L. Panic Terrors. Origin of the Term

Comte de Gabalis [1913], at sacred-texts.com

PANIC TERRORS. ORIGIN OF THE TERM.

L"For having privily taken the measure of Osiris's body, he (Typho) caused a chest to be made exactly of the same size with it, as beautiful as might be, and set off with all the ornaments of art. This chest he brought into his banqueting room; where, after it had been much admired by all who were present, Typho as it were in jest, promised to give it to anyone of them, whose body upon trial it might be found to fit. Upon this the whole company, one after another, got into it, but as it did not fit any of them, last of all Osiris lays himself down in it, upon which the conspirators immediately ran together, clapped the cover upon it, and then fastened it down on the outside with nails, pouring likewise melted lead over it. After this, they carried it away to the river-side, and conveyed it to the sea by the Tanaïtic mouth of the Nile; which for this reason is still held in the utmost abomination by the Egyptians, and never named by them but with proper marks of detestation. These things, say they, were thus executed upon the 17th day of the month Athyr, when the Sun was in Scorpio, in the 28th year of Osiris's reign; though there are others,

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who tell us that he was no more than 28 years old at this time.

The first who knew the accident which had befallen their king, were the Pans and Satyrs who inhabited the country about Chemmis; and they immediately acquainting the people with the news gave the first occasion to the name of Panic Terrors, which has ever since been made use of to signifie any sudden afright or amazement of a multitude."' PLUTARCH, "Isis AND OSIRIS," §13, 14. TRANSLATED BY SAMUEL SQUIRE, A.M.