Herodotus Records of Egypt

8/13/2019 Herodotus Records of Egypt

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NOTE

HERODOTUS was born at Halicarnassus, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, in

the early part of the fifth century, B. . Of his life we !now al"ost nothin#, e$cept

that he spent "uch of it tra%elin#, to collect the "aterial for his writin#s, an& that he

finally settle& &own at Thurii, in southern 'taly, where his #reat wor! was co"pose&.

He &ie& in ()( B. .

The sub*ect of the history of Hero&otus is the stru##le between the +ree!s an& the

barbarians, which he brin#s &own to the battle of Mycale in (- B. . The wor!, as

we ha%e it, is &i%i&e& into nine boo!s, na"e& after the nine Muses, but this &i%ision is

probably &ue to the Ale$an&rine #ra""arians. His infor"ation he #athere& "ainly

fro" oral sources, as he tra%ele& throu#h Asia Minor, &own into E#ypt, roun& the

Blac! Sea, an& into %arious parts of +reece an& the nei#hborin# countries. The

chronolo#ical narrati%e halts fro" ti"e to ti"e to #i%e opportunity for &escriptions of

the country, the people, an& their custo"s an& pre%ious history an& the politicalaccount is constantly %arie& by rare tales an& won&ers.

A"on# these &escriptions of countries the "ost fascinatin# to the "o&ern, as it was to

the ancient, rea&er is his account of the "ar%els of the lan& of E#ypt. /ro" the priests

at Me"phis, Heliopolis, an& the E#yptian Thebes he learne& what he reports of the

si0e of the country, the won&ers of the 1ile, the cere"onies of their reli#ion, the

sacre&ness of their ani"als. He tells also of the stran#e ways of the croco&ile an& of

that "ar%elous bir&, the 2hoeni$ of &ress an& funerals an& e"bal"in# of the eatin#

of lotos an& papyrus of the pyra"i&s an& the #reat labyrinth of their !in#s an&

3ueens an& courtesans.

4et Hero&otus is not a "ere teller of stran#e tales. Howe%er cre&ulous he "ay appear

to a "o&ern *u"ent, he ta!es care to !eep separate what he !nows by his own

obser%ation fro" what he has "erely inferre& an& fro" what he has been tol&. He is

can&i& about ac!nowlein# i#norance, an& when %ersions &iffer he #i%es both. Thus

the "o&ern scientific historian, with other "eans of corroboration, can so"eti"es

learn fro" Hero&otus "ore than Hero&otus hi"self !new.

There is abun&ant e%i&ence, too, that Hero&otus ha& a philosophy of history. The

unity which "ar!s his wor! is &ue not only to the stron# +ree! national feelin#

runnin# throu#h it, the feelin# that rises to a hei#ht in such passa#es as the

&escriptions of the battles of Marathon, Ther"opylae, an& Sala"is, but also to hisprofoun& belief in /ate an& in 1e"esis. To his belief in /ate is &ue the fre3uent

3uotin# of oracles an& their fulfil"ent, the fre3uent references to thin#s foreor&aine&

by 2ro%i&ence. The wor!in# of 1e"esis he fin&s in the &isasters that befall "en an&

nations whose towerin# prosperity awa!ens the *ealousy of the #o&s. The final

o%erthrow of the 2ersians, which for"s his "ain the"e, is only one specially

conspicuous e$a"ple of the operation of this force fro" which hu"an life can ne%er

free itself.

But, abo%e all, he is the father of story5tellers. 6Hero&otus is such si"ple an&

&eli#htful rea&in#,6 says 7e%ons 6he is so unaffecte& an& entertainin#, his story flows

so naturally an& with such ease that we ha%e a &ifficulty in bearin# in "in& that, o%er


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an& abo%e the har& writin# which #oes to "a!e easy rea&in# there is a perpetual

"ar%el in the wor! of Hero&otus. 't is the first artistic wor! in prose that +ree!

literature pro&uce&. This prose wor!, which for pure literary "erit no subse3uent

wor! has surpasse&, than which later #enerations, after usin# the pen for centuries,

ha%e pro&uce& no prose "ore easy or "ore rea&able, this was the first of histories an&

of literary prose.6

AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT

BY HERODOTUS

BEING THE SECOND BOOK OF HIS HISTORIES

CALLED EUTERPE

8hen yrus ha& brou#ht his life to an en&, a"byses recei%e& the royal power in

succession, bein# the son of yrus an& of assan&ane the &au#hter of 2harnaspes, for

whose &eath, which ca"e about before his own, yrus ha& "a&e #reat "ournin#

hi"self an& also ha& proclai"e& to all those o%er who" he bore rule that they shoul&"a!e "ournin# for her9 a"byses, ' say, bein# the son of this wo"an an& of yrus,

re#ar&e& the 'onians an& Aiolians as sla%es inherite& fro" his father an& he

procee&e& to "arch an ar"y a#ainst E#ypt, ta!in# with hi" as helpers not only other

nations of which he was ruler, but also those of the Hellenes o%er who" he ha& power

besi&es.

1ow the E#yptians, before the ti"e when 2sa""etichos beca"e !in# o%er the",

were wont to suppose that they ha& co"e into bein# first of all "en but since the ti"e

when 2sa""etichos ha%in# beco"e !in# &esire& to !now what "en ha& co"e into

bein# first, they suppose that the 2hry#ians ca"e into bein# before the"sel%es, but

they the"sel%es before all other "en. 1ow 2sa""etichos, when he was not able by

in3uiry to fin& out any "eans of !nowin# who ha& co"e into bein# first of all "en,

contri%e& a &e%ice of the followin# !in&9:Ta!in# two newborn chil&ren belon#in# to

persons of the co""on sort he #a%e the" to a shepher& to brin# up at the place where

his floc!s were, with a "anner of brin#in# up such as ' shall say, char#in# hi"

na"ely that no "an shoul& utter any wor& in their presence, an& that they shoul& be

place& by the"sel%es in a roo" where none "i#ht co"e, an& at the proper ti"e he

shoul& brin# the" she5#oats, an& when he ha& satisfie& the" with "il! he shoul& &o

for the" whate%er else was nee&e&. These thin#s 2sa""etichos &i& an& #a%e hi" this

char#e wishin# to hear what wor& the chil&ren woul& let brea! forth first after they

ha& cease& fro" wailin#s without sense. An& accor&in#ly it ca"e to pass for after aspace of two years ha& #one by, &urin# which the shepher& went on actin# so, at


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len#th, when he opene& the &oor an& entere&, both chil&ren fell before hi" in entreaty

an& uttere& the wor& bekos, stretchin# forth their han&s. At first when he hear& this

the shepher& !ept silence but since this wor& was often repeate&, as he %isite& the"

constantly an& atten&e& to the", at last he &eclare& the "atter to his "aster, an& at his

co""an& he brou#ht the chil&ren before his face. Then 2sa""etichos ha%in# hi"self

also hear& it, be#an to in3uire what nation of "en na"e& anythin# bekos, an&in3uirin# he foun& that the 2hry#ians ha& this na"e for brea&. 'n this "anner an&

#ui&e& by an in&ication such as this, the E#yptians were brou#ht to allow that the

2hry#ians were a "ore ancient people than the"sel%es. That so it ca"e to pass ' hear&

fro" the priests of that Hephaistos who &wells at Me"phis but the Hellenes relate,

besi&es "any other i&le tales, that 2sa""etichos cut out the ton#ues of certain

wo"en an& then cause& the chil&ren to li%e with these wo"en.

8ith re#ar& then to the rearin# of the chil&ren they relate& so "uch as ' ha%e sai&9

an& ' hear& also other thin#s at Me"phis when ' ha& speech with the priests of

Hephaistos. Moreo%er ' %isite& both Thebes an& Heliopolis for this %ery cause,

na"ely because ' wishe& to !now whether the priests at these places woul& a#ree intheir accounts with those at Me"phis for the "en of Heliopolis are sai& to be the

"ost learne& in recor&s of the E#yptians. Those of their narrations which ' hear& with

re#ar& to the #o&s ' a" not earnest to relate in full, but ' shall na"e the" only

because ' consi&er that all "en are e3ually i#norant of these "atters9 an& whate%er

thin#s of the" ' "ay recor& ' shall recor& only because ' a" co"pelle& by the course

of the story. But as to those "atters which concern "en, the priests a#ree& with one

another in sayin# that the E#yptians were the first of all "en on earth to fin& out the

course of the year, ha%in# &i%i&e& the seasons into twel%e parts to "a!e up the whole

an& this they sai& they foun& out fro" the stars9 an& they rec!on to this e$tent "ore

wisely than the Hellenes, as it see"s to "e, inas"uch as the Hellenes throw in an

intercalate& "onth e%ery other year, to "a!e the seasons ri#ht, whereas the E#yptians,

rec!onin# the twel%e "onths at thirty &ays each, brin# in also e%ery year fi%e &ays

beyon& nu"ber, an& thus the circle of their season is co"plete& an& co"es roun& to

the sa"e point whence it set out. They sai& "oreo%er that the E#yptians were the first

who brou#ht into use appellations for the twel%e #o&s an& the Hellenes too! up the

use fro" the" an& that they were the first who assi#ne& altars an& i"a#es an&

te"ples to the #o&s, an& who en#ra%e& fi#ures on stones an& with re#ar& to the

#reater nu"ber of these thin#s they showe& "e by actual facts that they ha& happene&

so. They sai& also that the first "an who beca"e !in# of E#ypt was Min an& that in

his ti"e all E#ypt e$cept the &istrict of Thebes was a swa"p, an& none of the re#ions

were then abo%e water which now lie below the la!e of Moiris, to which la!e it is a%oya#e of se%en &ays up the ri%er fro" the sea9 an& ' thou#ht that they sai& well about

the lan& for it is "anifest in truth e%en to a person who has not hear& it beforehan&

but has only seen, at least if he ha%e un&erstan&in#, that the E#ypt to which the

