a town in Egypt, now called Busyr or Abouir. It is situated on the left bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile, and contains nothing remarkable except the ruins of an ancient temple of Isis. It derived its name from the mythical Busiris, of whom many conflicting accounts are given by ancient writers. The most notable incident in the life of this Busiris is recorded by Apollodorus. For nine consecutive years the Egyptians had suffered from a dearth of corn, which a Cyprian soothsayer, by name Phraeius, declared would cease if Busiris would sacrifice every year a stranger to Jupiter. The soothsayer himself was the first victim of his own prophecy, which was annually obeyed till the arrival of Hercules. When this hero was led to the altar to be sacrificed, he burst his bonds and slew Busiris and his son. The story of Busiris was believed by Greeks and Egyptians to be a myth, and numerous attempts were made by writers of both nations to explain away the tradition.