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ὁμοίως. Various as were the cults of Egypt, Osiris and Isis were worshipped everywhere, at any rate in later times, i.e. in the days of H. This was partly due to political influences, i.e. the decline of Thebes which worshipped Amon, and the rise of Sais, partly to the confusion of Osiris with the sun-god (cf. Sourdille, R. 58-62). Osiris was usually identified by the Greeks with Dionysus, but also with Zeus, Hades, Eros, and other gods. The main points of resemblance to Dionysus are: (1) Osiris is originally a corn god (cf. Frazer, Attis, &c. pp. 268 f.; but Egyptologists doubt this); (2) his mutilation by Set is parallel to that of Dionysus by the Titans; (3) his resurrection cf. Plut. I. et O. c. 35, p. 364 ὁμολογεῖ τὰ Τιτανικὰ (in the story of Dionysus) τοῖς λεγομένοις Ὀσίριδος διασπασμοῖς καὶ ταῖς ἀναβιώσεσι.

There is a marked similarity between the Dionysiac Ἀνθεστήρια and the rites of Osiris; both were a combination of joy and of mourning, of Shrove Tuesday and of All Souls' Day (cf. Maspero, Caus. pp. 276-9, who discusses Foucart's theory that the rites of Dionysus were Egyptian in origin; but against this see Farnell, G. C. v. 174 seq.). For the Osiris myth cf. 62 nn.

Mendes lay in the north-east Delta, near the Mendesian arm of the Nile; it was an important seat of the cult of Osiris; for his worship there cf. 46 n.

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