Hellenes co"e in ships is a lan& which has been won by the E#yptians as an a&&ition,

an& that it is a #ift of the ri%er9 "oreo%er the re#ions which lie abo%e this la!e also for

a &istance of three &ays; sail, about which they &i& not #o on to say anythin# of this

!in&, are ne%ertheless another instance of the sa"e thin#9 for the nature of the lan& of

E#ypt is as follows9:/irst when you are still approachin# it in a ship an& are &istant a

&ay;s run fro" the lan&, if you let &own a soun&in#5line you will brin# up "u& an&

you will fin& yourself in ele%en fatho"s. This then so far shows that there is a siltin#

forwar& of the lan&. Then secon&ly, as to E#ypt itself, the e$tent of it alon# the sea issi$ty schoines, accor&in# to our &efinition of E#ypt as e$ten&in# fro" the +ulf of


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2linthine to the Serbonian la!e, alon# which stretches Mount asion fro" this la!e

then the si$ty schoinesare rec!one&9 for those of "en who are poor in lan& ha%e their

country "easure& by fatho"s, those who are less poor by furlon#s, those who ha%e

"uch lan& by parasan#s, an& those who ha%e lan& in %ery #reat abun&ance by

schoines9 now the parasan# is e3ual to thirty furlon#s, an& each schoine, which is an

E#yptian "easure, is e3ual to si$ty furlon#s. So there woul& be an e$tent of threethousan& si$ hun&re& furlon#s for the coast5lan& of E#ypt. /ro" thence an& as far as

Heliopolis inlan& E#ypt is broa&, an& the lan& is all flat an& without sprin#s of water

an& for"e& of "u&9 an& the roa& as one #oes inlan& fro" the sea to Heliopolis is

about the sa"e in len#th as that which lea&s fro" the altar of the twel%e #o&s at

Athens to 2isa an& the te"ple of Oly"pian


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Acheloos, which flowin# throu#h Acarnania an& so issuin# out into the sea has

alrea&y "a&e half of the Echina&es fro" islan&s into "ainlan&. 1ow there is in the

lan& of Arabia, not far fro" E#ypt, a #ulf of the sea runnin# in fro" that which is

calle& the Erythraian Sea, %ery lon# an& narrow, as ' a" about to tell. 8ith respect to

the len#th of the %oya#e alon# it, one who set out fro" the inner"ost point to sail out

throu#h it into the open sea, woul& spen& forty &ays upon the %oya#e, usin# oars an&with respect to brea&th, where the #ulf is broa&est it is half a &ay;s sail across9 an&

there is in it an ebb an& flow of ti&e e%ery &ay. 7ust such another #ulf ' suppose that

E#ypt was, an& that the one ran in towar&s Ethiopia fro" the 1orthern Sea, an& the

other, the Arabian, of which ' a" about to spea!, ten&e& fro" the South towar&s

Syria, the #ulfs borin# in so as al"ost to "eet at their e$tre"e points, an& passin# by

one another with but a s"all space left between. 'f then the strea" of the 1ile shoul&

turn asi&e into this Arabian #ulf, what woul& hin&er that #ulf fro" bein# fille& up

with silt as the ri%er continue& to flow, at all e%ents within a perio& of twenty

thousan& years> in&ee& for "y part ' a" of the opinion that it woul& be fille& up e%en

within ten thousan& years. How, then, in all the ti"e that has elapse& before ' ca"e

into bein# shoul& not a #ulf be fille& up e%en of "uch #reater si0e than this by a ri%erso #reat an& so acti%e> As re#ar&s E#ypt then, ' both belie%e those who say that thin#s

are so, an& for "yself also ' a" stron#ly of opinion that they are so because ' ha%e

obser%e& that E#ypt runs out into the sea further than the a&*oinin# lan&, an& that

shells are foun& upon the "ountains of it, an& an efflorescence of salt for"s upon the

surface, so that e%en the pyra"i&s are bein# eaten away by it, an& "oreo%er that of all

the "ountains of E#ypt, the ran#e which lies abo%e Me"phis is the only one which

has san&9 besi&es which ' notice that E#ypt rese"bles neither the lan& of Arabia,

which bor&ers upon it, nor =ibya, nor yet Syria ?for they are Syrians who &well in the

parts of Arabia lyin# alon# the sea@, but that it has soil which is blac! an& easily

brea!s up, seein# that it is in truth "u& an& silt brou#ht &own fro" Ethiopia by the

ri%er9 but the soil of =ibya, we !now, is re&&ish in colour an& rather san&y, while that

of Arabia an& Syria is so"ewhat clayey an& roc!y. The priests also #a%e "e a stron#

proof concernin# this lan& as follows, na"ely that in the rei#n of !in# Moiris,

whene%er the ri%er reache& a hei#ht of at least ei#ht cubits it watere& E#ypt below

Me"phis an& not yet nine hun&re& years ha& #one by since the &eath of Moiris, when

' hear& these thin#s fro" the priests9 now howe%er, unless the ri%er rises to si$teen

cubits, or fifteen at the least, it &oes not #o o%er the lan&. ' thin! too that those

E#yptians who &well below the la!e of Moiris an& especially in that re#ion which is

calle& the Delta, if that lan& continues to #row in hei#ht accor&in# to this proportion

an& to increase si"ilarly in e$tent, will suffer for all re"ainin# ti"e, fro" the 1ile not

o%erflowin# their lan&, that sa"e thin# which they the"sel%es sai& that the Helleneswoul& at so"e ti"e suffer9 for hearin# that the whole lan& of the Hellenes has rain

an& is not watere& by ri%ers as theirs is, they sai& that the Hellenes woul& at so"e

ti"e be &isappointe& of a #reat hope an& woul& suffer the ills of fa"ine. This sayin#

"eans that if the #o& shall not sen& the" rain, but shall allow &rou#ht to pre%ail for a

lon# ti"e, the Hellenes will be &estroye& by hun#er for they ha%e in fact no other

supply of water to sa%e the" e$cept fro"


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earth with less labour than any other "en an& also with less than the other E#yptians

for they ha%e no labour in brea!in# up furrows with a plou#h nor in hoein# nor in any

other of those labours which other "en ha%e about a crop but when the ri%er has

co"e up of itself an& watere& their fiel&s an& after waterin# has left the" a#ain, then

each "an sows his own fiel& an& turns into it swine, an& when he has tro&&en the see&

into the #roun& by "eans of the swine, after that he waits for the har%est, an& when hehas threshe& the corn by "eans of the swine, then he #athers it in.

'f we &esire to follow the opinions of the 'onians as re#ar&s E#ypt, who say that the

Delta alone is E#ypt, rec!onin# its sea5coast to be fro" the watch5tower calle& of

2erseus to the fish5curin# houses of 2elusion, a &istance of forty schoines, an&

countin# it to e$ten& inlan& as far as the city of ercasoros, where the 1ile &i%i&es

an& runs to 2elusion an& anobos, while as for the rest of E#ypt, they assi#n it partly

to =ibya an& partly to Arabia,:if, ' say, we shoul& follow this account, we shoul&

thereby &eclare that in for"er ti"es the E#yptians ha& no lan& to li%e in for, as we

ha%e seen, their Delta at any rate is allu%ial, an& has appeare& ?so to spea!@ lately, as

the E#yptians the"sel%es say an& as "y opinion is. 'f then at the first there was nolan& for the" to li%e in, why &i& they waste their labour to pro%e that they ha& co"e

into bein# before all other "en> They nee&e& not to ha%e "a&e trial of the chil&ren to

see what lan#ua#e they woul& first utter. Howe%er ' a" not of the opinion that the

E#yptians ca"e into bein# at the sa"e ti"e as that which is calle& by the 'onians the

Delta, but that they e$iste& always e%er since the hu"an race ca"e into bein#, an&

that as their lan& a&%ance& forwar&s, "any of the" were left in their first abo&es an&

"any ca"e &own #ra&ually to the lower parts. At least it is certain that in ol& ti"es

Thebes ha& the na"e of E#ypt, an& of this the circu"ference "easures si$ thousan&

one hun&re& an& twenty furlon#s.

'f then we *ue ari#ht of these "atters, the opinion of the 'onians about E#ypt is not

soun&9 but if the *u"ent of the 'onians is ri#ht, ' &eclare that neither the Hellenes

nor the 'onians the"sel%es !now how to rec!on since they say that the whole earth is

"a&e up of three &i%isions, Europe, Asia, an& =ibya9 for they ou#ht to count in

a&&ition to these the Delta of E#ypt, since it belon#s neither to Asia nor to =ibya for

at least it cannot be the ri%er 1ile by this rec!onin# which &i%i&es Asia fro" =ibya,

but the 1ile is cleft at the point of this Delta so as to flow roun& it, an& the result is

that this lan& woul& co"e between Asia an& =ibya.

