and he made for Hephaistos the temple gateway 119 which is towards the
sunrising, by far the most beautiful and the largest of the gateways;
for while they all have figures carved upon them and innumerable
ornaments of building 120 besides, this has them very much more than
the rest. In this king's reign they told me that, as the circulation of
money was very slow, a law was made for the Egyptians that a man might
have that money lent to him which he needed, by offering as security
the dead body of his father; and there was added moreover to this law
another, namely that he who lent the money should have a claim also to
the whole sepulchral chamber belonging to him who received it, and that
the man who offered that security should be subject to this penalty,
if he refused to pay back the debt, namely that neither the man himself
should be allowed to have burial when he died, either in that family
burial-place or in any other, nor should he be allowed to bury any one
of his kinsmen whom he lost by death. This king desiring to surpass the
kings of Egypt who had arisen before him left as a memorial of himself
a pyramid which he made of bricks, and on it there is an inscription
carved in stone and saying thus: "Despise not me in comparison with the
pyramids of stone, seeing that I excel them as much as Zeus excels the
other gods; for with a pole they struck into the lake, and whatever
of the mud attached itself to the pole, this they gathered up and made
bricks, and in such manner they finished me."
Such were the deeds which this king performed;
137, and after him reigned a blind man of the city of Anysis, whose
name was Anysis. In his reign the Ethiopians and Sabacos the king of the
Ethiopians marched upon Egypt with a great host of men; so this blind
man departed, flying to the fen-country, and the Ethiopian was king
over Egypt for fifty years, during which he performed deeds as
follows:—whenever any man of the Egyptians committed any transgression,
he would never put him to death, but he gave sentence upon each man
according to the greatness of the wrong-doing, appointing them work at
throwing up an embankment before that city from whence each man came of
those who committed wrong. Thus the cities were made higher still than
before; for they were embanked first by those who dug the channels in
the reign of Sesostris, and then secondly in the reign of the Ethiopian,
and thus they were made very high: and while other cities in Egypt also
stood 121 high, I think in the town at Bubastis especially the earth was
piled up. In this city there is a temple very well worthy of mention,
for though there are other temples which are larger and built with more
cost, none more than this is a pleasure to the eyes. Now Bubastis in the
Hellenic tongue is Artemis,
138, and her temple is ordered thus:—Except the entrance it is
completely surrounded by water; for channels come in from the Nile, not
joining one another, but each extending as far as the entrance of the
temple, one flowing round on the one side and the other on the other
side, each a hundred feet broad and shaded over with trees; and the
gateway has a height of ten fathoms, and it is adorned with figures six
cubits high, very noteworthy. This temple is in the middle of the city
and is looked down upon from all sides as one goes round, for since the
city has been banked up to a height, while the temple has not been moved
from the place where it was at the first built, it is possible to look
down into it: and round it runs a stone wall with figures carved upon
it, while within it there is a grove of very large trees planted round
a large temple-house, within which is the image of the goddess: and the
breadth and length of the temple is a furlong every way. Opposite the
entrance there is a road paved with stone for about three furlongs,
which leads through the market-place towards the East, with a breadth
of about four hundred feet; and on this side and on that grow trees of
height reaching to heaven: and the road leads to the temple of Hermes.
This temple then is thus ordered.
139. The final deliverance from the Ethiopian came about (they said)
as follows:—he fled away because he had seen in his sleep a vision, in
which it seemed to him that a man came and stood by him and counselled
him to gather together all the priests of Egypt and cut them asunder in
the midst. Having seen this dream, he said that it seemed to him that
the gods were foreshowing him this to furnish an occasion against him,
122 in order that he might do an impious deed with respect to religion,
and so receive some evil either from the gods or from men: he would not
however do so, but in truth (he said) the time had expired, during
which it had been prophesied to him that he should rule Egypt before
he departed thence. For when he was in Ethiopia the Oracles which the
Ethiopians consult had told him that it was fated for him to rule Egypt
fifty years: since then this time was now expiring, and the vision of
the dream also disturbed him, Sabacos departed out of Egypt of his own
free will.
