " they compare Apis to 

 Horus, being the cause of fertility," he evidently means Osiris. JE\. 

 xi. 10. 



X Herodot. ii. 153. § Plin. lib. viii. 46. 



II Diodor. i. 85. 



