the history-第25章

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ptians　ever　sow；　or　eat；　if　they　come　up　of　their　own　accord；　either　raw　or　boiled…　the　priests　will　not　even　endure　to　look　on；　since　they　consider　it　an　unclean　kind　of　pulse。　Instead　of　a　single　priest；　each　god　has　the　attendance　of　a　college；　at　the　head　of　which　is　a　chief　priest；　when　one　of　these　dies；　his　son　is　appointed　in　his　room。　　　　　Male　kine　are　reckoned　to　belong　to　Epaphus；　and　are　therefore　tested　in　the　following　manner：…　One　of　the　priests　appointed　for　the　purpose　searches　to　see　if　there　is　a　single　black　hair　on　the　whole　body；　since　in　that　case　the　beast　is　unclean。　He　examines　him　all　over；　standing　on　his　legs；　and　again　laid　upon　his　back；　after　which　he　takes　the　tongue　out　of　his　mouth；　to　see　if　it　be　clean　in　respect　of　the　prescribed　marks　（what　they　are　I　will　mention　elsewhere）；　he　also　inspects　the　hairs　of　the　tail；　to　observe　if　they　grow　naturally。　If　the　animal　is　pronounced　clean　in　all　these　various　points；　the　priest　marks　him　by　twisting　a　piece　of　papyrus　round　his　horns；　and　attaching　thereto　some　sealing…clay；　which　he　then　stamps　with　his　own　signet…ring。　After　this　the　beast　is　led　away；　and　it　is　forbidden；　under　the　penalty　of　death；　to　sacrifice　an　animal　which　has　not　been　marked　in　this　way。　　　　　The　following　is　their　manner　of　sacrifice：…　They　lead　the　victim；　marked　with　their　signet；　to　the　altar　where　they　are　about　to　offer　it；　and　setting　the　wood　alight；　pour　a　libation　of　wine　upon　the　altar　in　front　of　the　victim；　and　at　the　same　time　invoke　the　god。　Then　they　slay　the　animal；　and　cutting　off　his　head；　proceed　to　flay　the　body。　Next　they　take　the　head；　and　heaping　imprecations　on　it；　if　there　is　a　market…place　and　a　body　of　Greek　traders　in　the　city；　they　carry　it　there　and　sell　it　instantly；　if；　however；　there　are　no　Greeks　among　them；　they　throw　the　head　into　the　river。　The　imprecation　is　to　this　effect：…　They　pray　that　if　any　evil　is　impending　either　over　those　who　sacrifice；　or　over　universal　Egypt；　it　may　be　made　to　fall　upon　that　head。　These　practices；　the　imprecations　upon　the　heads；　and　the　libations　of　wine；　prevail　all　over　Egypt；　and　extend　to　victims　of　all　sorts；　and　hence　the　Egyptians　will　never　eat　the　head　of　any　animal。　　　　　The　disembowelling　and　burning　are；　however；　different　in　different　sacrifices。　I　will　mention　the　mode　in　use　with　respect　to　the　goddess　whom　they　regard　as　the　greatest；　and　honour　with　the　chiefest　festival。　When　they　have　flayed　their　steer　they　pray；　and　when　their　prayer　is　ended　they　take　the　paunch　of　the　animal　out　entire；　leaving　the　intestines　and　the　fat　inside　the　body；　they　then　cut　off　the　legs；　the　ends　of　the　loins；　the　shoulders；　and　the　neck；　and　having　so　done；　they　fill　the　body　of　the　steer　with　clean　bread；　honey；　raisins；　figs；　frankincense；　myrrh；　and　other　aromatics。　Thus　filled；　they　burn　the　body；　pouring　over　it　great　quantities　of　oil。　Before　offering　the　sacrifice　they　fast；　and　while　the　bodies　of　the　victims　are　being　consumed　they　beat　themselves。　Afterwards；　when　they　have　concluded　this　part　of　the　ceremony；　they　have　the　other　parts　of　the　victim　served　up　to　them　for　a　repast。　　　　　The　male　kine；　therefore；　if　clean；　and　the　male　calves；　are　used　for　sacrifice　by　the　Egyptians　universally；　but　the　females　they　are　not　allowed　to　sacrifice；　since　they　are　sacred　to　Isis。　The　statue　of　this　goddess　has　the　form　of　a　woman　but　with　horns　like　a　cow；　resembling　thus　the　Greek　representations　of　Io；　and　the　Egyptians；　one　and　all；　venerate　cows　much　more　highly　than　any　other　animal。　