140. Then when the Ethiopian had gone away out of Egypt, the blind man
came back from the fen-country and began to rule again, having lived
there during fifty years upon an island which he had made by heaping up
ashes and earth: for whenever any of the Egyptians visited him bringing
food, according as it had been appointed to them severally to do without
the knowledge of the Ethiopian, he bade them bring also some ashes for
their gift. 123 This island none was able to find before Amyrtaios; that
is, for more than seven hundred years 124 the kings who arose before
Amyrtaios were not able to find it. Now the name of this island is Elbo,
and its size is ten furlongs each way.
141. After him there came to the throne the priest of Hephaistos, whose
name was Sethos. This man, they said, neglected and held in no regard
the warrior class of the Egyptians, considering that he would have no
need of them; and besides other slights which he put upon them, he also
took from them the yokes of corn-land 125 which had been given to them
as a special gift in the reigns of the former kings, twelve yokes
to each man. After this, Sanacharib king of the Arabians and of the
Assyrians marched a great host against Egypt. Then the warriors of the
Egyptians refused to come to the rescue, and the priest, being driven
into a strait, entered into the sanctuary of the temple 126 and bewailed
to the image of the god the danger which was impending over him; and as
he was thus lamenting, sleep came upon him, and it seemed to him in his
vision that the god came and stood by him and encouraged him, saying
that he should suffer no evil if he went forth to meet the army of
the Arabians; for he himself would send him helpers. Trusting in
these things seen in sleep, he took with him, they said, those of the
Egyptians who were willing to follow him, and encamped in Pelusion, for
by this way the invasion came: and not one of the warrior class followed
him, but shop-keepers and artisans and men of the market. Then after
they came, there swarmed by night upon their enemies mice of the fields,
and ate up their quivers and their bows, and moreover the handles of
their shields, so that on the next day they fled, and being without
defence of arms great numbers fell. And at the present time this king
stands in the temple of Hephaistos in stone, holding upon his hand a
mouse, and by letters inscribed he says these words: "Let him who looks
upon me learn to fear the gods."
142. So far in the story the Egyptians and the priests were they who
made the report, declaring that from the first king down to this
priest of Hephaistos who reigned last, there had been three hundred and
forty-one generations of men, and that in them there had been the same
number of chief-priests and of kings: but three hundred generations
of men are equal to ten thousand years, for a hundred years is three
generations of men; and in the one-and-forty generations which remain,
those I mean which were added to the three hundred, there are one
thousand three hundred and forty years. Thus in the period of eleven
thousand three hundred and forty years they said that there had arisen
no god in human form; nor even before that time or afterwards among the
remaining kings who arose in Egypt, did they report that anything of
that kind had come to pass. In this time they said that the sun had
moved four times from his accustomed place of rising, and where he now
sets he had thence twice had his rising, and in the place from whence he
now rises he had twice had his setting; 127 and in the meantime nothing
in Egypt had been changed from its usual state, neither that which comes
from the earth nor that which comes to them from the river nor that
which concerns diseases or deaths.
143. And formerly when Hecataios the historian was in Thebes, and had
traced his descent and connected his family with a god in the sixteenth
generation before, the priests of Zeus did for him much the same as they
did for me (though I had not traced my descent). They led me into the
sanctuary of the temple, which is of great size, and they counted up the
number, showing colossal wooden statues in number the same as they said;
for each chief-priest there sets up in his lifetime an image of himself:
accordingly the priests, counting and showing me these, declared to me
that each one of them was a son succeeding his own father, and they went
up through the series of images from the image of the one who had
died last, until they had declared this of the whole number. And when
Hecataios had traced his descent and connected his family with a god in
the sixteenth generation, they traced a descent in opposition to this,
besides their numbering, not accepting it from him that a man had been
born from a god; and they traced their counter-descent thus, saying that
each one of the statues had been piromis son of piromis, until they had
declared this of the whole three hundred and forty-five statues, each
one being surnamed piromis; and neither with a god nor a hero did
they connect their descent. Now piromis means in the tongue of Hellas
"honourable and good man."
