SOPDET

[Egyptian] The Egyptian fertility goddess who personifies the Dog Star, Sirius. With the appearance of Sirius at dawn in July (the 'heliacal rising') the annual inundation of the Nile began, a phenomena ascribed to Sopdet. Thus she became associated with the fertility and prosperity resulting from the annual floods. In a papyrus dated from ca. fourth century BCE, Isis identifies herself with Sothis as she laments the death of Osiris. Later Sopdet merged with Isis entirely. She is depicted in human form wearing the tall conical white crown of Upper Egypt surmounted by a star. Her Greek name is Sothis.