CHAP. XIII. MARRIAGE OF ISIS AND OSIRIS. 385 



though this is not confined to Isis, as ^han sup- 

 poses *, but is given equally to other Goddesses, and 

 even to the Queens of Egypt. The title " royal 

 wife and sister " was derived from her having mar- 

 ried her brother Osiris ; and this fabulous notion 

 was supposed to have been the origin of a custom 

 prevalent in Egypt from the earliest to the latest 

 periods, which permitted brotliers and sisters to 

 marry ; such an alliance being considered fortu- 

 nate, in consequence of the example set by Isis 

 and Osiris, t 



Many individuals, even among the priesthood of 

 early Pharaonic periods, are found, from the sculp- 

 tures of Thebes, to have married their sisters ; and 

 the same authorities agree with the accounts of 

 ancient Greek and Roman writers, in proving that 

 some of the Ptolemies adopted this ancient custom. 



The principal temple of Isis was in the Sacred 

 Island of Philge, where she was worshipped as the 

 second member of the triad, already mentioned ; 

 and it is probable that the most solemn perform- 

 ance of the great mysteries took place there, which, 

 as at Sa'is and Busiris, had been instituted to com- 

 memorate the important secret of Osiris's death. 

 Coptos also, according to ^Eliant, distinguished 

 her worship with peculiar rites ; which, if we may 

 believe Plutarch, were connected with the memory 

 of Osiris, and the grief of the Goddess. The 

 festivals of Isis were magnificent, and celebrated 



* ^lian, X. 22. 



-)• Diodor. i. 27. Vide supra, Vol. II. p. 63. 

 X AiViau. Nat. An. x. 23. 

 VOL. I. — Second Series. C C 