144. From their declaration then it followed, that they of whom the
images were had been of form like this, and far removed from being gods:
but in the time before these men they said that gods were the rulers in
Egypt, not mingling 128 with men, and that of these always one had power
at a time; and the last of them who was king over Egypt was Oros the son
of Osiris, whom the Hellenes call Apollo: he was king over Egypt last,
having deposed Typhon. Now Osiris in the tongue of Hellas is Dionysos.
145. Among the Hellenes Heracles and Dionysos and Pan are accounted the
latest-born of the gods; but with the Egyptians Pan is a very ancient
god, and he is one of those which are called the eight gods, while
Heracles is of the second rank, who are called the twelve gods, and
Dionysos is of the third rank, namely of those who were born of the
twelve gods. Now as to Heracles I have shown already how many years old
he is according to the Egyptians themselves, reckoning down to the
reign of Amasis, and Pan is said to have existed for yet more years than
these, and Dionysos for the smallest number of years as compared with
the others; and even for this last they reckon down to the reign of
Amasis fifteen thousand years. This the Egyptians say that they know for
a certainty, since they always kept a reckoning and wrote down the years
as they came. Now the Dionysos who is said to have been born of Semele
the daughter of Cadmos, was born about sixteen hundred years before my
time, and Heracles who was the son of Alcmene, about nine hundred years,
and that Pan who was born of Penelope, for of her and of Hermes Pan is
said by the Hellenes to have been born, came into being later than the
wars of Troy, about eight hundred years before my time.
146. Of these two accounts every man may adopt that one which he shall
find the more credible when he hears it. I however, for my part, have
already declared my opinion about them. 129 For if these also, like
Heracles the son of Amphitryon, had appeared before all men's eyes and
had lived their lives to old age in Hellas, I mean Dionysos the son of
Semele and Pan the son of Penelope, then one would have said that these
also 130 had been born mere men, having the names of those gods who had
come into being long before: but as it is, with regard to Dionysos the
Hellenes say that as soon as he was born Zeus sewed him up in his thigh
and carried him to Nysa, which is above Egypt in the land of Ethiopia;
and as to Pan, they cannot say whither he went after he was born. Hence
it has become clear to me that the Hellenes learnt the names of these
gods later than those of the other gods, and trace their descent as if
their birth occurred at the time when they first learnt their names.
Thus far then the history is told by the Egyptians themselves;
147, but I will now recount that which other nations also tell, and the
Egyptians in agreement with the others, of that which happened in this
land: and there will be added to this also something of that which I
have myself seen.
Being set free after the reign of the priest of Hephaistos, the
Egyptians, since they could not live any time without a king, set up
over them twelve kings, having divided all Egypt into twelve parts.
These made intermarriages with one another and reigned, making agreement
that they would not put down one another by force, nor seek to get an
advantage over one another, but would live in perfect friendship: and
the reason why they made these agreements, guarding them very strongly
from violation, was this, namely that an oracle had been given to them
at first when they began to exercise their rule, that he of them who
should pour a libation with a bronze cup in the temple of Hephaistos,
should be king of all Egypt (for they used to assemble together in all
the temples).