8e &is"iss then our opinion of the 'onians, an& e$press a *u"ent of our own on

this "atter also, that E#ypt is all that lan& which is inhabite& by E#yptians, *ust asili!ia is that which is inhabite& by ili!ians an& Assyria that which is inhabite& by

Assyrians, an& we !now of no boun&ary properly spea!in# between Asia an& =ibya

e$cept the bor&ers of E#ypt. 'f howe%er we shall a&opt the opinion which is

co""only hel& by the Hellenes, we shall suppose that the whole of E#ypt, be#innin#

fro" the ataract an& the city of Elephantine, is &i%i&e& into two parts an& that it thus

parta!es of both the na"es, since one si&e will thus belon# to =ibya an& the other to

Asia for the 1ile fro" the ataract onwar&s flows to the sea cuttin# E#ypt throu#h in

the "i&st an& as far as the city of ercasoros the 1ile flows in one sin#le strea", but

fro" this city onwar&s it is parte& into three ways an& one, which is calle& the

2elusian "outh, turns towar&s the East the secon& of the ways #oes towar&s the

8est, an& this is calle& the anobic "outh but that one of the ways which is strai#htruns thus,:when the ri%er in its course &ownwar&s co"es to the point of the Delta,


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then it cuts the Delta throu#h the "i&st an& so issues out to the sea. 'n this we ha%e a

portion of the water of the ri%er which is not the s"allest nor the least fa"ous, an& it

is calle& the Sebennytic "outh. There are also two other "ouths which part off fro"

the Sebennytic an& #o to the sea, an& these are calle&, one the Saitic, the other the

Men&esian "outh. The Bolbitinitic, an& Bucolic "ouths, on the other han&, are not

natural but "a&e by &i##in#. Moreo%er also the answer #i%en by the Oracle ofA""on bears witness in support of "y opinion that E#ypt is of the e$tent which '

&eclare it to be in "y account an& of this answer ' hear& after ' ha& for"e& "y own

opinion about E#ypt. /or those of the city of Marea an& of Apis, &wellin# in the parts

of E#ypt which bor&er on =ibya, bein# of opinion the"sel%es that they were =ibyans

an& not E#yptians, an& also bein# bur&ene& by the rules of reli#ious ser%ice, because

they &esire& not to be &ebarre& fro" the use of cows; flesh, sent to A""on sayin#

that they ha& nou#ht in co""on with the E#yptians, for they &welt outsi&e the Delta

an& a#ree& with the" in nothin# an& they sai& they &esire& that it "i#ht be lawful for

the" to eat e%erythin# without &istinction. The #o& howe%er &i& not per"it the" to

&o so, but sai& that that lan& was E#ypt where the 1ile ca"e o%er an& watere&, an&

that those were E#yptians who &wellin# below the city of Elephantine &ran! of thatri%er. Thus was it answere& to the" by the Oracle about this9 an& the 1ile, when it is

in floo&, #oes o%er not only the Delta but also of the lan& which is calle& =ibyan an&

of that which is calle& Arabian so"eti"es as "uch as two &ays; *ourney on each si&e,

an& at ti"es e%en "ore than this or at ti"es less.

As re#ar&s the nature of the ri%er, neither fro" the priests nor yet fro" any other "an

was ' able to obtain any !nowlee9 an& ' was &esirous especially to learn fro" the"

about these "atters, na"ely why the 1ile co"es &own increasin# in %olu"e fro" the

su""er solstice onwar&s for a hun&re& &ays, an& then, when it has reache& the

nu"ber of these &ays, turns an& #oes bac!, failin# in its strea", so that throu#h the

whole winter season it continues to be low, an& until the su""er solstice returns. Of

none of these thin#s was ' able to recei%e any account fro" the E#yptians, when '

in3uire& of the" what power the 1ile has whereby it is of a nature opposite to that of

all other ri%ers. An& ' "a&e in3uiry, &esirin# to !now both this which ' say an& also

why, unli!e all other ri%ers, it &oes not #i%e rise to any bree0es blowin# fro" it.

Howe%er so"e of the Hellenes who &esire& to #ain &istinction for cle%erness ha%e

#i%en an account of this water in three &ifferent ways9 two of these ' &o not thin! it

worth while e%en to spea! of e$cept only to in&icate their nature of which the one

says that the Etesian 8in&s are the cause that "a!es the ri%er rise, by pre%entin# the

1ile fro" flowin# out into the sea. But often the Etesian 8in&s fail an& yet the 1ile

&oes the sa"e wor! as it is wont to &o an& "oreo%er, if these were the cause, all theother ri%ers also which flow in a &irection oppose& to the Etesian 8in&s ou#ht to ha%e

been affecte& in the sa"e way as the 1ile, an& e%en "ore, in as "uch as they are

s"aller an& present to the" a feebler flow of strea"s9 but there are "any of these

ri%ers in Syria an& "any also in =ibya, an& they are affecte& in no such "anner as the

1ile. The secon& way shows "ore i#norance than that which has been "entione&, an&

it is "ore "ar%ellous to tell for it says that the ri%er pro&uces these effects because it

flows fro" the Ocean, an& that the Ocean flows roun& the whole earth. The thir& of

the ways is "uch the "ost specious, but ne%ertheless it is the "ost "ista!en of all9 for

in&ee& this way has no "ore truth in it than the rest, alle#in# as it &oes that the 1ile

flows fro" "eltin# snow whereas it flows out of =ibya throu#h the "i&st of the

Ethiopians, an& so co"es out into E#ypt. How then shoul& it flow fro" snow, when itflows fro" the hottest parts to those which are cooler> An& in&ee& "ost of the facts


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are such as to con%ince a "an ?one at least who is capable of reasonin# about such

"atters@, that it is not at all li!ely that it flows fro" snow. The first an& #reatest

e%i&ence is affor&e& by the win&s, which blow hot fro" these re#ions the secon& is

that the lan& is rainless always an& without frost, whereas after snow has fallen rain

"ust necessarily co"e within fi%e &ays, so that if it snowe& in those parts rain woul&

fall there the thir& e%i&ence is affor&e& by the people &wellin# there, who are of ablac! colour by reason of the burnin# heat. Moreo%er !ites an& swallows re"ain there

throu#h the year an& &o not lea%e the lan& an& cranes flyin# fro" the col& weather

which co"es on in the re#ion of Scythia co"e re#ularly to these parts for winterin#9 if

then it snowe& e%er so little in that lan& throu#h which the 1ile flows an& in which it

has its rise, none of these thin#s woul& ta!e place, as necessity co"pels us to a&"it.

As for hi" who tal!e& about the Ocean, he carrie& his tale into the re#ion of the

un!nown, an& so he nee& not be refute& since ' for "y part !now of no ri%er Ocean

e$istin#, but ' thin! that Ho"er or one of the poets who were before hi" in%ente& the

na"e an& intro&uce& it into his %erse.

'f howe%er after ' ha%e foun& fault with the opinions propose&, ' a" boun& to &eclarean opinion of "y own about the "atters which are in &oubt, ' will tell what to "y

"in& is the reason why the 1ile increases in the su""er. 'n the winter season the

Sun, bein# &ri%en away fro" his for"er path throu#h the hea%en by the stor"y win&s,

co"es to the upper parts of =ibya. 'f one woul& set forth the "atter in the shortest

way, all has now been sai& for whate%er re#ion this #o& approaches "ost an& stan&s

&irectly abo%e, this it "ay reasonably be suppose& is "ost in want of water, an& its

nati%e strea"s of ri%ers are &rie& up "ost. Howe%er, to set it forth at #reater len#th,

thus it is9:the Sun passin# in his course by the upper parts of =ibya, &oes thus, that is

to say, since at all ti"es the air in those parts is clear an& the country is war", because

there are no col& win&s, in passin# throu#h it the Sun &oes *ust as he was wont to &o

in the su""er, when #oin# throu#h the "i&st of the hea%en, that is he &raws to

hi"self the water, an& ha%in# &rawn it he &ri%es it away to the upper parts of the

country, an& the win&s ta!e it up an& scatterin# it abroa& "elt it into rain so it is

natural that the win&s which blow fro" this re#ion, na"ely the South an& South5west

8in&s, shoul& be "uch the "ost rainy of all the win&s. ' thin! howe%er that the Sun

&oes not sen& away fro" hi"self all the water of the 1ile of each year, but that also

he lets so"e re"ain behin& with hi"self. Then when the winter beco"es "il&er, the

Sun returns bac! a#ain to the "i&st of the hea%en, an& fro" that ti"e onwar&s he

&raws e3ually fro" all ri%ers but in the "eanti"e they flow in lar#e %olu"e, since

water of rain "in#les with the" in #reat 3uantity, because their country recei%es rain

then an& is fille& with torrent strea"s. 'n su""er howe%er they are wea!, since notonly the showers of rain fail the", but also they are &rawn by the Sun. The 1ile

howe%er, alone of all ri%ers, not ha%in# rain an& bein# &rawn by the Sun, naturally

flows &urin# this ti"e of winter in "uch less than its proper %olu"e, that is "uch less

than in su""er for then it is &rawn e3ually with all the other waters, but in winter it

bears the bur&en alone. Thus ' suppose the Sun to be the cause of these thin#s. He

also is the cause in "y opinion that the air in these parts is &ry, since he "a!es it so

by scorchin# up his path throu#h the hea%en9 thus su""er pre%ails always in the

upper parts of =ibya. 'f howe%er the station of the seasons ha& been chan#e&, an&

where now in the hea%en are place& the 1orth 8in& an& winter, there was the station

of the South 8in& an& of the "i&&ay, an& where now is place& the South 8in&, there

was the 1orth, if this ha& been so, the Sun bein# &ri%en fro" the "i&st of the hea%enby the winter an& the 1orth 8in& woul& #o to the upper parts of Europe, *ust as now


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he co"es to the upper parts of =ibya, an& passin# in his course throu#hout the whole

of Europe ' suppose he woul& &o to the 'ster that which he now wor!s upon the 1ile.

As to the bree0e, why none blows fro" the ri%er, "y opinion is that fro" %ery hot

places it is not natural that anythin# shoul& blow, an& that a bree0e is wont to blow

fro" so"ethin# col&.

