In actual superficies this temple covered an extent of ground
within which the temples of Karnak, Luxor, and the Ramesseum, at Thebes,
could have stood, but has now almost entirely disappeared, having been
used as a quarry for two thousand years. In Roman times this destroying
process had already begun, but even then the building was still
magnificent, and had been noted with wonder by all the Greek visitors to
Egypt from the time of Herodotus downwards. Even before his day it
had received the name of the "Labyrinth," on account of its supposed
resemblance to the original labyrinth in Crete.
That the Hawara temple was the Egyptian labyrinth was pointed out by
Lepsius in the 'forties of the last century. Within the last two or
three years attention has again been drawn to it by Mr. Arthur Evans's
discovery of the Cretan labyrinth itself in the shape of the Minoan
or early Mycenaean palace of Knossos, near Candia in Crete. It is
impossible to enter here into all the arguments by which it has been
proved that the Knossian palace is the veritable labyrinth of the
Minotaur legend, nor would it be strictly germane to our subject were we
to do so; but it may suffice to say here that the word
[Illustration: 125.jpg (Greek word)]
has been proved to be of Greek-or rather of pre-Hellenic-origin, and
would mean in Karian "Place of the Double-Axe," like La-braunda in
Karia, where Zeus was depicted with a double axe (labrys) in his hand.
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