148. Moreover they resolved to join all together and leave a memorial of
themselves; and having so resolved they caused to be made a labyrinth,
situated a little above the lake of Moiris and nearly opposite to that
which is called the City of Crocodiles. This I saw myself, and I found
it greater than words can say. For if one should put together and reckon
up all the buildings and all the great works produced by the Hellenes,
they would prove to be inferior in labour and expense to this labyrinth,
though it is true that both the temple at Ephesos and that at Samos are
works worthy of note. The pyramids also were greater than words can say,
and each one of them is equal to many works of the Hellenes, great
as they may be; but the labyrinth surpasses even the pyramids. It has
twelve courts covered in, with gates facing one another, six upon the
North side and six upon the South, joining on one to another, and the
same wall surrounds them all outside; and there are in it two kinds of
chambers, the one kind below the ground and the other above upon these,
three thousand in number, of each kind fifteen hundred. The upper set
of chambers we ourselves saw, going through them, and we tell of them
having looked upon them with our own eyes; but the chambers under ground
we heard about only; for the Egyptians who had charge of them were
not willing on any account to show them, saying that here were the
sepulchres of the kings who had first built this labyrinth and of the
sacred crocodiles. Accordingly we speak of the chambers below by what we
received from hearsay, while those above we saw ourselves and found them
to be works of more than human greatness. For the passages through the
chambers, and the goings this way and that way through the courts, which
were admirably adorned, afforded endless matter for marvel, as we went
through from a court to the chambers beyond it, and from the chambers
to colonnades, and from the colonnades to other rooms, and then from the
chambers again to other courts. Over the whole of these is a roof made
of stone like the walls; and the walls are covered with figures carved
upon them, each court being surrounded with pillars of white stone
fitted together most perfectly; and at the end of the labyrinth, by
the corner of it, there is a pyramid of forty fathoms, upon which large
figures are carved, and to this there is a way made under ground.
149. Such is this labyrinth; but a cause for marvel even greater than
this is afforded by the lake, which is called the lake of Moiris, along
the side of which this labyrinth is built. The measure of its circuit is
three thousand six hundred furlongs 131 (being sixty schoines), and this
is the same number of furlongs as the extent of Egypt itself along the
sea. The lake lies extended lengthwise from North to South, and in depth
where it is deepest it is fifty fathoms. That this lake is artificial
and formed by digging is self-evident, for about in the middle of the
lake stand two pyramids, each rising above the water to a height of
fifty fathoms, the part which is built below the water being of just the
same height; and upon each is placed a colossal statue of stone sitting
upon a chair. Thus the pyramids are a hundred fathoms high; and these
hundred fathoms are equal to a furlong of six hundred feet, the fathom
being measured as six feet or four cubits, the feet being four palms
each, and the cubits six. The water in the lake does not come from the
place where it is, for the country there is very deficient in water, but
it has been brought thither from the Nile by a canal: and for six months
the water flows into the lake, and for six months out into the Nile
again; and whenever it flows out, then for the six months it brings
into the royal treasury a talent of silver a day from the fish which are
caught, and twenty pounds 132 when the water comes in.
150. The natives of the place moreover said that this lake had an
outlet under ground to the Syrtis which is in Libya, turning towards the
interior of the continent upon the Western side and running along by
the mountain which is above Memphis. Now since I did not see anywhere
existing the earth dug out of this excavation (for that was a matter
which drew my attention), I asked those who dwelt nearest to the lake
where the earth was which had been dug out. These told me to what place
it had been carried away; and I readily believed them, for I knew by
report that a similar thing had been done at Nineveh, the city of the
Assyrians. There certain thieves formed a design once to carry away the
wealth of Sardanapallos son of Ninos, the king, which wealth was very
great and was kept in treasure-houses under the earth. Accordingly they
began from their own dwelling, and making estimate of their direction
they dug under ground towards the king's palace; and the earth which was
brought out of the excavation they used to carry away, when night came
on, to the river Tigris which flows by the city of Nineveh, until at
last they accomplished that which they desired. Similarly, as I heard,
the digging of the lake in Egypt was effected, except that it was done
not by night but during the day; for as they dug the Egyptians carried
to the Nile the earth which was dug out; and the river, when it received
it, would naturally bear it away and disperse it. Thus is this lake said
to have been dug out.
