§1.21.1τῶν δʼ ἱερέων περὶ τῆς Ὀσίριδος τελευτῆς ἐξ ἀρχαίων ἐν ἀπορρήτοις παρειληφότων, τῷ χρόνῳ ποτὲ συνέβη διά τινων εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐξενεχθῆναι τὸ σιωπώμενον.
Although the priests had received the story of the death of Osiris in secrecy from ancient times, in the course of time it happened that what had been kept silent was divulged to the multitude through certain persons.
§1.21.2φασὶ γὰρ νομίμως βασιλεύοντα τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὸν Ὄσιριν ὑπὸ Τυφῶνος ἀναιρεθῆναι τἀδελφοῦ, βιαίου καὶ ἀσεβοῦς ὄντος· ὃν διελόντα τὸ σῶμα τοῦ φονευθέντος εἰς ἓξ καὶ εἴκοσι μέρη δοῦναι τῶν συνεπιθεμένων ἑκάστῳ μερίδα, βουλόμενον πάντας μετασχεῖν τοῦ μύσους, καὶ διὰ τούτου νομίζοντα συναγωνιστὰς ἕξειν καὶ φύλακας τῆς βασιλείας βεβαίους.
For they say that Osiris, while ruling Egypt lawfully, was murdered by his brother Typhon, who was violent and impious; and that Typhon, having cut the body of the murdered man into twenty-six parts, gave a portion to each of those who conspired with him, wishing all of them to share in the pollution, and believing that through this he would have firm allies and guardians of his kingdom.
§1.21.3τὴν δὲ Ἶσιν ἀδελφὴν οὖσαν Ὀσίριδος καὶ γυναῖκα μετελθεῖν τὸν φόνον, συναγωνιζομένου τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτῆς Ὥρου· ἀνελοῦσαν δὲ τὸν τυφῶνα καὶ τοὺς συμπράξαντας βασιλεῦσαι τῆς Αἰγύπτου.
But Isis, who was the sister and wife of Osiris, avenged his murder with the assistance of her son Horus; and having slain Typhon and his accomplices, she became queen of Egypt.
§1.21.4γενέσθαι δὲ τὴν μάχην παρὰ τὸν ποταμὸν πλησίον τῆς νῦν Ἀνταίου κώμης καλουμένης, ἣν κεῖσθαι μὲν λέγουσιν ἐν τῷ κατὰ τὴν Ἀραβίαν μέρει, τὴν προσηγορίαν δʼ ἔχειν ἀπὸ τοῦ κολασθέντος ὑφʼ Ἡρακλέους Ἀνταίου, τοῦ κατὰ τὴν Ὀσίριδος ἡλικίαν γενομένου.
The battle took place by the river near what is now called the village of Antaeus, which they say lies on the Arabian side, and has its name from Antaeus who was punished by Heracles and lived in the time of Osiris.
§1.21.5τὴν δʼ οὖν Ἶσιν πάντα τὰ μέρη τοῦ σώματος πλὴν τῶν αἰδοίων ἀνευρεῖν· βουλομένην δὲ τὴν τἀνδρὸς ταφὴν ἄδηλον ποιῆσαι καὶ τιμωμένην παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς τὴν Αἴγυπτον κατοικοῦσι, συντελέσαι τὸ δόξαν τοιῷδέ τινι τρόπῳ. ἑκάστῳ τῶν μερῶν περιπλάσαι λέγουσιν αὐτὴν τύπον ἀνθρωποειδῆ, παραπλήσιον Ὀσίριδι τὸ μέγεθος, ἐξ ἀρωμάτων καὶ κηροῦ·
At all events, Isis found all the parts of the body except the privy parts; and wishing to make her husband's burial place unknown, yet honored by all who inhabited Egypt, she accomplished her purpose in some such manner as this: she is said to have molded around each of the parts a human-shaped figure of a size close to that of Osiris, out of spices and wax.
