ir 
72 THEBES. 
CHAP. The inscription has been already published by 
lVheIer\ and by Spon^, and by MuraiorP from 
the Travels of Du Loir; but as no accurate copy 
has yet appeared, we shall insert our own; stating, 
at the same time, in the Notes, the different 
Readings that have before been published. It 
is remarkable, that, among four travellers who 
have copied a legend of only ten lines, fairly in- 
scribed upon the marble, there should be so 
much disagreement*. It relates to a person of 
the name of Nedymus ; and from the mention 
made of the souVs immortality, in the last line, 
it is supposed that he was a Christian. If this 
be true, it must have been some Christian who 
had imbibed the doctrine of the pre-existence of 
the soul; as appears from an allusion to it in the 
fifth line : but the general tenor of the compo- 
sition, and some of the particular expressions, 
rather prove that it was written by one of the 
later Platonists. 
(1) Journey into Greece, Book IV. p. 333. Z-owrf. 1682. 
(2) Voyage de Grece et du Levant, torn. II. p. 267. alaHaye, 1724. 
(3) Novus Thesaurus Veterum Inscriptionum, torn. IV. p. m.mlxi. 
No. I. Mediolani, 1742. 
