An Account of Egypt

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Thus far then the history is told by the Egyptians themselves; 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). 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 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.

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 (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 when the water comes in. 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.

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. 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 Sais 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, 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. 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. 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"; 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: and of the Oracle which is in
Egypt I have made mention often before this, and now I give an account
of it, seeing that it is worthy to be described. This Oracle which is in
Egypt is sacred to Leto, and it is established in a great city near that
mouth of the Nile which is called Sebennytic, as one sails up the river
from the sea; and the name of this city where the Oracle is found is
Buto, as I have said before in mentioning it. In this Buto there is a
temple of Apollo and Artemis; and the temple-house of Leto, in which the
Oracle is, is both great in itself and has a gateway of the height of
ten fathoms: but that which caused me most to marvel of the things to be
seen there, I will now tell. There is in this sacred enclosure a house
of Leto made of one single stone upon the top, the cornice measuring
four cubits. This house then of all the things that were to be seen by
me in that temple is the most marvellous, and among those which come
next is the island called Chemmis. This is situated in a deep and broad
lake by the side of the temple at Buto, and it is said by the Egyptians
that this island is a floating island. I myself did not see it either
floating about or moved from its place, and I feel surprise at hearing
of it, wondering if it be indeed a floating island. In this island of
which I speak there is a great temple-house of Apollo, and three several
altars are set up within, and there are planted in the island many
palm-trees and other trees, both bearing fruit and not bearing fruit.
And the Egyptians, when they say that it is floating, add this story,
namely that in this island which formerly was not floating, Leto, being
one of the eight gods who came into existence first, and dwelling in the
city of Buto where she has this Oracle, received Apollo from Isis as a
charge and preserved him, concealing him in the island which is said now
to be a floating island, at that time when Typhon came after him seeking
everywhere and desiring to find the son of Osiris. Now they say that
Apollo and Artemis are children of Dionysos and of Isis, and that Leto
became their nurse and preserver; and in the Egyptian tongue Apollo is
Oros, Demeter is Isis, and Artemis is Bubastis. From this story and from
no other AEschylus the son of Euphorion took this which I shall say,
wherein he differs from all the preceding poets; he represented namely
that Artemis was the daughter of Demeter. For this reason then, they
say, it became a floating island.

Such is the story which they tell; but as for Psammetichos, he was king
over Egypt for four-and-fifty years, of which for thirty years save one
he was sitting before Azotos, a great city of Syria, besieging it, until
at last he took it: and this Azotos of all cities about which we have
knowledge held out for the longest time under a siege.

The son of Psammetichos was Necos, and he became king of Egypt. This man
was the first who attempted the channel leading to the Erythraian Sea,
which Dareios the Persian afterwards completed: the length of this is
a voyage of four days, and in breadth it was so dug that two triremes
could go side by side driven by oars; and the water is brought into
it from the Nile. The channel is conducted a little above the city of
Bubastis by Patumos the Arabian city, and runs into the Erythraian Sea:
and it is dug first along those parts of the plain of Egypt which lie
towards Arabia, just above which run the mountains which extend
opposite Memphis, where are the stone-quarries,--along the base of these
mountains the channel is conducted from West to East for a great way;
and after that it is directed towards a break in the hills and tends
from these mountains towards the noon-day and the South Wind to the
Arabian gulf. Now in the place where the journey is least and shortest
from the Northern to the Southern Sea (which is also called Erythraian),
that is from Mount Casion, which is the boundary between Egypt and
Syria, the distance is exactly a thousand furlongs to the Arabian gulf;
but the channel is much longer, since it is more winding; and in the
reign of Necos there perished while digging it twelve myriads of the
Egyptians. Now Necos ceased in the midst of his digging, because the
utterance of an Oracle impeded him, which was to the effect that he was
working for the Barbarian: and the Egyptians call all men Barbarians who
do not agree with them in speech. Thus having ceased from the work of
the channel, Necos betook himself to raging wars, and triremes were
built by him, some for the Northern Sea and others in the Arabian gulf
for the Erythraian Sea; and of these the sheds are still to be seen.
These ships he used when he needed them; and also on land Necos engaged
battle at Magdolos with the Syrians, and conquered them; and after this
he took Cadytis, which is a great city of Syria: and the dress which he
wore when he made these conquests he dedicated to Apollo, sending it to
Branchidai of the Milesians. After this, having reigned in all sixteen
years, he brought his life to an end, and handed on the kingdom to
Psammis his son.

