1. Herodotus, Histories, 2.38-2.39 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •cambyses, persian king, attacks the apis bull Found in books: Manolaraki (2012) 204 | 2.38. They believe that bulls belong to Epaphus, and for this reason scrutinize them as follows; if they see even one black hair on them, the bull is considered impure. ,One of the priests, appointed to the task, examines the beast, making it stand and lie, and drawing out its tongue, to determine whether it is clean of the stated signs which I shall indicate hereafter. He looks also to the hairs of the tail, to see if they grow naturally. ,If it is clean in all these respects, the priest marks it by wrapping papyrus around the horns, then smears it with sealing-earth and stamps it with his ring; and after this they lead the bull away. But the penalty is death for sacrificing a bull that the priest has not marked. Such is the manner of approving the beast; I will now describe how it is sacrificed. 2.39. After leading the marked beast to the altar where they will sacrifice it, they kindle a fire; then they pour wine on the altar over the victim and call upon the god; then they cut its throat, and having done so sever the head from the body. ,They flay the carcass of the victim, then invoke many curses on its head, which they carry away. Where there is a market, and Greek traders in it, the head is taken to the market and sold; where there are no Greeks, it is thrown into the river. ,The imprecation which they utter over the heads is that whatever ill threatens those who sacrifice, or the whole of Egypt , fall upon that head. ,In respect of the heads of sacrificed beasts and the libation of wine, the practice of all Egyptians is the same in all sacrifices; and from this ordice no Egyptian will taste of the head of anything that had life. |
|
| 2. Statius, Siluae, 3.2.101-3.2.126, 5.3.49-5.3.50 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •cambyses, persian king, attacks the apis bull Found in books: Manolaraki (2012) 204 |
| 3. Pliny The Elder, Natural History, 8.184-8.186 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •cambyses, persian king, attacks the apis bull Found in books: Manolaraki (2012) 204 |
4. Strabo, Geography, 17.1.31 Tagged with subjects: •cambyses, persian king, attacks the apis bull Found in books: Manolaraki (2012) 204 | 17.1.31. Memphis itself also, the residence of the kings of Egypt, is near, being only three schoeni distant from the Delta. It contains temples, among which is that of Apis, who is the same as Osiris. Here the ox Apis is kept in a sort of sanctuary, and is held, as I have said, to be a god. The forehead and some other small parts of its body are white; the other parts are black. By these marks the fitness of the successor is always determined, when the animal to which they pay these honours dies. In front of the sanctuary is a court, in which there is another sanctuary for the dam of Apis. . Into this court the Apis is let loose at times, particularly for the purpose of exhibiting him to strangers. He is seen through a door in the sanctuary, and he is permitted to be seen also out of it. After he has frisked about a little in the court, he is taken back to his own stall.The temple of Apis is near the Hephaesteium (or temple of Vulcan); the Hephaesteium itself is very sumptuously constructed, both as regards the size of the naos and in other respects. In front of the Dromos is a colossal figure consisting of a single stone. It is usual to celebrate bull-fights in this Dromos; the bulls are bred expressly for this purpose, like horses. They are let loose, and fight with one another, the conqueror receiving a prize.At Memphis also there is a temple of Venus, who is accounted a Grecian deity. But some say that it is a temple dedicated to Selene, or the moon. |
|