=et these "atters then be as they are an& as they were at the first9 but as to the sources

of the 1ile, not one either of the E#yptians or of the =ibyans or of the Hellenes, who

ca"e to speech with "e, professe& to !now anythin#, e$cept the scribe of the sacre&

treasury of Athene at the city of Sais in E#ypt. To "e howe%er this "an see"e& not to

be spea!in# seriously when he sai& that he ha& certain !nowlee of it an& he sai& as

follows, na"ely that there were two "ountains of which the tops ran up to a sharp

point, situate& between the city of Syene, which is in the &istrict of Thebes, an&

Elephantine, an& the na"es of the "ountains were, of the one rophi an& of the other

Mophi. /ro" the "i&&le between these "ountains flowe& ?he sai&@ the sources of the

1ile, which were fatho"less in &epth, an& half of the water flowe& to E#ypt an&

towar&s the 1orth 8in&, the other half to Ethiopia an& the South 8in&. As for thefatho"less &epth of the source, he sai& that 2sa""etichos !in# of E#ypt ca"e to a

trial of this "atter for he ha& a rope twiste& of "any thousan& fatho"s an& let it

&own in this place, an& it foun& no botto". By this the scribe ?if this which he tol&

was really as he sai&@ #a%e "e to un&erstan& that there were certain stron# e&&ies

there an& a bac!war& flow, an& that since the water &ashe& a#ainst the "ountains,

therefore the soun&in#5line coul& not co"e to any botto" when it was let &own. /ro"

no other person was ' able to learn anythin# about this "atter but for the rest ' learnt

so "uch as here follows by the "ost &ili#ent in3uiry for ' went "yself as an eye5

witness as far as the city of Elephantine an& fro" that point onwar&s ' #athere&

!nowlee by report. /ro" the city of Elephantine as one #oes up the ri%er there is

country which slopes steeply so that here one "ust attach ropes to the %essel on both

si&es, as one fastens an o$, an& so "a!e one;s way onwar& an& if the rope brea!, the

%essel is #one at once, carrie& away by the %iolence of the strea". Throu#h this

country it is a %oya#e of about four &ays in len#th, an& in this part the 1ile is win&in#

li!e the ri%er Maian&er, an& the &istance a"ounts to twel%e schoines, which one "ust

tra%erse in this "anner. Then you will co"e to a le%el plain, in which the 1ile flows

roun& an islan& na"e& Tacho"pso. ?1ow in the re#ions abo%e the Elephantine there

&well Ethiopians at once succee&in#, who also occupy half of the islan&, an&

E#yptians the other half.@ A&*oinin# this islan& there is a #reat la!e, roun& which

&well Ethiopian no"a& tribes an& when you ha%e saile& throu#h this you will co"e

to the strea" of the 1ile a#ain, which flows into this la!e. After this you will&ise"bar! an& "a!e a *ourney by lan& of forty &ays for in the 1ile sharp roc!s stan&

forth out of the water, an& there are "any reefs, by which it is not possible for a %essel

to pass. Then after ha%in# passe& throu#h this country in the forty &ays which ' ha%e

sai&, you will e"bar! a#ain in another %essel an& sail for twel%e &ays an& after this

you will co"e to a #reat city calle& Meroe. This city is sai& to be the "other5city of

all the other Ethiopians9 an& they who &well in it re%erence of the #o&s


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Hellenes, 6those who stan& on the left han& of the !in#.6 These were two hun&re& an&

forty thousan& E#yptians of the warrior class, who re%olte& an& went o%er to these

Ethiopians for the followin# cause9:'n the rei#n of 2sa""etichos #arrisons were set,

one towar&s the Ethiopians at the city of Elephantine, another towar&s the Arabians

an& Assyrians at Daphnai of 2elusion, an& another towar&s =ibya at Marea9 an& e%en

in "y own ti"e the #arrisons of the 2ersians too are or&ere& in the sa"e "anner asthese were in the rei#n of 2sa""etichos, for both at Elephantine an& at Daphnai the

2ersians ha%e outposts. The E#yptians then of who" ' spea! ha& ser%e& as outposts

for three years an& no one relie%e& the" fro" their #uar& accor&in#ly they too!

counsel to#ether, an& a&optin# a co""on plan they all in a bo&y re%olte& fro"

2sa""etichos an& set out for Ethiopia. Hearin# this 2sa""etichos set forth in

pursuit, an& when he ca"e up with the" he entreate& the" "uch an& en&ea%oure& to

persua&e the" not to &esert the #o&s of their country an& their chil&ren an& wi%es9

upon which it is sai& that one of the" pointe& to his pri%y "e"ber an& sai& that

where%er this was, there woul& they ha%e both chil&ren an& wi%es. 8hen these ca"e

to Ethiopia they #a%e the"sel%es o%er to the !in# of the Ethiopians an& he rewar&e&

the" as follows9:there were certain of the Ethiopians who ha& co"e to be at%ariance with hi" an& he ba&e the" &ri%e these out an& &well in their lan&. So since

these "en settle& in the lan& of the Ethiopians, the Ethiopians ha%e co"e to be of

"il&er "anners, fro" ha%in# learnt the custo"s of the E#yptians.

The 1ile then, besi&es the part of its course which is in E#ypt, is !nown as far as a

four "onths; *ourney by ri%er an& lan&9 for that is the nu"ber of "onths which are

foun& by rec!onin# to be spent in #oin# fro" Elephantine to these 6Deserters69 an&

the ri%er runs fro" the 8est an& the settin# of the sun. But what co"es after that

point no one can clearly say for this lan& is &esert by reason of the burnin# heat. This

"uch howe%er ' hear& fro" "en of yrene, who tol& "e that they ha& been to the

Oracle of A""on, an& ha& co"e to speech with Etearchos !in# of the A""onians9

an& it happene& that after spea!in# of other "atters they fell to &iscourse about the

1ile an& how no one !new the sources of it an& Etearchos sai& that once there ca"e

to hi" "en of the 1asa"onians ?this is a =ibyan race which &wells in the Syrtis, an&

also in the lan& to the East of the Syrtis reachin# to no #reat &istance@, an& when the

1asa"onians ca"e an& were as!e& by hi" whether they were able to tell hi"

anythin# "ore than he !new about the &esert parts of =ibya, they sai& that there ha&

been a"on# the" certain sons of chief "en, who were of unruly &isposition an&

these when they #rew up to be "en ha& &e%ise& %arious other e$tra%a#ant thin#s an&

also they ha& tol& off by lot fi%e of the"sel%es to #o to see the &esert parts of =ibya

an& to try whether they coul& &isco%er "ore than those who ha& pre%iously e$plore&furthest9 for in those parts of =ibya which are by the 1orthern Sea, be#innin# fro"

E#ypt an& #oin# as far as the hea&lan& of Soloeis, which is the e$tre"e point of

=ibya, =ibyans ?an& of the" "any races@ e$ten& alon# the whole coast, e$cept so

"uch as the Hellenes an& 2henicians hol& but in the upper parts, which lie abo%e the

sea5coast an& abo%e those people whose lan& co"es &own to the sea, =ibya is full of

wil& beasts an& in the parts abo%e the lan& of wil& beasts it is full of san&, terribly

waterless an& utterly &esert. These youn# "en then ?sai& they@, bein# sent out by their

co"panions well furnishe& with supplies of water an& pro%isions, went first throu#h

the inhabite& country, an& after they ha& passe& throu#h this they ca"e to the country

of wil& beasts, an& after this they passe& throu#h the &esert, "a!in# their *ourney

towar&s the 8est 8in& an& ha%in# passe& throu#h a #reat tract of san& in "any &ays,they saw at last trees #rowin# in a le%el place an& ha%in# co"e up to the", they were


11/51

be#innin# to pluc! the fruit which was upon the trees9 but as they be#an to pluc! it,

there ca"e upon the" s"all "en, of less stature than "en of the co""on si0e, an&

these sei0e& the" an& carrie& the" away an& neither coul& the 1asa"onians

un&erstan& anythin# of their speech nor coul& those who were carryin# the" off

un&erstan& anythin# of the speech of the 1asa"onians an& they le& the" ?so it was

sai&@ throu#h %ery #reat swa"ps, an& after passin# throu#h these they ca"e to a cityin which all the "en were in si0e li!e those who carrie& the" off an& in colour of s!in

blac! an& by the city ran a #reat ri%er, which ran fro" the 8est towar&s the

sunrisin#, an& in it were seen croco&iles. Of the account #i%en by Etearchos the

A""onian let so "uch suffice as is here sai&, e$cept that, as the "en of yrene tol&

"e, he alle#e& that the 1asa"onians returne& safe ho"e, an& that the people to who"

they ha& co"e were all wi0ar&s. 1ow this ri%er which ran by the city, Etearchos

con*ecture& to be the 1ile, an& "oreo%er reason co"pels us to thin! so for the 1ile

flows fro" =ibya an& cuts =ibya throu#h in the "i&st, an& as ' con*ecture, *uin# of

what is not !nown by that which is e%i&ent to the %iew, it starts at a &istance fro" its

"outh e3ual to that of the 'ster9 for the ri%er 'ster be#ins fro" the eltoi an& the city

of 2yrene an& so runs that it &i%i&es Europe in the "i&st ?now the eltoi are outsi&ethe 2illars of Heracles an& bor&er upon the ynesians, who &well furthest towar&s the

sunset of all those who ha%e their &wellin# in Europe@9 an& the 'ster en&s, ha%in# its

course throu#h the whole of Europe, by flowin# into the Eu$ine Sea at the place

where the Milesians ha%e their settle"ent of 'stria. 1ow the 'ster, since it flows

throu#h lan& which is inhabite&, is !nown by the reports of "any but of the sources

of the 1ile no one can #i%e an account, for the part of =ibya throu#h which it flows is

uninhabite& an& &esert. About its course howe%er so "uch as it was possible to learn

by the "ost &ili#ent in3uiry has been tol& an& it runs out into E#ypt. 1ow E#ypt lies

nearly opposite to the "ountain &istricts of ili!ia an& fro" thence to Sinope, which

lies upon the Eu$ine Sea, is a *ourney in the sa"e strai#ht line of fi%e &ays for a "an

without encu"brance an& Sinope lies opposite to the place where the 'ster runs out

into the sea9 thus ' thin! that the 1ile passes throu#h the whole of =ibya an& is of

e3ual "easure with the 'ster.

Of the 1ile then let so "uch suffice as has been sai&. Of E#ypt howe%er ' shall "a!e

"y report at len#th, because it has won&ers "ore in nu"ber than any other lan&, an&

wor!s too it has to show as "uch as any lan&, which are beyon& e$pression #reat9 for

this reason then "ore shall be sai& concernin# it.

