‘ 
1802.] Obfervations onthe Zodiac at Dendera by Mr. Henley. 
had gone back, with the ten days between 
the winter folftice, and the firft of Janua- 
ry, or fix days with which he lengthened 
‘the months in one part of the year, and 
four in the other. 
Having recourfe to the Ifis of the upper 
divifion, it will be found, that, inftead of 
eight units on the fhoulder, fhe exhibits 
but feven, whereas the lat of the four 
tars beneath them wants two of its rays, 
and the units which follow are not twelve 
‘but eleven. To account for thefe varia- 
‘tions, let it be obferved, that, before the 
Julian reform, the Roman year being lunar, 
a month of twenty-two and twenty-three 
days alternately, named Mercedonius, was 
inferted after the 23d of February, to ad- 
juft the lunar reckoning to folar ; but, as 
in the year of the Julian reform, the twen- 
ty-three days were included, there would 
of courfe, be one day’s advance on the 
ordinary reckoning, which would leave 
but feven days by the lunar account, for 
‘the fun’s place in the fign; whence the 
eleven units below would anfwer to the 
ordinary differences between the lunar 
‘year and the folar; whilft the two rays, 
deficient in the fourth of the fiars, would 
point out the commencement of the lunar 
year at Romeon the 1ft of March, and :the 
folar of Julius on the rft-of January; or, 
in other words, would correfpond to the 
augmentation of the year, computed back - 
ward, which Numahad made. The ftars 
4n fquares, as before, defignating days, 
which, to the bend of the leg, amount to 
fixty-feven, correfpond to the beginning 
of the year gone back by the Julian com- 
putation, whilft the feven in addition cor- 
xefpond to the fun’s place in the fign, 
which, with the five fupplementary days 
round the legs, make the twelve days in 
the laft year of lunar intercalation, and, 
as the four divifions between them thew, 
are coincident again with a quadren- 
ium. 
Perfeétly congruent with the whole is 
the pyramidal figure, having a globe or 
fun at its top. It confifts ot eleven gra- 
dations, which anfwer to the eleven days 
between the folar and lunar year, and the 
ninety-nine divifions upon it difcriminate 
the ninety-nine days between the winter 
folftice, by which Julius adjufted His re- 
‘form, and the commencement of the Ro- 
aman yearon the rftof April. Between, 
however, the Roman 1ft of March, and 
the rft of April, a month was left out, or, 
in other words, had gone back a fign. 
This is here exprefled by the recels of 
(Cancer from the zodiac, and agrees with 
207 
VIRGIL’s commencement of the year with 
‘Taurus : 
Candidus auratis aperit quum cornibus annum 
Tauvus~m= : 
the precife time of which is defined by 
what immediately follows; 
et advesfo cedens Canis occidit aftro. 
If, now, the fetting of the dog-ftar be 
placed, according to Petau, on the fourth 
of the Kalends of May, and the fixty- 
feven days which the Roman year had 
gone back at the Julian reform, thence 
reckoned, we come to the 26th of Februe 
ary, or 1ft of Thoth, at the commence- 
ment of the era of Nabonaffar, which 
was that likewife of the Egyptian year. 
The changes in the Roman year having 
varied its form, in refpeét to its length, 
as weil as the number of its months, and 
the days in them, it had accordingly re- 
ceded two lunar months, and eight days 
over, making, in the whole, fixty-feven, 
and fo fellon the 27th of April, or day 
of the dog-ftar’s fetting, whence the 28th 
of March would be the firft of Aries ; 
but as, according to Hipparchus, compar- 
ed with Meton and Manilins, JuliusCefar’s 
year placed the fun in the eighth day 
of the fign, thefe eight days allowed, 
will fix the beginning of Aries at the ver- 
nal equinox, and 21ft of March. 
The anomalies of the Roman year being 
adjufted by the year of Nabonaflar, or 
the Egyptian, it becomes evident, from the 
pyramidal figure, with the fun on its fum- 
mit, and the cavern beneath, fignifying 
the vacant interlunar cave of the moon 3 
that the horns of Pan,fymbolizing the hori- . 
zontal beams of thedog’s-{tar,or completion 
of the canicular year, are placed on the 
common boundary of the eighth and third 
gradation, or day, in the eleven, which in- 
dicate the difference between lunar and fo- 
Jar time, or 365 and 344, to diftinguihh 
the eight days for the excefs beyond the 
two Junations, and the three other days 
corre{ponding to the difference of the Ro- 
man lunar year, ending at the 23d of Fe- 
bruary, and the year of Nabonaffar be- 
ginning on February 26, which was the 
firft of Thoth by Egyptian reckoning. 
The bandages round the head of the Pan 
exprefs the fame with other notes of dif- 
tinction ; for, whilft the uppermoft fold has 
eight points correfponding to eight days, 
as before, the fecond exhibits five units, 
to denote the five Egyptian fupplementary 
days, which with the five points between 
them taken in account, indicate ten days, 
Pp2 a8 
