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12. R E U G I O U S G R O U P S<br />

I am the mother of King Horus. I am she who rises in the Dog Star. I am she who is called<br />

God by women. By me was the city of Boubastos built. I divided earth from heaven. I<br />

appointed the paths of the stars. 1 regulated the passage of sun and moon. I invented<br />

fishing and seafaring. 1 made justice strong. I coupled woman and man. I arranged that<br />

women should bring babies to the light (20) after nine months. I legislated that parents be<br />

loved by their child. I inflicted punishment on those who are not affectionately disposed<br />

towards their parents. I, with my brother Osiris, ended cannibalism. I showed initiations<br />

to humans. I taught them to honour images of the gods. I founded sanctuaries of the gods.<br />

1 ended the rule of tyrants. I ended murders. I forced women to be loved bv men. I made<br />

justice stronger than gold and silver. I legislated that truth be considered a fine thing. I<br />

invented marriage contracts. I assigned languages for Greeks and barbarians. 1 made good<br />

and evil be distinguished by nature. I made nothing more respected than the oath. I<br />

delivered the person plotting unjustly against another into the hands of the person plotted<br />

against. I inflict punishment on chose acting unjustly I legislated mercy for the suppliant.<br />

I honour those who avenge themselves with justice. By me justice is mighty. T am mistress<br />

of rivers, winds (40) and sea. No one is held in honour without my assent. I am mistress of<br />

war. I am mistress of the thunderbolt. 1 calm and agitate the sea. 1 am in the rays of the<br />

sun. 1 accompany the passage of the sun. Whatever 1 decide is actually accomplished. To<br />

me everything yields. 1 free those in chains. I am mistress of seamanship. I make the<br />

navigable unnavigable whenever 1 decide. I built the walls of cities. I am she who is called<br />

Thesmophoros. 1<br />

1 raised islands from the deep to the light. I am mistress of rainstorms. 1<br />

conquered fate. To me fate listens.<br />

Hail Egypt who nourished me.<br />

1. 'Lawgiver', an epithet normally applied to the Greek goddess Demcter.<br />

12.4b The revelation of his to Lucius<br />

This extract from Apuleius' novel (see also 5.6c and 8.8) describes first the<br />

appearance of [sis, with a promise of rescue, to the hero Lucius-who has been<br />

turned into an ass; and second Lucius' subsequent initiation into the cult of Isis<br />

at Corinth. The conversion of Lucius is the culmination of the search for<br />

knowledge that permeates the whole work (chough we must remember that it<br />

is a work ol fiction, not an autobiography); the passage clearly bears some relationship<br />

to cubic practice (cf. the hymn in 12.4a) and evokes the intense<br />

relationship between a deity and worshippers in the cult.<br />

Apuleius, MetamorphosesXI.5-6, 23-5<br />

See further: Nock (1933) 138-55*; Griffiths (1975); Winkler (1985).<br />

To 1 am at hand moved by your prayers, Lucius, I the parent of the nature of<br />

things, mistress of all the elements, initial begetter of the ages, supreme of divine powers,<br />

queen of the shades of the dead, first of heavenly beings, the uniform countenance of gods<br />

298

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