t 
1802.] Obdbfervations on the Zodiac at Dendera by Mr, Henley. 
both are united. The arrow on the bow 
is the firft beam of the year, whilft the 
cheft, forelegs, and body to the wing be- 
long to Pegafus, as the horfe of the morn- 
ing. The hind parts of the wolf com- 
plete the reference to the new moon 
of Thoth, commencing from the dawn. 
The two divifions on the wing ferve to 
expre(fs the diltinction of the Junar and fo- 
Jar difference, which anfwers to the eleven 
feathers, whilft the twelve intercalations 
between the wing and tail of the wolf, 
on which a raven is feated, agree with 
the obtrufion cf the lunar intercalation on 
the common form of the folar year. Over 
the Wolf’s tail is a ftar of five rays, 
pointing at the diftance between the move- 
able and fixed Thoth, whilft the priett, 
under the mafk of a hawk, the fymbol of 
a commencing year, immediately follows, 
and, with an arrow, or firft beam of the 
rifing ftar, ops the further progrefs of the 
bull, which, to exprefs the sowing Thoth, 
has an hind-leg joined to his head. This 
fymbol, indeed, with the two next that 
follow, is a certain key to the whole, inaf- 
much as they diftin&tly mark the fixing 
of the firft of Thoth, the dog holding the 
bull’s leg by a chain of nine links, 
ending with the ftar of five rays as before, 
whilft five of thefe ftars, furrounding the 
Taurine fymbol, decide their eftablifhed 
import. The one between the horns in- 
timates the original rife at the firlt of 
April in the Roman lunar year, at the 
apparent néw moon, that is, the moon on 
its fecond day, to which add the interca- 
lary month, Mercedonius, and the diffe- 
rence is obtained of the fun’s entrance on 
the fign, April 20, which accords with 
the Roman commencement of the year on 
the Palilia. Hence, Aries is again found 
on the 21ft of March. In perfect con- 
gruity with this is the chain of nine links 
annexed tothe ftar. For, as the fidereal 
revolutions ina year, from meridian to 
meridian, are 366 days, there will confe- 
quently be a day gained by fidereal reck- 
oning: hence, as the fun enters Capricorn 
on the 22d of December, at noon, thefe 
nine days afcertain the difference between 
that time and the noon of the 1ft of Janu- 
ary, and thus account for the difference 
of ten days by the calendar of Julius, when 
he reformed the Roman year. 
Having then found, in this zodiac, the 
key to the reforms of the Roman year, we 
have alfo the clue to that of the Egyptian, 
introduced by Augufus, in the year of 
Rome 725, correfponding to the year of 
Nabonafler 720, and making the difference 
299 
of biffextiles fix Egyptian months, or 180 
days ; but thefe carried back from: the 
29th of Auguft, or fixed Thoth, go to 
the moveable Thoth, on the 26th of Fe- 
bruary. Thus, then, have we the two 
Thoths, before and behind Capricorn, and © 
thefe 180 days, from the fun’s entrance 
into Capricorn, with the four biffextiles 
between the reform of Julius and Auguf- 
tus, fallin with the fummer folftice on the 
2ift of June. 
But, it will be remembered, that one of 
the dog-ftars on the fhoulder of Ifis was 
defeétive in two rays, and that Numa 
augmented by two months the Roman 
year: if, in retrocefiion from Capricorn, 
thefe two months be cut off, we are ftop- 
ped at the 21 of Augu&, and thence, 
eight days allowed for the fun’s advance 
in the fign, we are brought again to the 
29th. To this month Augultus gave his 
name, and Capricorn was his favourite 
fymbol. Suetonius relates of him, that, 
on confulting in his youth Theogenes, the 
mathematician of Apollonia, when the 
circumftances of his birth were made 
known, Theogenes fprung up from fur- 
prife, and adored him. The reafon of this 
conduét I fhall elfewhere explain 5 but, in 
addition to this, it will be proper to ob- 
ferve, that, on the celebrated gem of this 
Emperor’s deification, the fign Capricorn 
is placed in a circle, with the dog-ftar 
behind, which, as five only of its 
rays can be feen, the others fuppreffed, 
will accord with the difference between the 
rft of January and April, reckoned one 
way, and, as Auguitus was born on the 
23d. of September, adding the difference 
between lunar and folar time (the Ro- 
man year being then lunar) to the 1ftof - 
January in the other. The abfent three 
rays being thus accounted for, it will be 
obvious that the remaining five relate to 
the diftance between the 23d of Septem- 
ber and the 19th of February, to which 
the four biffextile days again included be~ 
tween the Julian and Auguftan reform, 
came to the 23d, when the Roman lunar 
year was intercalated 5 again, from 
the rgth day of February, the eight days 
in the fign reach that of the 1ft of Thoth, 
the year being biffextile, and the excefs of 
fidereal days, from noon to noon, allowed. 
Tt remains to be obferved, that, in ad- 
jufting the Roman mode of dating to the 
Egyptian, there is a nominal difference of 
three years, which will be found to be but 
nominal, upon comparing the canon of Pto- 
lemy. Hence, what, in Roman reckoning, 
alter the reform of the calendar, appears 
to 