This　is　the　reason　why　no　native　of　Egypt；　whether　man　or　woman；　will　give　a　Greek　a　kiss；　or　use　the　knife　of　a　Greek；　or　his　spit；　or　his　cauldron；　or　taste　the　flesh　of　an　ox；　known　to　be　pure；　if　it　has　been　cut　with　a　Greek　knife。　When　kine　die；　the　following　is　the　manner　of　their　sepulture：…　The　females　are　thrown　into　the　river；　the　males　are　buried　in　the　suburbs　of　the　towns；　with　one　or　both　of　their　horns　appearing　above　the　surface　of　the　ground　to　mark　the　place。　When　the　bodies　are　decayed；　a　boat　comes；　at　an　appointed　time；　from　the　island　called　Prosopitis；…　which　is　a　portion　of　the　Delta；　nine　schoenes　in　circumference；…　and　calls　at　the　several　cities　in　turn　to　collect　the　bones　of　the　oxen。　Prosopitis　is　a　district　containing　several　cities；　the　name　of　that　from　which　the　boats　come　is　Atarbechis。　Venus　has　a　temple　there　of　much　sanctity。　Great　numbers　of　men　go　forth　from　this　city　and　proceed　to　the　other　towns；　where　they　dig　up　the　bones；　which　they　take　away　with　them　and　bury　together　in　one　place。　The　same　practice　prevails　with　respect　to　the　interment　of　all　other　cattle…　the　law　so　determining；　they　do　not　slaughter　any　of　them。　　　　　Such　Egyptians　as　possess　a　temple　of　the　Theban　Jove；　or　live　in　the　Thebaic　canton；　offer　no　sheep　in　sacrifice；　but　only　goats；　for　the　Egyptians　do　not　all　worship　the　same　gods；　excepting　Isis　and　Osiris；　the　latter　of　whom　they　say　is　the　Grecian　Bacchus。　Those；　on　the　contrary；　who　possess　a　temple　dedicated　to　Mendes；　or　belong　to　the　Mendesian　canton；　abstain　from　offering　goats；　and　sacrifice　sheep　instead。　The　Thebans；　and　such　as　imitate　them　in　their　practice；　give　the　following　account　of　the　origin　of　the　custom：…　〃Hercules；〃　they　say；　〃wished　of　all　things　to　see　Jove；　but　Jove　did　not　choose　to　be　seen　of　him。　At　length；　when　Hercules　persisted；　Jove　hit　on　a　device…　to　flay　a　ram；　and；　cutting　off　his　head；　hold　the　head　before　him；　and　cover　himself　with　the　fleece。　In　this　guise　he　showed　himself　to　Hercules。〃　Therefore　the　Egyptians　give　their　statues　of　Jupiter　the　face　of　a　ram：　and　from　them　the　practice　has　passed　to　the　Ammonians；　who　are　a　joint　colony　of　Egyptians　and　Ethiopians；　speaking　a　language　between　the　two；　hence　also；　in　my　opinion；　the　latter　people　took　their　name　of　Ammonians；　since　the　Egyptian　name　for　Jupiter　is　Amun。　Such；　then；　is　the　reason　why　the　Thebans　do　not　sacrifice　rams；　but　consider　them　sacred　animals。　Upon　one　day　in　the　year；　however；　at　the　festival　of　Jupiter；　they　slay　a　single　ram；　and　stripping　off　the　fleece；　cover　with　it　the　statue　of　that　god；　as　he　once　covered　himself；　and　then　bring　up　to　the　statue　of　Jove　an　image　of　Hercules。　When　this　has　been　done；　the　whole　assembly　beat　their　breasts　in　mourning　for　the　ram；　and　afterwards　bury　him　in　a　holy　sepulchre。　　　　　The　account　which　I　received　of　this　Hercules　makes　him　one　of　the　twelve　gods。　Of　the　other　Hercules；　with　whom　the　Greeks　are　familiar；　I　could　hear　nothing　in　any　part　of　Egypt。　That　the　Greeks；　however　（those　I　mean　who　gave　the　son　of　Amphitryon　that　name）；　took　the　name　from　the　Egyptians；　and　not　the　Egyptians　from　the　Greeks；　is　I　think　clearly　proved；　among　other　arguments；　by　the　fact　that　both　the　parents　of　Hercules；　Amphitryon　as　well　as　Alcmena；　were　of　Egyptian　origin。　Again；　the　Egyptians　disclaim　all　knowledge　of　the　names　of　Neptune　and　the　Dioscuri；　and　do　not　include　them　in　the　number　of　their　gods；　but　had　they　adopted　the　name　of　any　god　from　the　Greeks；　these　would　have　been　the　likeliest　to　obtain　notice；　since　the　Egyptians；　as　I　am　well　convinced；　practised　navigation　at　that　time；　and　the　Greeks　also　were　some　of　them　mariners；　so　that　they　would　have　been　more　likely　to　know　the　names　of　these　gods　than　that　of　Hercules。　