The E#yptians in a#ree"ent with their cli"ate, which is unli!e any other, an& with the

ri%er, which shows a nature &ifferent fro" all other ri%ers, establishe& for the"sel%es"anners an& custo"s in a way opposite to other "en in al"ost all "atters9 for a"on#

the" the wo"en fre3uent the "ar!et an& carry on tra&e, while the "en re"ain at

ho"e an& wea%e an& whereas others wea%e pushin# the woof upwar&s, the E#yptians

push it &ownwar&s9 the "en carry their bur&ens upon their hea&s an& the wo"en upon

their shoul&ers9 the wo"en "a!e water stan&in# up an& the "en crouchin# &own9

they ease the"sel%es in their houses an& they eat without in the streets, alle#in# as

reason for this that it is ri#ht to &o secretly the thin#s that are unsee"ly thou#h

necessary, but those which are not unsee"ly, in public9 no wo"an is a "inister either

of "ale or fe"ale &i%inity, but "en of all, both "ale an& fe"ale9 to support their

parents the sons are in no way co"pelle&, if they &o not &esire to &o so, but the

&au#hters are force& to &o so, be they ne%er so unwillin#. The priests of the #o&s inother lan&s wear lon# hair, but in E#ypt they sha%e their hea&s9 a"on# other "en the


12/51

custo" is that in "ournin# those who" the "atter concerns "ost nearly ha%e their

hair cut short, but the E#yptians, when &eaths occur, let their hair #row lon#, both that

on the hea& an& that on the chin, ha%in# before been close sha%en9 other "en ha%e

their &aily li%in# separate& fro" beasts, but the E#yptians ha%e theirs to#ether with

beasts9 other "en li%e on wheat an& on barley, but to any one of the E#yptians who

"a!es his li%in# on these it is a #reat reproach they "a!e their brea& of "ai0e, whichso"e call spelt9 they !nea& &ou#h with their feet an& clay with their han&s, with

which also they #ather up &un#9 an& whereas other "en, e$cept such as ha%e learnt

otherwise fro" the E#yptians, ha%e their "e"bers as nature "a&e the", the

E#yptians practice circu"cision9 as to #ar"ents, the "en wear two each an& the

wo"en but one9 an& whereas others "a!e fast the rin#s an& ropes of the sails outsi&e

the ship, the E#yptians &o this insi&e9 finally in the writin# of characters an&

rec!onin# with pebbles, while the Hellenes carry the han& fro" the left to the ri#ht,

the E#yptians &o this fro" the ri#ht to the left an& &oin# so they say that they &o it

the"sel%es ri#htwise an& the Hellenes leftwise9 an& they use two !in&s of characters

for writin#, of which the one !in& is calle& sacre& an& the other co""on.

They are reli#ious e$cessi%ely beyon& all other "en, an& with re#ar& to this they ha%e

custo"s as follows9:they &rin! fro" cups of bron0e an& rinse the" out e%ery &ay,

an& not so"e only &o this but all9 they wear #ar"ents of linen always newly washe&,

an& this they "a!e a special point of practice9 they circu"cise the"sel%es for the sa!e

of cleanliness, preferrin# to be clean rather than co"ely. The priests sha%e the"sel%es

all o%er their bo&y e%ery other &ay, so that no lice or any other foul thin# "ay co"e to

be upon the" when they "inister to the #o&s an& the priests wear #ar"ents of linen

only an& san&als of papyrus, an& any other #ar"ent they "ay not ta!e nor other

san&als these wash the"sel%es in col& water twice in a &ay an& twice a#ain in the

ni#ht an& other reli#ious ser%ices they perfor" ?one "ay al"ost say@ of infinite

nu"ber. They en*oy also #oo& thin#s not a few, for they &o not consu"e or spen&

anythin# of their own substance, but there is sacre& brea& ba!e& for the" an& they

ha%e each #reat 3uantity of flesh of o$en an& #eese co"in# in to the" each &ay, an&

also wine of #rapes is #i%en to the" but it is not per"itte& to the" to taste of fish9

beans "oreo%er the E#yptians &o not at all sow in their lan&, an& those which they

#row they neither eat raw nor boil for foo& nay the priests &o not en&ure e%en to loo!

upon the", thin!in# this to be an unclean !in& of pulse9 an& there is not one priest

only for each of the #o&s but "any, an& of the" one is chief5priest, an& whene%er a

priest &ies his son is appointe& to his place.

The "ales of the o$ !in& they consi&er to belon# to Epaphos, an& on account of hi"they test the" in the followin# "anner9:'f the priest sees one sin#le blac! hair upon

the beast he counts it not clean for sacrifice an& one of the priests who is appointe&

for the purpose "a!es in%esti#ation of these "atters, both when the beast is stan&in#

upri#ht an& when it is lyin# on its bac!, &rawin# out its ton#ue "oreo%er, to see if it is

clean in respect of the appointe& si#ns, which ' shall tell of in another part of the

history9 he loo!s also at the hairs of the tail to see if it has the" #rowin# in a natural

"anner an& if it be clean in respect of all these thin#s, he "ar!s it with a piece of

papyrus, rollin# this roun& the horns, an& then when he has plastere& sealin#5earth

o%er it he sets upon it the seal of his si#net5rin#, an& after that they ta!e the ani"al

away. But for one who sacrifices a beast not seale& the penalty appointe& is &eath. 'n

this way then the beast is teste& an& their appointe& "anner of sacrifice is as follows9:they lea& the seale& beast to the altar where they happen to be sacrificin#, an& then


13/51

!in&le a fire9 after that, ha%in# poure& libations of wine o%er the altar so that it runs

&own upon the %icti" an& ha%in# calle& upon the #o&, they cut its throat, an& ha%in#

cut its throat they se%er the hea& fro" the bo&y. The bo&y then of the beast they flay,

but upon the hea& they "a!e "any i"precations first, an& then they who ha%e a

"ar!et an& Hellenes so*ournin# a"on# the" for tra&e, these carry it to the "ar!et5

place an& sell it, while they who ha%e no Hellenes a"on# the" cast it away into theri%er9 an& this is the for" of i"precations which they utter upon the hea&s, prayin#

that if any e%il be about to befall either the"sel%es who are offerin# sacrifice or the

lan& of E#ypt in #eneral, it "ay co"e rather upon this hea&. 1ow as re#ar&s the hea&s

of the beasts which are sacrifice& an& the pourin# o%er the" of the wine, all the

E#yptians ha%e the sa"e custo"s e3ually for all their sacrifices an& by reason of this

custo" none of the E#yptians eat of the hea& either of this or of any other !in& of

ani"al9 but the "anner of &ise"bowellin# the %icti"s an& of burnin# the" is

appointe& a"on# the" &ifferently for &ifferent sacrifices ' shall spea! howe%er of the

sacrifices to that #o&&ess who" they re#ar& as the #reatest of all, an& to who" they

celebrate the #reatest feast.:8hen they ha%e flaye& the bulloc! an& "a&e

i"precation, they ta!e out the whole of its lower entrails but lea%e in the bo&y theupper entrails an& the fat an& they se%er fro" it the le#s an& the en& of the loin an&

the shoul&ers an& the nec!9 an& this &one, they fill the rest of the bo&y of the ani"al

with consecrate& loa%es an& honey an& raisins an& fi#s an& fran!incense an& "yrrh

an& e%ery other !in& of spices, an& ha%in# fille& it with these they offer it, pourin#

o%er it #reat abun&ance of oil. They "a!e their sacrifice after fastin#, an& while the

offerin#s are bein# burnt, they all beat the"sel%es for "ournin#, an& when they ha%e

finishe& beatin# the"sel%es they set forth as a feast that which they left unburnt of the

sacrifice. The clean "ales then of the o$ !in&, both full5#rown ani"als an& cal%es, are

sacrifice& by all the E#yptians the fe"ales howe%er they "ay not sacrifice, but these

are sacre& to 'sis for the fi#ure of 'sis is in the for" of a wo"an with cow;s horns,

*ust as the Hellenes present 'o in pictures, an& all the E#yptians without &istinction

re%erence cows far "ore than any other !in& of cattle for which reason neither "an

nor wo"an of the E#yptian race woul& !iss a "an who is a Hellene on the "outh, nor

will they use a !nife or roastin#5spits or a cal&ron belon#in# to a Hellene, nor taste the

flesh e%en of a clean ani"al if it has been cut with the !nife of a Hellene. An& the

cattle of this !in& which &ie they bury in the followin# "anner9:the fe"ales they

cast into the ri%er, but the "ales they bury, each people in the suburb of their town,

with one of the horns, or so"eti"es both, protru&in# to "ar! the place an& when the

bo&ies ha%e rotte& away an& the appointe& ti"e co"es on, then to each city co"es a

boat fro" that which is calle& the islan& of 2rosopitis ?this is in the Delta, an& the

e$tent of its circuit is nine schoines@. 'n this islan& of 2rosopitis is situate&, besi&es"any other cities, that one fro" which the boats co"e to ta!e up the bones of the

o$en, an& the na"e of the city is Atarbechis, an& in it there is set up a holy te"ple of

Aphro&ite. /ro" this city "any #o abroa& in %arious &irections, so"e to one city an&

others to another, an& when they ha%e &u# up the bones of the o$en they carry the"

off, an& co"in# to#ether they bury the" in one sin#le place. 'n the sa"e "anner as

they bury the o$en they bury also their other cattle when they &ie for about the" also

they ha%e the sa"e law lai& &own, an& these also they abstain fro" !illin#.

1ow all who ha%e a te"ple set up to the Theban


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belon# to the Men&esian &istrict, these abstain fro" #oats an& sacrifice sheep. 1ow

the "en of Thebes an& those who after their e$a"ple abstain fro" sheep, say that this

custo" was establishe& a"on# the" for the cause which follows9:Heracles ?they

say@ ha& an earnest &esire to see


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the title Oly"pian, an& "a!e offerin#s of the &ea& to the other as a hero. Moreo%er,

besi&es "any other stories which the Hellenes tell without &ue consi&eration, this tale

is especially foolish which they tell about Heracles, na"ely that when he ca"e to

E#ypt, the E#yptians put on hi" wreaths an& le& hi" forth in procession to sacrifice

hi" to

Besi&es this, how is it in nature possible that Heracles, bein# one person only an&

"oreo%er a "an ?as they assert@, shoul& slay "any "yria&s> Ha%in# sai& so "uch of

these "atters, we pray that we "ay ha%e #race fro" both the #o&s an& the heroes for

our speech.