While this Psammis was king of Egypt, there came to him men sent by the
Eleians, who boasted that they ordered the contest at Olympia in the
most just and honourable manner possible and thought that not even the
Egyptians, the wisest of men, could find out anything besides, to be
added to their rules. Now when the Eleians came to Egypt and said that
for which they had come, then this king called together those of the
Egyptians who were reputed the wisest, and when the Egyptians had come
together they heard the Eleians tell of all that which it was their part
to do in regard to the contest; and when they had related everything,
they said that they had come to learn in addition anything which the
Egyptians might be able to find out besides, which was juster than this.
They then having consulted together asked the Eleians whether their own
citizens took part in the contest; and they said that it was permitted
to any one who desired it, to take part in the contest: upon which the
Egyptians said that in so ordering the games they had wholly missed the
mark of justice; for it could not be but that they would take part with
the man of their own State, if he was contending, and so act unfairly
to the stranger: but if they really desired, as they said, to order
the games justly, and if this was the cause for which they had come to
Egypt, they advised them to order the contest so as to be for strangers
alone to contend in, and that no Eleian should be permitted to contend.
Such was the suggestion made by the Egyptians to the Eleians.

When Psammis had been king of Egypt for only six years and had made an
expedition to Ethiopia and immediately afterwards had ended his life,
Apries the son of Psammis received the kingdom in succession. This man
came to be the most prosperous of all the kings up to that time except
only his forefather Psammetichos; and he reigned five-and-twenty years,
during which he led an army against Sidon and fought a sea-fight with
the king of Tyre. Since however it was fated that evil should come upon
him it came by occasion of a matter which I shall relate at greater
length in the Libyan history, and at present but shortly. Apries having
sent a great expedition against the Kyrenians, met with correspondingly
great disaster; and the Egyptians considering him to blame for this
revolted from him, supposing that Apries had with forethought sent them
out to evident calamity, in order (as they said) that there might be a
slaughter of them, and he might the more securely rule over the other
Egyptians. Being indignant at this, both these men who had returned
from the expedition and also the friends of those who had perished made
revolt openly. Hearing this Apries sent to them Amasis, to cause them
to cease by persuasion; and when he had come and was seeking to restrain
the Egyptians, as he was speaking and telling them not to do so, one of
the Egyptians stood up behind him and put a helmet upon his head, saying
as he did so that he put it on to crown him king. And to him this
that was done was in some degree not unwelcome, as he proved by his
behaviour; for as soon as the revolted Egyptians had set him up as king,
he prepared to march against Apries: and Apries hearing this sent to
Amasis one of the Egyptians who were about his own person, a man of
reputation, whose name was Patarbemis, enjoining him to bring Amasis
alive into his presence. When this Patarbemis came and summoned Amasis,
the latter, who happened to be sitting on horseback, lifted up his leg
and behaved in an unseemly manner, bidding him take that back to Apries.
Nevertheless, they say, Patarbemis made demand of him that he should
go to the king, seeing that the king had sent to summon him; and he
answered him that he had for some time past been preparing to do so, and
that Apries would have no occasion to find fault with him, for he
would both come himself and bring others with him. Then Patarbemis both
perceiving his intention from that which he said, and also seeing his
preparations, departed in haste, desiring to make known as quickly as
possible to the king the things which were being done: and when he came
back to Apries not bringing Amasis, the king paying no regard to that
which he said, but being moved by violent anger, ordered his ears and
his nose to be cut off. And the rest of the Egyptians who still remained
on his side, when they saw the man of most repute among them thus
suffering shameful outrage, waited no longer but joined the others in
revolt, and delivered themselves over to Amasis. Then Apries having
heard this also, armed his foreign mercenaries and marched against the
Egyptians: now he had about him Carian and Ionian mercenaries to the
number of thirty thousand; and his royal palace was in the city of Sais,
of great size and worthy to be seen. So Apries and his army were going
against the Egyptians, and Amasis and those with him were going against
the mercenaries; and both sides came to the city of Momemphis and were
about to make trial of one another in fight.

