ho had made himself
known to them by being seen daily studying in the public library. When
the reading was over, the king, the public, and the six other judges
were agreed upon which was the best piece of writing; but Aristophanes
was bold enough to think otherwise, and he was able, by means of his
great reading, to find the book in the library from which the pupil had
copied the greater part of his work. The king was much struck with
this proof of his learning, and soon afterwards made him keeper of
the library which he had already so well used. Aristophanes followed
Zenodotus in his critical efforts to mend the text of Homer's poems. He
also invented the several marks by which grammarians now distinguish the
length and tone of a syllable and the breathing of a vowel, that is, the
marks for long and short, and the accents and aspirate. The last two,
after his time, were always placed over Greek words, and are still used
in printed books.

Eratosthenes of Cyrene, the inventor of astronomical geography, was at
this time the head of the mathematical school. He has the credit for
being the first to calculate the circumference of the earth by means
of his Theory of Shadows. As a poet he wrote a description of the
constellations. He also wrote a history of Egypt, to correct the errors
of Manetho. What most strikes us with wonder and regret is, that of
these two writers, Manetho, an Egyptian priest who wrote in Greek,
Eratosthenes, a Greek who understood something of Egyptian, neither of
them took the trouble to lay open to their readers the peculiarities of
the hieroglyphics. Through all these reigns, the titles and praises of
the Ptolemies were carved upon the temples in the sacred characters.
These two histories were translated from the same inscriptions. We even
now read the names of the kings which they mention carved on the statues
and temples; and yet the language of the hieroglyphics still remained
unknown beyond the class of priests; such was the want of curiosity on
the part of the Greek grammarians of Alexandria. Such, we may add, was
their want of respect for the philosophy of the Egyptians; and we
need no stronger proof that the philosophers of the museum had hitherto
borrowed none of the doctrines of the priests.

[Illustration: 169.jpg GATEWAY OF PTOLEMY EUERGETES AT KARNAK]

Lycon of Troas was another settler in Alexandria. He followed Strato at
the head of one of the schools in the museum. He was very succe