61
There is no occasion to be surprised at the revamping of these words into Greek. Cf. 362 d-e, supra. The fact is that countless other words went forth in company with those who migrated from Greece, and persist even to this day as strangers in strange lands; and, when the poetic art would recall some of these into use, those who speak of such words as strange or unusual falsely accuse it of using barbarisms. Moreover, they record that in the so-called books of Hermes it is written in regard to the sacred names that they call the power which is assigned to direct the revolution of the Sun Horus, but the Greeks call it Apollo; and the power assigned to the wind some call Osiris and others Serapis, and Sothis in Egyptian signifies pregnancy (caesis) or to be pregnant (cyein): therefore in Greek, with a change of accent,Plutarch attempts to connect κύων, dog, with κυῶν, the present participle of κυῶ, to be pregnant. the star is called the Dog-star (Cyon), which they regard as the special star of Isis. Cf. 359 c-e and 365 f, supra. Least of all is there any need of being very eager in learning about these names. However, I would rather make a concession to the Egyptians in regard to Serapis than in regard to Osiris; for I regard Serapis as foreign, but Osiris as Greek, and both as belonging to one god and one power.
62
Like these also are the Egyptian beliefs; for they oftentimes call Isis by the name of Athena, expressive of some such idea as this, I came of myself, which is indicative of self-impelled motion. Typhon, as has been said,367 d and 371 b, supra. is named Seth and Bebon and Smu, and these names would indicate some forcible and preventive check or opposition or reversal. Cf. 371 b, supra.