Now of the Egyptians there are seven classes, and of these one class is
called that of the priests, and another that of the warriors, while
the others are the cowherds, swineherds, shopkeepers, interpreters, and
boatmen. This is the number of the classes of the Egyptians, and their
names are given them from the occupations which they follow. Of them the
warriors are called Calasirians and Hermotybians, and they are of the
following districts,--for all Egypt is divided into districts. The
districts of the Hermotybians are those of Busiris, Sais, Chemmis,
Papremis, the island called Prosopitis, and the half of Natho,--of
these districts are the Hermotybians, who reached when most numerous the
number of sixteen myriads. Of these not one has been learnt anything of
handicraft, but they are given up to war entirely. Again the districts
of the Calasirians are those of Thebes, Bubastis, Aphthis, Tanis,
Mendes, Sebennytos, Athribis, Pharbaithos, Thmuis, Onuphis, Anytis,
Myecphoris,--this last is on an island opposite to the city of Bubastis.
These are the districts of the Calasirians; and they reached, when most
numerous, to the number of five-and-twenty myriads of men; nor is it
lawful for these, any more than for the others, to practise any craft;
but they practise that which has to do with war only, handing down the
tradition from father to son. Now whether the Hellenes have learnt this
also from the Egyptians, I am not able to say for certain, since I
see that the Thracians also and Scythians and Persians and Lydians and
almost all the Barbarians esteem those of their citizens who learn the
arts, and the descendants of them, as less honourable than the rest;
while those who have got free from all practice of manual arts are
accounted noble, and especially those who are devoted to war: however
that may be, the Hellenes have all learnt this, and especially the
Lacedemonians; but the Corinthians least of all cast slight upon those
who practise handicraft.

The following privilege was specially granted to this class and to none
others of the Egyptians except the priests, that is to say, each man had
twelve yokes of land specially granted to him free from imposts: now
the yoke of land measures a hundred Egyptian cubits every way, and the
Egyptian cubit is, as it happens, equal to that of Samos. This, I
say, was a special privilege granted to all, and they also had certain
advantages in turn and not the same men twice; that is to say, a
thousand of the Calasirians and a thousand of the Hermotybians acted
as body-guard to the king during each year; and these had besides their
yokes of land an allowance given them for each day of five pounds weight
of bread to each man, and two pounds of beef, and four half-pints of
wine. This was the allowance given to those who were serving as the
king's body-guard for the time being.

So when Apries leading his foreign mercenaries, and Amasis at the head
of the whole body of the Egyptians, in their approach to one another had
come to the city of Momemphis, they engaged in battle: and although the
foreign troops fought well, yet being much inferior in number they were
worsted by reason of this. But Apries is said to have supposed that not
even a god would be able to cause him to cease from his rule, so firmly
did he think that it was established. In that battle then, I say, he was
worsted, and being taken alive was brought away to the city of Sais, to
that which had formerly been his own dwelling but from thenceforth was
the palace of Amasis. There for some time he was kept in the palace, and
Amasis dealt well with him but at last, since the Egyptians blamed
him, saying that he acted not rightly in keeping alive him who was
the greatest foe both to themselves and to him, therefore he delivered
Apries over to the Egyptians; and they strangled him, and after that
buried him in the burial-place of his fathers: this is in the temple of
Athene, close to the sanctuary, on the left hand as you enter. Now the
men of Sais buried all those of this district who had been kings, within
the temple; for the tomb of Amasis also, though it is further from
the sanctuary than that of Apries and his forefathers, yet this too is
within the court of the temple, and it consists of a colonnade of stone
of great size, with pillars carved to imitate date-palms, and otherwise
sumptuously adorned; and within the colonnade are double doors, and
inside the doors a sepulchral chamber. Also at Sais there is the
burial-place of him whom I account it not pious to name in connexion
with such a matter, which is in the temple of Athene behind the house
of the goddess, stretching along the whole wall of it; and in the sacred
enclosure stand great obelisks of stone, and near them is a lake adorned
with an edging of stone and fairly made in a circle, being in size,
as it seemed to me, equal to that which is called the "Round Pool" in
Delos. On this lake they perform by night the show of his sufferings,
and this the Egyptians call Mysteries. Of these things I know more fully
in detail how they take place, but I shall leave this unspoken; and of
the mystic rites of Demeter, which the Hellenes call _thesmophoria_, of
these also, although I know, I shall leave unspoken all except so much
as piety permits me to tell. The daughters of Danaos were they who
brought this rite out of Egypt and taught it to the women of the
Pelasgians; then afterwards when all the inhabitants of Peloponnese were
driven out by the Dorians, the rite was lost, and only those who were
left behind of the Peloponnesians and not driven out, that is to say the
Arcadians, preserved it.