118 ON THE REVOLUTIONS OF 



of stars which no^v hear the same name, or simply what astronomers 

 call sio-ns, that is to say, divisions of the zodiacs proceeding from one 

 of the colures, whatever place this colure occupies ? 



Is the point at which these zodiacs have been divided into two bands 

 necessarily that of a solstice ? 



Is the division of the side next the entrance necessarily that of the 

 summer solstice ? 



signs advance in their known order to Cancer, which, instead of completing the chain 

 by corresponding to the level of the Lion, is placed above him nearer the centre of 

 the circle ; so that the signs are in a line rather spiral. 



The Cancer, or rather Scarabceus, advances in a contrary direction to the other 

 signs. The Twins correspond with the north ; the Sagittary with the south ; and 

 the Fishes with the east, but not exactly. On the eastern side of this planisphere is 

 a large female figure, with her head in a southerly direction, and her feet towards the 

 north, like the rest in the portico. A doubt might then be raised as to what point 

 of this second zodiac should be taken as the commencement of the signs. If we take 

 one of the perpendiculars, or one of the diagonals, or the point where one part of the 

 series passes over the other part, we should divide it at the Lion, or between the Lion 

 and the Cancer, or lastly at the Twins. 



At Esne (the ancient Latopolis), a city below Thebes, there are zodiacs on the 

 ceilings of tw'O difi'erent temples. 



That of the great temple, whose entrance is eastward, is on two bands contiguous 

 to, and parallel with, the length of the south side of the ceiling*. 



The female figures who embrace them are not placed lengthwise, but in the breadth 

 of the bands, so that one is across near the eastern entrance, the head and arms 

 towards the north, and the feet towards the lateral wall, or soiithward, and the 

 other is at the bottom of the portico, also across and facing the first. 



The nearest band to the axis of the portico, or north, first presents, on the side of 

 the entrance, or eastward, and towards the head of the female figixre, the Lion placed a 

 little backwards and going towards the bottom, the feet towards the latei-al wall ; 

 behind the Lion, at the commencement of the band are two smaller Lions ; before 

 it is the Scarabseus, and then the Twins advancing in the same direction ; then the 

 Bull, the Ram, and the Fishes, close to each other, placed across the middle of the 

 band. The Bull with his head towards the lateral wall, the Ram towards the axis. 

 The Aquarius is farther off, and takes the same direction towards the bottom as the 

 three first signs. 



On the band nearest to the lateral wall and the north, we see at first, but at some 

 distance from the bottom or west, the Capricorn, which is going in an opposite direc- 

 tion to the Aquarius, and directs his course eastward, or towards the entrance of the 

 portico with the feet turned towards the lateral wall. Close to it is the Sagittary cor- 

 responding with the Fishes and the Ram. He advances towards the entrance, but 

 his feet are turned towards the axis in an opposite direction to those of the Capri- 

 corn. 



At a certain distance in front, and near each other, are the Scorpion and a female 

 holding a balance ; finally, a little more in front, but stLU sufificiently distant from 

 the anterior, or eastern extremity, is the Virgin, who is preceded by a Sphynx. The 

 Virgin and the female who holds the balance have their feet towards the wall, so that 

 the Sagittary is the only sign which is placed with its head differently to those of the 

 other signs. 



Northward of Esne is a small isolated temple, equally directed towards the east, 

 and whose portico has also a zodiac f ; it is on two lateral and separated bands. 

 That which is along the south side begins with a Lion, who is advancing towards 

 the bottom, or westward ; the feet turned towards the wall, or southward ; the Sca- 



* See the great work on Egypt. Antiq. v. i, pi. Ixxix. 

 t See the great work on Egypt. Antiq. v. i, pi. Ixx^vii. 



