Handbook of archaeology, Egyptian - Greek - Etruscan - Roman . PLAN OF PYRAMIDS. Greek historian, Herodotus; and the three largest are ascribed byhim to Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus, three Pharaohs who * Mr. Kenrick gives a more obvious and judicious derivation ; according to himit is probably Greek on the following authority : Etym. M. voc, Uvpa/j.^, t\ e/c irvpwvKai [x4\itos, wairep aeaajxis, 7] kit <T€aafioov icai fieXiros. The irvpajxis was a pointedcake used in Bacchic rites. That the name, he adds, of the mathematical solidwas derivtd from an object of common life, and not vice ver
Handbook of archaeology, Egyptian - Greek - Etruscan - Roman . PLAN OF PYRAMIDS. Greek historian, Herodotus; and the three largest are ascribed byhim to Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus, three Pharaohs who * Mr. Kenrick gives a more obvious and judicious derivation ; according to himit is probably Greek on the following authority : Etym. M. voc, Uvpa/j.^, t\ e/c irvpwvKai [x4\itos, wairep aeaajxis, 7] kit <T€aafioov icai fieXiros. The irvpajxis was a pointedcake used in Bacchic rites. That the name, he adds, of the mathematical solidwas derivtd from an object of common life, and not vice versa, may be arguedfrom analogy : aepcupa was a handbill; kv&os, a die for gaming ; kcouos, a boys top ;KvAcvBpos, a husbandmans or gardeners roller. 58 HANDBOOK OF ARCHAEOLOGY. succeeded each other. There has been much discussion with regardto their destination, but at the present day there are no furtherdoubts on the subject—the pyramids were tombs. The faces of thethree pyramids stand exactly opposite to the four cardinal points. 1 I :: ^ wMI. They are built of calcareous stone, partly from the neighboringhills. Granite was also employed for some portion of the outerpart. The principal chamber in one of them is of granite. It wasthere that the sarcophagus of the owner of the tomb was found, inwhich his mummy was formerly enclosed. Many chambers and PYRAMIDS. 59 passages in different directions have been discovered in those whichhave been entered. The entrance of the pyramid was carefullyconcealed by an interior casing. In the interior the passages commu-nicated sometimes with wells and deep subterranean passagesexcavated in the rock on which the pyramid was erected. It seemsthat some of them were covered over with stucco or marble, andthat religious and historical subjects, and hieroglyphical inscrip-tions, were sculptured on them, but no trace of them remains at thepresent day. The environs of Memphis not having, like those ofThebes, high mountains in which they could exc
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