151. Now the twelve kings continued to rule justly, but in course of
time it happened thus:—After sacrifice in the temple of Hephaistos
they were about to make libation on the last day of the feast, and the
chief-priest, in bringing out for them the golden cups with which they
had been wont to pour libations, missed his reckoning and brought eleven
only for the twelve kings. Then that one of them who was standing last
in order, namely Psammetichos, since he had no cup took off from his
head his helmet, which was of bronze, and having held it out to receive
the wine he proceeded to make libation: likewise all the other kings
were wont to wear helmets and they happened to have them then. Now
Psammetichos held out his helmet with no treacherous meaning; but they
taking note of that which had been done by Psammetichos and of the
oracle, namely how it had been declared to them that whosoever of them
should make libation with a bronze cup should be sole king of Egypt,
recollecting, I say, the saying of the Oracle, they did not indeed deem
it right to slay Psammetichos, since they found by examination that he
had not done it with any forethought, but they determined to strip him
of almost all his power and to drive him away into the fen-country, and
that from the fen-country he should not hold any dealings with the rest
of Egypt.
152. This Psammetichos had formerly been a fugitive from the Ethiopian
Sabacos who had killed his father Necos, from him, I say, he had
then been a fugitive in Syria; and when the Ethiopian had departed in
consequence of the vision of the dream, the Egyptians who were of the
district of Saïs brought him back to his own country. Then afterwards,
when he was king, it was his fate to be a fugitive a second time
on account of the helmet, being driven by the eleven kings into the
fen-country. So then holding that he had been grievously wronged by
them, he thought how he might take vengeance on those who had driven
him out: and when he had sent to the Oracle of Leto in the city of Buto,
where the Egyptians have their most truthful Oracle, there was given to
him the reply that vengeance would come when men of bronze appeared from
the sea. And he was strongly disposed not to believe that bronze men
would come to help him; but after no long time had passed, certain
Ionians and Carians who had sailed forth for plunder were compelled to
come to shore in Egypt, and they having landed and being clad in bronze
armour, one of the Egyptians, not having before seen men clad in bronze
armour, came to the fen-land and brought a report to Psammetichos that
bronze men had come from the sea and were plundering the plain. So he,
perceiving that the saying of the Oracle was coming to pass, dealt in a
friendly manner with the Ionians and Carians, and with large promises he
persuaded them to take his part. Then when he had persuaded them, with
the help of those Egyptians who favoured his cause and of these foreign
mercenaries he overthrew the kings.
153. Having thus got power over all Egypt, Psammetichos made for
Hephaistos that gateway of the temple at Memphis which is turned towards
the South Wind; and he built a court for Apis, in which Apis is kept
when he appears, opposite to the gateway of the temple, surrounded all
with pillars and covered with figures; and instead of columns there
stand to support the roof of the court colossal statues twelve cubits
high. Now Apis is in the tongue of the Hellenes Epaphos.
154. To the Ionians and to the Carians who had helped him Psammetichos
granted portions of land to dwell in, opposite to one another with
the river Nile between, and these were called "Encampments": 133 these
portions of land he gave them, and he paid them besides all that he had
promised: moreover he placed with them Egyptian boys to have them taught
the Hellenic tongue; and from these, who learnt the language thoroughly,
are descended the present class of interpreters in Egypt. Now the
Ionians and Carians occupied these portions of land for a long time, and
they are towards the sea a little below the city of Bubastis, on that
which is called the Pelusian mouth of the Nile. These men king Amasis
afterwards removed from thence and established them at Memphis, making
them into a guard for himself against the Egyptians: and they being
settled in Egypt, we who are Hellenes know by intercourse with them
the certainty of all that which happened in Egypt beginning from king
Psammetichos and afterwards; for these were the first men of foreign
tongue who settled in Egypt: and in the land from which they were
removed there still remained down to my time the sheds where their ships
were drawn up and the ruins of their houses.
Thus then Psammetichos obtained Egypt: