For several places, all in Egypt, bore the name of Busir, or Busiris, so famous in Greek fable. The first, where Mervan was slain was to the west of the Nile, in the province of Fium, or Arsinoe; the second in the Delta, in the Sebennytic nome; the third near the pyramids; the fourth, which was destroyed by Diocletian (see vol. ii. ), in the Thebais. I shall here transcribe a note of the learned and orthodox Michaelis:
Videntur in pluribus Aegypti superioris urbibus Busiri Coptoque arma sumpsisse Christiani, libertatemque de religione sentiendi defendisse, sed succubuisse quo in bello Coptus et Busiris diruta, et circa Esnam magna strages edita. Bellum narrant sed causam belli ignorant scriptores Byzantini, alioqui Coptum et Busirim non rebellasse dicturi, sed causam Christianorum suscepturi (Not. 211, p. 100.)
For the geography of the four Busirs, see Abulfeda (Descript. Aegypt. p. 9, vers. Michaelis, Gottingae, 1776, in 4to.), Michaelis (Not. 122 - 127, p. 58 - 63), and D'Anville (Memoire sua l'Egypte, p. 85, 147, 205).