HELIOPOLIS, from zAtog, and wows, the city of the sun, is one of the most ancient cities in the world of which any vestiges can now he traced. The most enlightened phi losophers of Greece and Rome were attracted to this cele brated seat of learning. It was here that Herodotus be came acquainted with the sciences and mysteries of Egypt. Plato was here taught philosophy, and about 30 years before Christ its ruins were visited and described by Strabo.
Strabo describes Heliopolis as built upon an artificial mount of earth, so as to be out of the reach of the dation of the Nile; but owing to the accretion of soil from the annual inundations of that river, the place where it stood is now a perfect plane. In this city was erected a temple to the sun, where a particular part was appropri ated for the feeding of the sacred ox, which was here worshipped under the name of Mnevis. There was also another splendid temple, with avenues of sphinxes and superb obelisks before the principal entrance. Out of the four obelisks which were erected here by Sothis, two were carried to Rome, one was destroyed by the Arabs, and the fourth still remains.
\Vhen Pococke visited Heliopolis, he observed the fragments of sphinxes still remaining in the ancient way leading to the eminence on which the temple of the sun stood. The sphinxes are, however, no longer visible.
They are no doubt covered with the soil deposited by the Nile ; and we agree with Dr Clarke in thinking, that not only the sphinxes, but even the pavement of the temple, might be disclosed by a very trifling excavation.
The obelisk or pillar of Ox, which is now the only piece of antiquity that marks the site of Heliopolis, is about 68 feet high, and 61 feet wide on each side. According to Dr Clarke, who has given a very correct engraving of it, it is one entire mass of reddish granite. Each of its four sides exhibits the same characters, and in the same order. Those which face the south have been the least affected by the decomposition of the substance in which they are hewn ; and it is from the southern side that Dr Clarke's engraving is taken. For a particular account of this °be lisk, and the hieroglyphics which it contains, the reader is referred to Kircher Syntagma Theat. Hieroglyph Oedipi Egylzaaci, torn. iv. p. 330 ; Pococke's Description of the East, vol. i. p. 23 ; Shaw's Travels; Norden's Tra vels; but particularly Dr Clarke's Travels, part. ii. sect. ii. p 98.