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Such then is the theology of the Phoenicians. But it is time to pass on and survey also the traditions of the Egyptians, in order to understand accurately and to perceive upon examination whether our withdrawal from them was not a well-judged and reasonable step, accomplished in no other way than through the sole proof of the Gospel, first of all for the Egyptians themselves, and then also for those who think the same as they do. 2.pref.5 Now Manetho the Egyptian has given a full account of all Egyptian history in the Greek language, and especially of their theology, 2.pref.6 both in the Sacred Book which he wrote, and in his other compositions. Nevertheless Diodorus also, whom we mentioned before, having compiled his histories from many sources, and having investigated as accurately as possible the circumstances of each nation, an illustrious man who has gained no small reputation for learning among all scholars, having collected indeed all ancient history, and connected the first events with those that followed, made the beginning of his whole work from the theology of the Egyptians; from which I think it better to make the citation of the matters before us, as his writing is likely to be more familiar to the Greeks. He records then these things in the following words: 2.1.1

I. SUMMARY OF THE EGYPTIAN THEOLOGY

“The Egyptians, then, say that at the original generation of the universe, men were first brought into being in Egypt, both because of the fine climate of the country and because of the nature of the Nile. For this river, being very prolific and furnishing food 2.1.2 of spontaneous growth, easily supports that which has been brought to life. And they say that the gods were originally mortal men, but attained to immortality on account of their wisdom and their common beneficence to mankind, and that some of them also became kings. And when their names are translated, some of them have the same names as the celestial deities, and some have received a designation of their own, as Helios, and Cronos, and Rhea, and also Zeus who is called Ammon by some, and besides these, Hera and 2.1.3 Hephaestus, and also Hestia, and lastly Hermes. And Helios was the first to reign in Egypt, having the same name as the star in the heavens. But some of the priests say that Hephaestus was the first to be king, having been the inventor of fire. 2.1.4 And after this Cronos reigned, and having married his sister Rhea, he begat, according to some, Osiris and Isis, but according to most, 2.1.5 Zeus and Hera, who for their virtue reigned over the whole world. And from these were born five gods, Osiris and Isis, and Typhon, Apollo, and Aphrodite. And Osiris is Dionysus, and Isis is Demeter. And after marrying Isis and succeeding to the kingdom, Osiris did many things 2.1.6 for the common benefit; he founded in the Thebaid a city of a hundred gates, which some called the city of Zeus, and others Thebes. And he established a temple to his parents, Zeus and Hera, and golden shrines for the other gods, to each of whom he assigned honors, and appointed priests to take charge of them. 2.1.7 Osiris was also the discoverer of the vine, and was the first to use 2.1.8 unmixed wine, and taught other men agriculture. And Hermes was honored by him most of all, as being endowed with a peculiar genius for the invention of things that could be of use to the common life. For he was the inventor of letters and of the sacrifices of the gods, and arranged the lyre, and taught the Greeks their interpretation; for which reason 2.1.9 he was named Hermes. And he also discovered the olive-plant. And Osiris, having traversed the whole inhabited world, established Busiris in Phoenicia, and Antaeus over Ethiopia and Libya. And he himself made an expedition with his brother Apollo, who they say was the discoverer of the plant 2.1.10 of the laurel. And there went with Osiris on his expedition his two sons, Anubis and Macedon; and he took Pan also with him

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Τοιαύτη μὲν οὖν ἡ Φοινίκων θεολογία. ὥρα δὲ μεταβάντας καὶ τὰ Αἰγυπτίων ἐπιθεωρῆσαι, εἰς τὸ κατανοῆσαι ἀκριβῶς καὶ συνιδεῖν ἐξητασμέ νως, εἰ μὴ κεκριμένη καὶ εὔλογος συνέστηκεν ἡμῖν ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀναχώρησις οὐδ' ἄλλως ἢ διὰ μόνης τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ἀποδείξεως, πρώτιστα πάντων αὐτοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις, εἶτα δὲ καὶ τοῖς τὰ ἴσα φρονοῦσιν αὐτοῖς κατωρθωμένη. 2.pref.5 πᾶσαν μὲν οὖν τὴν Αἰγυπτιακὴν ἱστορίαν εἰς πλάτος τῇ Ἑλλήνων μετείληφεν φωνῇ ἰδίως τε τὰ περὶ τῆς κατ' αὐτοὺς θεολογίας Μανεθῶς ὁ Αἰγύπτιος 2.pref.6 ἔν τε ᾗ ἔγραψεν ἱερᾷ βίβλῳ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις αὐτοῦ συγγράμμασιν. πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ∆ιόδωρος ὁ πρόσθεν ἡμῖν μνημονευθεὶς ἐκ πλειόνων τὰς ἱστορίας ἀναλεξάμενος καὶ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα τὰ παρ' ἑκάστοις ἔθνεσιν ἀπηκριβωκώς, ἐπιφανὴς ἀνὴρ καὶ δόξαν οὐ μικρὰν παιδείας παρὰ πᾶσιν τοῖς φιλολόγοις κτησάμενος, ὁ δὴ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν παλαιὰν συναγαγὼν ἱστορίαν συνάψας τε τὰ πρῶτα τοῖς ἑξῆς πράγμασιν, τὴν καταρχὴν τῆς ὅλης ἐποιήσατο πραγματείας ἀπὸ τῆς κατ' Αἰγυπτίους θεολογίας· ἀφ' ἧς ἡγοῦμαι κρεῖττον εἶναι ποιήσασθαι τὴν τῶν προκειμένων παράθεσιν, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον οὔσης γνωριμωτέρας τοῖς Ἕλλησιν τῆς τούτου γραφῆς. ἱστορεῖ δ' οὖν ταῦτα πρὸς λέξιν· 2.1.1

αʹ. ΕΠΙΤΟΜΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΙΩΝ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ

«Φασὶ τοίνυν Αἰγύπτιοι κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τῶν ὅλων γένεσιν πρώτους ἀνθρώπους γενέσθαι κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον διά τε τὴν εὐκρασίαν τῆς χώρας καὶ διὰ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ Νείλου. τοῦτον γὰρ πολύγονον ὄντα καὶ τὰς τροφὰς 2.1.2 αὐτοφυεῖς παρεχόμενον ῥᾳδίως ἐκτρέφειν τὰ ζῳογονηθέντα. τοὺς δὲ θεοὺς ἀνθρώπους μὲν ὑπάρξαι θνητούς, διὰ δὲ σύνεσιν καὶ κοινὴν ἀνθρώπων εὐεργεσίαν τυχεῖν τῆς ἀθανασίας, ὧν ἐνίους καὶ βασιλεῖς γενέσθαι. μεθερμηνευομένων δὲ αὐτῶν τινὰς μὲν ὁμωνύμους ὑπάρχειν τοῖς οὐρανίοις, τινὰς δὲ ἰδίαν ἐσχηκέναι προσηγορίαν, Ἥλιόν τε καὶ Κρόνον καὶ Ῥέαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ∆ία τὸν ὑπό τινων Ἄμμωνα προσαγορευόμενον, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Ἥραν καὶ 2.1.3 Ἥφαιστον, ἔτι δὲ Ἑστίαν καὶ τελευταῖον Ἑρμῆν. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν Ἥλιοβασιλεῦσαι τῶν κατ' Αἴγυπτον, ὁμώνυμον ὄντα τῷ κατ' οὐρανὸν ἄστρῳ. ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν ἱερέων φασὶ πρῶτον Ἥφαιστον βασιλεῦσαι, πυρὸς εὑρετὴν 2.1.4 γενόμενον. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὸν Κρόνον ἄρξαι, καὶ γήμαντα τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ῥέαν γεννῆσαι κατὰ μέν τινας τὸν Ὄσιριν καὶ τὴν Ἶσιν, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς πλείστους 2.1.5 ∆ία τε καὶ Ἥραν, οὓς δι' ἀρετὴν βασιλεῦσαι τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου. ἐκ δὲ τούτων γενέσθαι πέντε θεούς, Ὄσιριν καὶ Ἶσιν καὶ Τυφῶνα Ἀπόλλωνά τε καὶἈφροδίτην. καὶ τὸν μὲν Ὄσιριν εἶναι τὸν ∆ιόνυσον, τὴν δὲ Ἶσιν τὴν ∆ήμητραν.tαύτην δὲ γήμαντα τὸν Ὄσιριν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν διαδεξάμενον πολλὰ πρᾶ2.1.6 ξαι πρὸς εὐεργεσίαν τοῦ κοινοῦ· κτίσαι τε πόλιν ἐν τῇ Θηβαΐδι ἑκατόνπυλον, ἣν τινὰς μὲν ∆ιὸς πόλιν, ἐνίους δὲ Θήβας προσειπεῖν. ἱδρύσασθαι δὲ καὶ ἱερὸν τῶν γονέων, ∆ιός τε καὶ Ἥρας, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ θεῶν ναοὺς χρυσοῦς, ὧν ἑκάστῳ τιμὰς ἀπονεῖμαι, καὶ καταστῆσαι τοὺς ἐπιμελομένους ἱε2.1.7 ρεῖς· εὑρετὴν δὲ γενέσθαι τὸν Ὄσιριν τῆς ἀμπέλου πρῶτόν τε ψιλῷ 2.1.8 χρήσασθαι καὶ διδάξαι τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους τὴν γεωργίαν. τιμᾶσθαι δὲ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μάλιστα πάντων τὸν Ἑρμῆν διαφόρῳ φύσει κεχορηγημένον πρὸς ἐπίνοιαν τῶν δυναμένων ὠφελῆσαι τὸν κοινὸν βίον. εὑρετήν τε γὰρ αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τῶν γραμμάτων καὶ θυσίας θεῶν διατάξασθαι λύραν τε εὑρεῖν καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας διδάξαι τὰ περὶ τὴν τούτων ἑρμηνείαν· ἀφ' οὗπερ 2.1.9 αὐτὸν Ἑρμῆν ὀνομασθῆναι. τοῦτον δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐλαίας τὸ φυτὸν εὑρεῖν. τὸν δὲ Ὄσιριν ἐπελθόντα πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπὶ μὲν Φοινίκης καταστῆσαι Βούσιριν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν καὶ Λιβύην Ἀνταῖον. αὐτὸν δὲ ἐπιστρατεῦσαι μετὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, ὅν φασιν εὑρετὴν γενέσθαι τοῦ φυτοῦ 2.1.10 τῆς δάφνης. συστρατεῦσαι δὲ τῷ Ὀσίριδι τοὺς δύο υἱούς, Ἄνουβίν τε καὶ Μακεδόνα, παραλαβεῖν δὲ καὶ τὸν Πᾶνα