228 THEORY OF THE EARTH. 



It is now certain, and the Greek inscriptions 

 agree with the hieroglyphical inscriptions in prov- 

 ing it, it is certain, we say, that the temples 

 in which zodiacs have been sculptured, were built 

 during the time when Egypt was subject to the 

 Romans. The portico of the temple of Dendera, 

 according to the Greek inscription of its frontis- 

 piece, is consecrated to the safety of Tiberius *. 

 On the planisphere of the same temple we read 

 the title of Autocrator in hieroglyphical charac* 

 ters f ; and it is probable that it refers to Nero. 

 The small temple of Esne, that of which the ori- 

 gin has been placed on the lowest calculation be- 

 tween 2700 and 3000 years before Christ, has a 

 column sculptured and painted in the sixth year 

 of Antonine, 147 years after Christ, and it is 

 painted and sculptured in the same style as the 

 zodiac which is near it J. 



Further, we have a proof that this division of 

 the zodiac, in such or such sign, has no reference 

 to the precession of the equinoxes, or to the dis- 

 placement of the solstice. A mummy case, late- 

 ly brought from Thebes by M. Caillaud, and con- 



* Letronne. Researches into the history of Egypt du- 

 ring the domination of the Greeks and Romans, p. 180. 

 t Id. ibid. p. xxxviij. 



| Letronne, Ibid. p. 456, and 457- 