1ow the reason why those of the E#yptians who" ' ha%e "entione& &o not sacrifice

#oats, fe"ale or "ale, is this9:the Men&esians count 2an to be one of the ei#ht #o&s?now these ei#ht #o&s they say ca"e into bein# before the twel%e #o&s@, an& the

painters an& i"a#e5"a!ers represent in paintin# an& in sculpture the fi#ure of 2an,

*ust as the Hellenes &o, with #oat;s face an& le#s, not supposin# hi" to be really li!e

this but to rese"ble the other #o&s the cause howe%er why they represent hi" in this

for" ' prefer not to say. The Men&esians then re%erence all #oats an& the "ales "ore

than the fe"ales ?an& the #oather&s too ha%e #reater honour than other her&s"en@, but

of the #oats one especially is re%erence&, an& when he &ies there is #reat "ournin# in

all the Men&esian &istrict9 an& both the #oat an& 2an are calle& in the E#yptian ton#ue

Mendes. Moreo%er in "y lifeti"e there happene& in that &istrict this "ar%el, that is to

say a he5#oat ha& intercourse with a wo"an publicly, an& this was so &one that all

"en "i#ht ha%e e%i&ence of it.

The pi# is accounte& by the E#yptians an abo"inable ani"al an& first, if any of the"

in passin# by touch a pi#, he #oes into the ri%er an& &ips hi"self forthwith in the

water to#ether with his #ar"ents an& then too swineher&s, thou#h they "ay be nati%e

E#yptians, unli!e all others, &o not enter any of the te"ples in E#ypt, nor is anyone

willin# to #i%e his &au#hter in "arria#e to one of the" or to ta!e a wife fro" a"on#

the" but the swineher&s both #i%e in "arria#e to one another an& ta!e fro" one

another. 1ow to the other #o&s the E#yptians &o not thin! it ri#ht to sacrifice swine

but to the Moon an& to Dionysos alone at the sa"e ti"e an& on the sa"e full5"oon

they sacrifice swine, an& then eat their flesh9 an& as to the reason why, when theyabo"inate swine at all their other feasts, they sacrifice the" at this, there is a story

tol& by the E#yptians an& this story ' !now, but it is not a see"ly one for "e to tell.

1ow the sacrifice of the swine to the Moon is perfor"e& as follows9:when the priest

has slain the %icti", he puts to#ether the en& of the tail an& the spleen an& the caul,

an& co%ers the" up with the whole of the fat of the ani"al which is about the paunch,

an& then he offers the" with fire an& the rest of the flesh they eat on that &ay of full

"oon upon which they ha%e hel& sacrifice, but on any &ay after this they will not taste

of it9 the poor howe%er a"on# the" by reason of the scantiness of their "eans shape

pi#s of &ou#h an& ha%in# ba!e& the" they offer these as a sacrifice. Then for

Dionysos on the e%e of the festi%al each one !ills a pi# by cuttin# its throat before his

own &oors, an& after that he #i%es the pi# to the swineher& who sol& it to hi", to carryaway a#ain an& the rest of the feast of Dionysos is celebrate& by the E#yptians in the


16/51


17/51

the", for they ha& not yet hear& any, but they calle& the" #o&s fro" so"e such

notion as this, that they ha& set in or&er all thin#s an& so ha& the &istribution of

e%erythin#. Afterwar&s when "uch ti"e ha& elapse&, they learnt fro" E#ypt the

na"es of the #o&s, all e$cept Dionysos, for his na"e they learnt lon# afterwar&s an&

after a ti"e the 2elas#ians consulte& the Oracle at Do&ona about the na"es, for this

prophetic seat is accounte& to be the "ost ancient of the Oracles which are a"on# theHellenes, an& at that ti"e it was the only one. So when the 2elas#ians as!e& the

Oracle at Do&ona whether they shoul& a&opt the na"es which ha& co"e fro" the

Barbarians, the Oracle in reply ba&e the" "a!e use of the na"es. /ro" this ti"e they

sacrifice& usin# the na"es of the #o&s, an& fro" the 2elas#ians the Hellenes

afterwar&s recei%e& the"9 but when the se%eral #o&s ha& their birth, or whether they

all were fro" the be#innin#, an& of what for" they are, they &i& not learn till

yester&ay, as it were, or the &ay before9 for Hesio& an& Ho"er ' suppose were four

hun&re& years before "y ti"e an& not "ore, an& these are they who "a&e a theo#ony

for the Hellenes an& #a%e the titles to the #o&s an& &istribute& to the" honours an&

arts, an& set forth their for"s9 but the poets who are sai& to ha%e been before these

"en were really in "y opinion after the". Of these thin#s the first are sai& by thepriestesses of Do&ona, an& the latter thin#s, those na"ely which ha%e re#ar& to

Hesio& an& Ho"er, by "yself.

As re#ar&s the Oracles both that a"on# the Hellenes an& that in =ibya, the E#yptians

tell the followin# tale. The priests of the Theban


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the" that they uttere& %oice li!e bir&s but after a ti"e ?they say@ the &o%e spo!e with

hu"an %oice, that is when the wo"an be#an to spea! so that they coul& un&erstan&

but so lon# as she spo!e a Barbarian ton#ue she see"e& to the" to be utterin# %oice

li!e a bir&9 for if it ha& been really a &o%e, how coul& it spea! with hu"an %oice> An&

in sayin# that the &o%e was blac!, they in&icate that the wo"an was E#yptian. The

ways of &eli%erin# oracles too at Thebes in E#ypt an& at Do&ona closely rese"bleeach other, as it happens, an& also the "etho& of &i%ination by %icti"s has co"e fro"

E#ypt.

Moreo%er, it is true also that the E#yptians were the first of "en who "a&e sole"n

asse"blies an& processions an& approaches to the te"ples, an& fro" the" the

Hellenes ha%e learnt the", an& "y e%i&ence for this is that the E#yptian celebrations

of these ha%e been hel& fro" a %ery ancient ti"e, whereas the Hellenic were

intro&uce& but lately. The E#yptians hol& their sole"n asse"blies not once in the year

but often, especially an& with the #reatest 0eal an& &e%otion at the city of Bubastis for

Arte"is, an& ne$t at Busiris for 'sis for in this last5na"e& city there is a %ery #reat

te"ple of 'sis, an& this city stan&s in the "i&&le of the Delta of E#ypt now 'sis is inthe ton#ue of the Hellenes De"eter9 thir&ly, they ha%e a sole"n asse"bly at the city

of Sais for Athene, fourthly at Heliopolis for the Sun ?Helios@, fifthly at the city of

Buto in honour of =eto, an& si$thly at the city of 2apre"is for Ares. 1ow, when they

are co"in# to the city of Bubastis they &o as follows9:they sail "en an& wo"en

to#ether, an& a #reat "ultitu&e of each se$ in e%ery boat an& so"e of the wo"en

ha%e rattles an& rattle with the", while so"e of the "en play the flute &urin# the

whole ti"e of the %oya#e, an& the rest, both wo"en an& "en, sin# an& clap their

han&s an& when as they sail they co"e opposite to any city on the way they brin# the

boat to lan&, an& so"e of the wo"en continue to &o as ' ha%e sai&, others cry alou&

an& *eer at the wo"en in that city, so"e &ance, an& so"e stan& up an& pull up their

#ar"ents. This they &o by e%ery city alon# the ri%er5ban! an& when they co"e to

Bubastis they hol& festi%al celebratin# #reat sacrifices, an& "ore wine of #rapes is

consu"e& upon that festi%al than &urin# the whole of the rest of the year. To this

place ?so say the nati%es@ they co"e to#ether year by year e%en to the nu"ber of

se%enty "yria&s of "en an& wo"en, besi&es chil&ren. Thus it is &one here an& how

they celebrate the festi%al in honour of 'sis at the city of Busiris has been tol& by "e

before9 for, as ' sai&, they beat the"sel%es in "ournin# after the sacrifice, all of the"

both "en an& wo"en, %ery "any "yria&s of people but for who" they beat

the"sel%es it is not per"itte& to "e by reli#ion to say9 an& so "any as there are of the

arians &wellin# in E#ypt &o this e%en "ore than the E#yptians the"sel%es, inas"uch

as they cut their forehea&s also with !ni%es an& by this it is "anifeste& that they arestran#ers an& not E#yptians. At the ti"es when they #ather to#ether at the city of Sais

for their sacrifices, on a certain ni#ht they all !in&le la"ps "any in nu"ber in the

open air roun& about the houses now the la"ps are saucers full of salt an& oil "i$e&,

an& the wic! floats by itself on the surface, an& this burns &urin# the whole ni#ht an&

to the festi%al is #i%en the na"e Lychnocaia?the li#htin# of la"ps@. Moreo%er those

of the E#yptians who ha%e not co"e to this sole"n asse"bly obser%e the ni#ht of the

festi%al an& the"sel%es also li#ht la"ps all of the", an& thus not in Sais alone are

they li#hte&, but o%er all E#ypt9 an& as to the reason why li#ht an& honour are allotte&

to this ni#ht, about this there is a sacre& story tol&. To Heliopolis an& Buto they #o

year by year an& &o sacrifice only9 but at 2apre"is they &o sacrifice an& worship as

elsewhere, an& besi&es that, when the sun be#ins to #o &own while so"e few of thepriests are occupie& with the i"a#e of the #o&, the #reater nu"ber of the" stan& in


19/51

the entrance of the te"ple with woo&en clubs, an& other persons to the nu"ber of

"ore than a thousan& "en with purpose to perfor" a %ow, these also ha%in# all of

the" sta%es of woo&, stan& in a bo&y opposite to those9 an& the i"a#e, which is in a

s"all shrine of woo& co%ere& o%er with #ol&, they ta!e out on the &ay before to

another sacre& buil&in#. The few then who ha%e been left about the i"a#e, &raw a

wain with four wheels, which bears the shrine an& the i"a#e that is within the shrine,an& the other priests stan&in# in the #ateway try to pre%ent it fro" enterin#, an& the

"en who are un&er a %ow co"e to the assistance of the #o& an& stri!e the", while the

others &efen& the"sel%es. Then there co"es to be a har& fi#ht with sta%es, an& they

brea! one another;s hea&s, an& ' a" of opinion that "any e%en &ie of the woun&s they

recei%e the E#yptians howe%er tol& "e that no one &ie&. This sole"n asse"bly the

people of the place say that they establishe& for the followin# reason9:the "other of

Ares, they say, use& to &well in this te"ple, an& Ares, ha%in# been brou#ht up away

fro" her, when he #rew up ca"e thither &esirin# to %isit his "other, an& the

atten&ants of his "other;s te"ple, not ha%in# seen hi" before, &i& not per"it hi" to

pass in, but !ept hi" away an& he brou#ht "en to help hi" fro" another city an&

han&le& rou#hly the atten&ants of the te"ple, an& entere& to %isit his "other. Hence,they say, this e$chan#e of blows has beco"e the custo" in honour of Ares upon his

festi%al.

The E#yptians were the first who "a&e it a point of reli#ion not to lie with wo"en in

te"ples, nor to enter into te"ples after #oin# away fro" wo"en without first bathin#9

for al"ost all other "en e$cept the E#yptians an& the Hellenes lie with wo"en in

te"ples an& enter into a te"ple after #oin# away fro" wo"en without bathin#, since

they hol& that there is no &ifference in this respect between "en an& beasts9 for they

say that they see beasts an& the %arious !in&s of bir&s couplin# to#ether both in the

te"ples an& in the sacre& enclosures of the #o&s if then this were not pleasin# to the

#o&, the beasts woul& not &o so.

Thus &o these &efen& that which they &o, which by "e is &isallowe&9 but the

E#yptians are e$cessi%ely careful in their obser%ances, both in other "atters which

concern the sacre& rites an& also in those which follow9:E#ypt, thou#h it bor&ers

upon =ibya, &oes not %ery "uch aboun& in wil& ani"als, but such as they ha%e are

one an& all accounte& by the" sacre&, so"e of the" li%in# with "en an& others not.

But if ' shoul& say for what reasons the sacre& ani"als ha%e been thus &e&icate&, '

shoul& fall into &iscourse of "atters pertainin# to the #o&s, of which ' "ost &esire not

to spea! an& what ' ha%e actually sai& touchin# sli#htly upon the", ' sai& because '

was constraine& by necessity. About these ani"als there is a custo" of this !in&9:persons ha%e been appointe& of the E#yptians, both "en an& wo"en, to pro%i&e the

foo& for each !in& of beast separately, an& their office #oes &own fro" father to son

an& those who &well in the %arious cities perfor" %ows to the" thus, that is, when

they "a!e a %ow to the #o& to who" the ani"al belon#s, they sha%e the hea& of their

chil&ren either the whole or the half or the thir& part of it, an& then set the hair in the

balance a#ainst sil%er, an& whate%er it wei#hs, this the "an #i%es to the person who

pro%i&es for the ani"als, an& she cuts up fish of e3ual %alue an& #i%es it for foo& to

the ani"als. Thus foo& for their support has been appointe& an& if any one !ill any of

these ani"als, the penalty, if he &o it with his own will, is &eath, an& if a#ainst his

will, such penalty as the priests "ay appoint9 but whosoe%er shall !ill an ibis or a

haw!, whether it be with his will or a#ainst his will, "ust &ie. Of the ani"als that li%ewith "en there are #reat nu"bers, an& woul& be "any "ore but for the acci&ents


20/51

which befall the cats. /or when the fe"ales ha%e pro&uce& youn# they are no lon#er

in the habit of #oin# to the "ales, an& these see!in# to be unite& with the" are not

able. To this en& then they contri%e as follows,:they either ta!e away by force or

re"o%e secretly the youn# fro" the fe"ales an& !ill the" ?but after !illin# they &o

not eat the"@, an& the fe"ales bein# &epri%e& of their youn# an& &esirin# "ore,

therefore co"e to the "ales, for it is a creature that is fon& of its youn#. Moreo%erwhen a fire occurs, the cats see" to be &i%inely possesse& for while the E#yptians

stan& at inter%als an& loo! after the cats, not ta!in# any care to e$tin#uish the fire, the

cats slippin# throu#h or leapin# o%er the "en, *u"p into the fire an& when this

happens, #reat "ournin# co"es upon the E#yptians. An& in whate%er houses a cat has

&ie& by a natural &eath, all those who &well in this house sha%e their eyebrows only,

but those in which a &o# has &ie& sha%e their whole bo&y an& also their hea&. The cats

when they are &ea& are carrie& away to sacre& buil&in#s in the city of Bubastis, where

after bein# e"bal"e& they are burie& but the &o#s they bury each people in their own

city in sacre& to"bs an& the ichneu"ons are burie& *ust in the sa"e way as the &o#s.

The shrew"ice howe%er an& the haw!s they carry away to the city of Buto, an& the

ibises to Her"opolis the bears ?which are not co""only seen@ an& the wol%es, not"uch lar#er in si0e than fo$es, they bury on the spot where they are foun& lyin#.

Of the croco&ile the nature is as follows9:&urin# the four "ost wintry "onths this

creature eats nothin#9 she has four feet an& is an ani"al belon#in# to the lan& an& the

water both for she pro&uces an& hatches e##s on the lan&, an& the "ost part of the

&ay she re"ains upon &ry lan&, but the whole of the ni#ht in the ri%er, for the water in

truth is war"er than the unclou&e& open air an& the &ew. Of all the "ortal creatures

of which we ha%e !nowlee this #rows to the #reatest bul! fro" the s"allest

be#innin# for the e##s which she pro&uces are not "uch lar#er than those of #eese

an& the newly5hatche& youn# one is in proportion to the e##, but as he #rows he

beco"es as "uch as se%enteen cubits lon# an& so"eti"es yet lar#er. He has eyes li!e

those of a pi# an& teeth lar#e an& tus!y, in proportion to the si0e of his bo&y but

unli!e all other beasts he #rows no ton#ue, neither &oes he "o%e his lower *aw, but

brin#s the upper *aw towar&s the lower, bein# in this too unli!e all other beasts. He

has "oreo%er stron# claws an& a scaly hi&e upon his bac! which cannot be pierce&

an& he is blin& in the water, but in the air he is of a %ery !een si#ht. Since he has his

li%in# in the water he !eeps his "outh all full within of leeches an& whereas all other

bir&s an& beasts fly fro" hi", the trochilus is a creature which is at peace with hi",

seein# that fro" her he recei%es benefit for the croco&ile ha%in# co"e out of the

water to the lan& an& then ha%in# opene& his "outh ?this he is wont to &o #enerally

towar&s the 8est 8in&@, the trochilus upon that enters into his "outh an& swallows&own the leeches, an& he bein# benefite& is please& an& &oes no har" to the trochilus.

1ow for so"e of the E#yptians the croco&iles are sacre& ani"als, an& for others not

so, but they treat the" on the contrary as ene"ies9 those howe%er who &well about

Thebes an& about the la!e of Moiris hol& the" to be "ost sacre&, an& each of these

two peoples !eeps one croco&ile selecte& fro" the whole nu"ber, which has been

traine& to ta"eness, an& they put han#in# orna"ents of "olten stone an& of #ol& into

the ears of these an& an!lets roun& the front feet, an& they #i%e the" foo& appointe&

an& %icti"s of sacrifices an& treat the" as well as possible while they li%e, an& after

they are &ea& they bury the" in sacre& to"bs, e"bal"in# the"9 but those who &well

about the city of Elephantine e%en eat the", not hol&in# the" to be sacre&. They are

calle& not croco&iles but champsai, an& the 'onians #a%e the" the na"e of croco&ile,co"parin# their for" to that of the croco&iles ?li0ar&s@ which appear in their country


21/51

in the stone walls. There are "any ways in use of catchin# the" an& of %arious !in&s9

' shall &escribe that which to "e see"s the "ost worthy of bein# tol&. A "an puts the

bac! of a pi# upon a hoo! as bait, an& lets it #o into the "i&&le of the ri%er, while he

hi"self upon the ban! of the ri%er has a youn# li%e pi#, which he beats an& the

croco&ile hearin# its cries "a!es for the &irection of the soun&, an& when he fin&s the

pi#;s bac! he swallows it &own9 then they pull, an& when he is &rawn out to lan&, firstof all the hunter forthwith plasters up his eyes with "u&, an& ha%in# &one so he %ery

easily #ets the "astery of hi", but if he &oes not &o so he has "uch trouble.

The ri%er5horse is sacre& in the &istrict of 2apre"is, but for the other E#yptians he is

not sacre& an& this is the appearance which he presents9 he is four5foote&, clo%en5

hoofe& li!e an o$, flat5nose&, with a "ane li!e a horse an& showin# teeth li!e tus!s,

with a tail an& %oice li!e a horse an& in si0e as lar#e as the lar#est o$ an& his hi&e is

so e$cee&in#ly thic! that when it has been &rie& shafts of *a%elins are "a&e of it.

There are "oreo%er otters in the ri%er, which they consi&er to be sacre&9 an& of fish

also they estee" that which is calle& the lepidotosto be sacre&, an& also the eel an&

these they say are sacre& to the 1ile9 an& of bir&s the fo$5#oose.

