All that is said of Thebes, by poets or historians, after the days of Homer, is meant of Diospolis; which was built by the Greeks long after Thebes was destroyed, as its name testifies; though Diodorus *[1] says it was built by Busiris. It was on the east side of the Nile, whereas ancient Thebes was on the west, though both are considered as one city and †[2]Strabo says, that the river ‡[3] runs through the middle of Thebes, by which he means between old Thebes and Diospolis, or Luxor and Medinet Tabu.
While in the boat, I could not help regretting the time I had spent in the morning, in looking for the place in the narrow valley where the mark of the famous golden circle was visible, which Norden says he saw, but I could discern no traces of it any where, and indeed it does not follow that the mark left was that of a circle. This magnificent instrument was probably fixed perpendicular to the horizon in the plane of the meridian; so that the appearance of the place where it stood, would very probably not partake of the circular form at all, or any precise shape whereby to know it. Besides, as I have before said, it was not among these tombs or excavated mountains, but ten stades from them, so the vestiges of this famous instrument §[4] could not be found here. Indeed, being omitted in the lateft edition of Norden, it would seem that traveller himself was not perfectly well assured of its existence.
- ↑ * Diod. Sic. Bib. lib. i. p. 42. § d.
- ↑ † Strabo, lib. 17. p. 943.
- ↑ ‡ Nah. ch. 3. ver. 8, & 9.
- ↑ § A similar instrument, erected by Eratosthenes at Alexandria, cut of copper, was used by Hipparchus and Ptolemy. — Alm. lib. I. cap. II. 3. cap. 2. Vide his remarks on Mr Greave's Pyramidographia, p. 134.