§1.21.6εἰσκαλεσαμένην δὲ κατὰ γένη τῶν ἱερέων ἐξορκίσαι πάντας μηδενὶ δηλώσειν τὴν δοθησομένην αὐτοῖς πίστιν, κατʼ ἰδίαν δʼ ἑκάστοις εἰπεῖν ὅτι μόνοις ἐκείνοις παρατίθεται τὴν τοῦ σώματος ταφήν, καὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ὑπομνήσασαν παρακαλέσαι θάψαντας ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις τόποις τὸ σῶμα τιμᾶν ὡς θεὸν τὸν Ὄσιριν, καθιερῶσαι δὲ καὶ τῶν γινομένων παρʼ αὐτοῖς ζῴων ἓν ὁποῖον ἂν βουληθῶσι, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐν μὲν τῷ ζῆν τιμᾶν, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον τὸν Ὄσιριν, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν τῆς ὁμοίας ἐκείνῳ κηδείας ἀξιοῦν.
Then, summoning the priests by their classes, she bound them all by oath to reveal to no one the pledge that was to be given to them, and spoke to each of them in private, saying that to them alone she was committing the burial of the body; and reminding them of his benefactions, she exhorted them to bury the body in their own districts and to honor Osiris as a god, and also to consecrate any one animal of those found among them which they wished, and to honor this while living, just as they had formerly honored Osiris, and after its death to deem it worthy of a funeral similar to his.
§1.21.7βουλομένην δὲ τὴν Ἶσιν καὶ τῷ λυσιτελεῖ προτρέψασθαι τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐπὶ τὰς προειρημένας τιμάς, τὸ τρίτον μέρος τῆς χώρας αὐτοῖς δοῦναι πρὸς τὰς τῶν θεῶν θεραπείας τε καὶ λειτουργίας.
And since Isis wished to incite the priests to the aforementioned honors also by means of self-interest, she gave them the third part of the land for the service and worship of the gods.
§1.21.8τοὺς δʼ ἱερεῖς λέγεται, μνημονεύοντας τῶν Ὀσίριδος εὐεργεσιῶν καὶ τῇ παρακαλούσῃ βουλομένους χαρίζεσθαι, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τῷ λυσιτελεῖ προκληθέντας, §1.21.9πάντα πρᾶξαι κατὰ τὴν Ἴσιδος ὑποθήκην.
And the priests, remembering the benefactions of Osiris and wishing to gratify her who entreated them, and furthermore being enticed by self-interest, are said to have performed everything according to the instruction of Isis.
διὸ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἑκάστους τῶν ἱερέων ὑπολαμβάνειν παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς τεθάφθαι τὸν Ὄσιριν, καὶ τά τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς καθιερωθέντα ζῷα τιμᾶν, καὶ τελευτησάντων αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς ταφαῖς ἀνανεοῦσθαι τὸ τοῦ Ὀσίριδος πένθος.
For this reason, even down to the present day, each class of the priests supposes that Osiris is buried among themselves, and they honor the animals that were consecrated at the beginning, and upon their death, they renew the mourning for Osiris in their burials.
§1.21.10τοὺς δὲ ταύρους τοὺς ἱερούς, τόν τε ὀνομαζόμενον Ἆπιν καὶ τὸν Μνεῦιν, Ὀσίριδι καθιερωθῆναι, καὶ τούτους σέβεσθαι καθάπερ θεοὺς κοινῇ καταδειχθῆναι πᾶσιν Αἰγυπτίοις·
And the sacred bulls, both the one called Apis and the one called Mnevis, were consecrated to Osiris, and it was established for all the Egyptians in common to worship these just like gods.
§1.21.11ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ ζῷα τοῖς εὑροῦσι τὸν τοῦ σίτου καρπὸν συνεργῆσαι μάλιστα πρός τε τὸν σπόρον καὶ τὰς κοινὰς ἁπάντων ἐκ τῆς γεωργίας ὠφελείας.
For these animals had assisted those who discovered the fruit of grain most of all in sowing and in the common benefits that come to all from agriculture.