There is also another sacre& bir& calle& the phoeni$ which ' &i& not "yself see e$cept

in paintin#, for in truth he co"es to the" %ery rarely, at inter%als, as the people of

Heliopolis say, of fi%e hun&re& years an& these say that he co"es re#ularly when his

father &ies an& if he be li!e the paintin# he is of this si0e an& nature, that is to say,

so"e of his feathers are of #ol& colour an& others re&, an& in outline an& si0e he is as

nearly as possible li!e an ea#le. This bir& they say ?but ' cannot belie%e the story@

contri%es as follows9:settin# forth fro" Arabia he con%eys his father, they say, to the

te"ple of the Sun ?Helios@ plastere& up in "yrrh, an& buries hi" in the te"ple of the

Sun an& he con%eys hi" thus9:he for"s first an e## of "yrrh as lar#e as he is able

to carry, an& then he "a!es trial of carryin# it, an& when he has "a&e trial

sufficiently, then he hollows out the e## an& places his father within it an& plasters

o%er with other "yrrh that part of the e## where he hollowe& it out to put his father

in, an& when his father is lai& in it, it pro%es ?they say@ to be of the sa"e wei#ht as it

was an& after he has plastere& it up, he con%eys the whole to E#ypt to the te"ple of

the Sun. Thus they say that this bir& &oes.

There are also about Thebes sacre& serpents, not at all har"ful to "en, which are

s"all in si0e an& ha%e two horns #rowin# fro" the top of the hea&9 these they bury

when they &ie in the te"ple of


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a crane an& a %ery cur%e& bea!, an& in si0e it is about e3ual to a rail9 this is the

appearance of the blac! !in& which fi#ht with the serpents, but of those which "ost

crow& roun& "en;s feet ?for there are two se%eral !in&s of ibises@ the hea& is bare an&

also the whole of the throat, an& it is white in featherin# e$cept the hea& an& nec! an&

the e$tre"ities of the win#s an& the ru"p ?in all these parts of which ' ha%e spo!en it

is a &eep blac!@, while in le#s an& in the for" of the hea& it rese"bles the other. Asfor the serpent its for" is li!e that of the watersna!e an& it has win#s not feathere&

but "ost nearly rese"blin# the win#s of the bat. =et so "uch suffice as has been sai&

now concernin# sacre& ani"als.

Of the E#yptians the"sel%es, those who &well in the part of E#ypt which is sown for

crops practise "e"ory "ore than any other "en an& are the "ost learne& in history

by far of all those of who" ' ha%e ha& e$perience9 an& their "anner of life is as

follows9:/or three successi%e &ays in each "onth they pur#e, huntin# after health

with e"etics an& clysters, an& they thin! that all the &iseases which e$ist are pro&uce&

in "en by the foo& on which they li%e9 for the E#yptians are fro" other causes also

the "ost healthy of all "en ne$t after the =ibyans ?in "y opinion on account of theseasons, because the seasons &o not chan#e, for by the chan#es of thin#s #enerally,

an& especially of the seasons, &iseases are "ost apt to be pro&uce& in "en@, an& as to

their &iet, it is as follows9:they eat brea&, "a!in# loa%es of "ai0e, which they call

kyllestis, an& they use habitually a wine "a&e out of barley, for %ines they ha%e not in

their lan&. Of their fish so"e they &ry in the sun an& then eat the" without coo!in#,

others they eat cure& in brine. Of bir&s they eat 3uails an& &uc!s an& s"all bir&s

without coo!in#, after first curin# the" an& e%erythin# else which they ha%e

belon#in# to the class of bir&s or fishes, e$cept such as ha%e been set apart by the" as

sacre&, they eat roaste& or boile&. 'n the entertain"ents of the rich a"on# the", when

they ha%e finishe& eatin#, a "an bears roun& a woo&en fi#ure of a &ea& bo&y in a

coffin, "a&e as li!e the reality as "ay be both by paintin# an& car%in#, an& "easurin#

about a cubit or two cubits each way an& this he shows to each of those who are

&rin!in# to#ether, sayin#9 68hen thou loo!est upon this, &rin! an& be "erry, for thou

shalt be such as this when thou art &ea&.6 Thus they &o at their carousals. The custo"s

which they practise are &eri%e& fro" their fathers an& they &o not ac3uire others in

a&&ition but besi&es other custo"ary thin#s a"on# the" which are worthy of

"ention, they ha%e one son#, that of =inos, the sa"e who is sun# of both in 2henicia

an& in yprus an& elsewhere, ha%in# howe%er a na"e &ifferent accor&in# to the

%arious nations. This son# a#rees e$actly with that which the Hellenes sin# callin# on

the na"e of =inos, so that besi&es "any other thin#s about which ' won&er a"on#

those "atters which concern E#ypt, ' won&er especially about this, na"ely whencethey #ot the son# of =inos. 't is e%i&ent howe%er that they ha%e sun# this son# fro"

i""e"orial ti"e, an& in the E#yptian ton#ue =inos is calle& Maneros. The E#yptians

tol& "e that he was the only son of hi" who first beca"e !in# of E#ypt, an& that he

&ie& before his ti"e an& was honoure& with these la"entations by the E#yptians, an&

that this was their first an& only son#. 'n another respect the E#yptians are in

a#ree"ent with so"e of the Hellenes, na"ely with the =ace&e"onians, but not with

the rest, that is to say, the youn#er of the" when they "eet the el&er #i%e way an&

"o%e out of the path, an& when their el&ers approach, they rise out of their seat. 'n

this which follows howe%er they are not in a#ree"ent with any of the Hellenes,:

instea& of a&&ressin# one another in the roa&s they &o re%erence, lowerin# their han&

&own to their !nee. They wear tunics of linen about their le#s with frin#es, which theycall calasiris abo%e these they ha%e #ar"ents of white wool thrown o%er9 woolen


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#ar"ents howe%er are not ta!en into the te"ples, nor are they burie& with the", for

this is not per"itte& by reli#ion. 'n these points they are in a#ree"ent with the

obser%ances calle& Orphic an& Bacchic ?which are really E#yptian@, an& also with

those of the 2ytha#oreans, for one who ta!es part in these "ysteries is also forbi&&en

by reli#ious rule to be burie& in woolen #ar"ents an& about this there is a sacre&

story tol&.

Besi&es these thin#s the E#yptians ha%e foun& out also to what #o& each "onth an&

each &ay belon#s, an& what fortunes a "an will "eet with who is born on any

particular &ay, an& how he will &ie, an& what !in& of a "an he will be9 an& these

in%entions were ta!en up by those of the Hellenes who occupie& the"sel%es about

poesy. 2ortents too ha%e been foun& out by the" "ore than by all other "en besi&es

for when a portent has happene&, they obser%e an& write &own the e%ent which co"es

of it, an& if e%er afterwar&s anythin# rese"blin# this happens, they belie%e that the

e%ent which co"es of it will be si"ilar. Their &i%ination is or&ere& thus9:the art is

assi#ne& not to any "an but to certain of the #o&s, for there are in their lan& Oracles

of Heracles, of Apollo, of Athene, of Arte"is, or Ares, an& of


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se%enty &ays are past, they wash the corpse an& roll its whole bo&y up in fine linen cut

into ban&s, s"earin# these beneath with #u", which the E#yptians use #enerally

instea& of #lue. Then the !insfol! recei%e it fro" the" an& ha%e a woo&en fi#ure

"a&e in the shape of a "an, an& when they ha%e ha& this "a&e they enclose the

corpse, an& ha%in# shut it up within, they store it then in a sepulchral cha"ber, settin#

it to stan& upri#ht a#ainst the wall. Thus they &eal with the corpses which areprepare& in the "ost costly way but for those who &esire the "i&&le way an& wish to

a%oi& #reat cost they prepare the corpse as follows9:ha%in# fille& their syrin#es with

the oil which is #ot fro" ce&ar5woo&, with this they forthwith fill the belly of the

corpse, an& this they &o without ha%in# either cut it open or ta!en out the bowels, but

they in*ect the oil by the breech, an& ha%in# stoppe& the &rench fro" returnin# bac!

they !eep it then the appointe& nu"ber of &ays for e"bal"in#, an& on the last of the

&ays they let the ce&ar oil co"e out fro" the belly, which they before put in an& it

has such power that it brin#s out with it the bowels an& interior or#ans of the bo&y

&issol%e& an& the natron &issol%es the flesh, so that there is left of the corpse only the

s!in an& the bones. 8hen they ha%e &one this they #i%e bac! the corpse at once in that

con&ition without wor!in# upon it any "ore. The thir& !in& of e"bal"in#, by whichare prepare& the bo&ies of those who ha%e less "eans, is as follows9:they cleanse

out the belly with a pur#e an& then !eep the bo&y for e"bal"in# &urin# the se%enty

&ays, an& at once after that they #i%e it bac! to the brin#ers to carry away. The wi%es

of "en of ran! when they &ie are not #i%en at once to be e"bal"e&, nor such wo"en

as are %ery beautiful or of #reater re#ar& than others, but on the thir& or fourth &ay

after their &eath ?an& not before@ they are &eli%ere& to the e"bal"ers. They &o so

about this "atter in or&er that the e"bal"ers "ay not abuse their wo"en, for they say

that one of the" was ta!en once &oin# so to the corpse of a wo"an lately &ea&, an&

his fellow5crafts"an #a%e infor"ation. 8hene%er any one, either of the E#yptians

the"sel%es or of stran#ers, is foun& to ha%e been carrie& off by a croco&ile or brou#ht

to his &eath by the ri%er itself, the people of any city by which he "ay ha%e been cast

up on lan& "ust e"bal" hi" an& lay hi" out in the fairest way they can an& bury hi"

in a sacre& burial5place, nor "ay any of his relations or frien&s besi&es touch hi", but

the priests of the 1ile the"sel%es han&le the corpse an& bury it as that of one who was

so"ethin# "ore than "an.

Hellenic usa#es they will by no "eans follow, an& to spea! #enerally they follow

those of no other "en whate%er. This rule is obser%e& by "ost of the E#yptians but

there is a lar#e city na"e& he""is in the Theban &istrict near 1eapolis, an& in this

city there is a te"ple of 2erseus the son of Danae which is of a s3uare shape, an&

roun& it #row &ate5pal"s9 the #ateway of the te"ple is built of stone an& of %ery #reatsi0e, an& at the entrance of it stan& two #reat statues of stone. 8ithin this enclosure is

a te"ple5house an& in it stan&s an i"a#e of 2erseus. These people of he""is say

Documents

Herodotus Records of Egypt