LIBRARY OF HISTORY, Book 1 #

...the hours of the sun, or as differing in their warmth. Regarding fire, they say that it is sustained by the constant addition of matter. Some of these elements are interpreted as fire, which is called Hephaestus The Greek god of fire and craftsmanship, identified by Diodorus with the Egyptian Ptah by other men; it is from him that the practical use of fire was achieved. Over these things Cronus The Titan father of the Olympian gods in Greek myth ruled, and having married his sister Rhea, he begot—according to some mythologists—Osiris and Isis, but according to most, Zeus and Hera. Because of their virtue, these figures ruled over the entire world.

From these were born five gods, one being born on each of the five intercalary days For the year indeed consisted of 360 days, but five days were added. See Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris. These are the five "epagomenal" days added to the ancient 360-day calendar to complete the 365-day solar cycle. They were considered holy days outside of the standard months.. The names of these children were Osiris and Isis, and also Typhon, Apollo, and Aphrodite. Osiris, when translated, is Dionysus, while Isis is very nearly the same as Demeter. Osiris greatly benefited the kingdom and did much for the welfare of communal life.

First, he put an end to cannibalism among the human race, after Isis discovered the fruit of both wheat and barley (which grew by chance throughout the countryside alongside other plants, but were unknown to humans), while Osiris devised the cultivation of these crops. Osiris was the first to fashion the plow with his hand. Everyone gladly changed their diet, both because of the natural pleasure of these discoveries and because it seemed advantageous to abstain from cruelty toward one another.

As evidence for the discovery of the aforementioned crops, they offer a custom preserved from ancient times. Even now, during the harvest, the people take the first ears of grain that are reaped and place them near the handfuls of grain, beating them and calling upon Isis; they do this to pay honor to the goddess for her discovery at the same time of year the discovery was first made. In some cities, during the festivals of Isis, stalks of wheat and barley are carried in the procession along with other items, as a memorial to the things skillfully discovered by the goddess in the beginning.

They also say that Isis established laws Why Ceres The Roman name for the grain-goddess Demeter is called the law-bringer., according to which people deal justly with one another and have ceased from lawless violence and arrogance through the fear of punishment. For this reason, the ancient Greeks call Demeter Thesmophoros Thesmophoros: Law-bringer, because laws were first established by her.

They say that Osiris also founded a city in the Thebaid The region of Upper Egypt surrounding Thebes of Egypt with a hundred gates. He named it after his mother, though later generations call it Diospolis City of Zeus, and some call it Thebes. There is a dispute regarding the founding of this city, not only among historians but even among the priests in Egypt. Many record that Thebes was not built by Osiris, but many years later by a certain king, about whom we shall write in detail in the appropriate historical period.

Osiris also established a temple to his parents, Zeus and Hera, which was remarkable for its size and general luxury. He built two golden shrines for Zeus: one larger for the heavenly Zeus, and a smaller one for his father who had reigned as king, whom some call Ammon. He also constructed golden shrines for the other gods mentioned before, assigning honors to each and appointing priests to tend to them.

While in the Thebaid, Osiris discovered the arts and various methods for things that are useful. Since copper and gold mines were found in the Thebaid, he fashioned weapons with which to kill wild beasts and cultivate the land, and he zealously tamed the countryside, fashioning statues and golden shrines worthy of the gods. Osiris was also a lover of agriculture. He was raised in Nysa in Arabia Felix The southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, known to the ancients as "Happy Arabia" near Egypt, being a son of Zeus. He received his name among the Greeks from both his father and the place, being called Dionysus A folk etymology combining the name of his father, Zeus (genitive Dios), and the place of his upbringing, Nysa.