420 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIII. 



him, from a vase, the emblems of hfe and pm'ity. 

 This ceremony might imply, that during his life, 

 and the distinguished career he had entered upon, 

 even the Monarch himself could only expect, in the 

 ordinary course of events, an alternation of good 

 and bad fortune ; and that he ought, therefore, un- 

 ceasingly to appeal to the protection of the Gods, 

 who alone could avert calamities and insure his 

 happiness. 



In the mythological history of Osiris, there is 

 one person who, from having the double character 

 of a friend and an enemy of the Gods, bears a re- 

 semblance to the Deity before us. This is Antaeus. 

 Even his name, which, without the Greek ter- 

 mination, is reduced to Antae, may not appear to 

 disagree with the Egyptian Ombte. 



According to Diodorus *, when Osiris undertook 

 his expedition from Egypt, in order to visit and 

 dispense benefits to the different countries of 

 the world, he left Isis in charge of the affairs of 

 his kingdom, aided by the counsels of Mercury. 

 Hercules was appointed generalissimo of Egypt ; 

 Busiris, of the sea coast, with the parts adjacent 

 to Phamicia ; and Antaeus, of the /Ethiopian and 

 Libyan districts. After tlie death of Osiris, his 

 murderer Typho was defeated by Isis and Horus, 

 at a spot on tlie Arabian side of the river, near to 

 the village of Antaeus, so called from the Antaeus 

 whom Hercules punished during the life-time of 

 Osiris. Whence it appears that Typho and Antaeus 



* Diodor, i. 17. 21. 