But　the　Egyptian　Hercules　is　one　of　their　ancient　gods。　Seventeen　thousand　years　before　the　reign　of　Amasis；　the　twelve　gods　were；　they　affirm；　produced　from　the　eight：　and　of　these　twelve；　Hercules　is　one。　　　　　In　the　wish　to　get　the　best　information　that　I　could　on　these　matters；　I　made　a　voyage　to　Tyre　in　Phoenicia；　hearing　there　was　a　temple　of　Hercules　at　that　place；　very　highly　venerated。　I　visited　the　temple；　and　found　it　richly　adorned　with　a　number　of　offerings；　among　which　were　two　pillars；　one　of　pure　gold；　the　other　of　emerald；　shining　with　great　brilliancy　at　night。　In　a　conversation　which　I　held　with　the　priests；　I　inquired　how　long　their　temple　had　been　built；　and　found　by　their　answer　that　they；　too；　differed　from　the　Greeks。　They　said　that　the　temple　was　built　at　the　same　time　that　the　city　was　founded；　and　that　the　foundation　of　the　city　took　place　two　thousand　three　hundred　years　ago。　In　Tyre　I　remarked　another　temple　where　the　same　god　was　worshipped　as　the　Thasian　Hercules。　So　I　went　on　to　Thasos；　where　I　found　a　temple　of　Hercules　which　had　been　built　by　the　Phoenicians　who　colonised　that　island　when　they　sailed　in　search　of　Europa。　Even　this　was　five　generations　earlier　than　the　time　when　Hercules；　son　of　Amphitryon；　was　born　in　Greece。　These　researches　show　plainly　that　there　is　an　ancient　god　Hercules；　and　my　own　opinion　is　that　those　Greeks　act　most　wisely　who　build　and　maintain　two　temples　of　Hercules；　in　the　one　of　which　the　Hercules　worshipped　is　known　by　the　name　of　Olympian；　and　has　sacrifice　offered　to　him　as　an　immortal；　while　in　the　other　the　honours　paid　are　such　as　are　due　to　a　hero。　　　　　The　Greeks　tell　many　tales　without　due　investigation；　and　among　them　the　following　silly　fable　respecting　Hercules：…　〃Hercules；〃　they　say；　〃went　once　to　Egypt；　and　there　the　inhabitants　took　him；　and　putting　a　chaplet　on　his　head；　led　him　out　in　solemn　procession；　intending　to　offer　him　a　sacrifice　to　Jupiter。　For　a　while　he　submitted　quietly；　but　when　they　led　him　up　to　the　altar　and　began　the　ceremonies；　he　put　forth　his　strength　and　slew　them　all。〃　Now　to　me　it　seems　that　such　a　story　proves　the　Greeks　to　be　utterly　ignorant　of　the　character　and　customs　of　the　people。　The　Egyptians　do　not　think　it　allowable　even　to　sacrifice　cattle；　excepting　sheep；　and　the　male　kine　and　calves；　provided　they　be　pure；　and　also　geese。　How；　then；　can　it　be　believed　that　they　would　sacrifice　men？　And　again；　how　would　it　have　been　possible　for　Hercules　alone；　and；　as　they　confess；　a　mere　mortal；　to　destroy　so　many　thousands？　In　saying　thus　much　concerning　these　matters；　may　I　incur　no　displeasure　either　of　god　or　hero！　　　　　I　mentioned　above　that　some　of　the　Egyptians　abstain　from　sacrificing　goats；　either　male　or　female。　The　reason　is　the　following：…　These　Egyptians；　who　are　the　Mendesians；　consider　Pan　to　be　one　of　the　eight　gods　who　existed　before　the　twelve；　and　Pan　is　represented　in　Egypt　by　the　painters　and　the　sculptors；　just　as　he　is　in　Greece；　with　the　face　and　legs　of　a　goat。　They　do　not；　however；　believe　this　to　be　his　shape；　or　consider　him　in　any　respect　unlike　the　other　gods；　but　they　represent　him　thus　for　a　reason　which　I　prefer　not　to　relate。　The　Mendesians　hold　all　goats　in　veneration；　but　the　male　more　than　the　female；　giving　the　goatherds　of　the　males　especial　honour。　One　is　venerated　more　highly　than　all　the　rest；　and　when　he　dies　there　is　a　great　mourning　throughout　all　the　Mendesian　canton。　In　Egyptian；　the　goat　and　Pan　are　both　called　Mendes。　　　　　The　pig　is　regarded　among　them　as　an　unclean　animal；　so　much　so　that　if　a　man　in　passing　accidentally　touch　a　pig；　he　instantly　hurries　to　the　river；　and　plunges　in　with　all　his　clothes　on。　Hence；　too；　the　swineherds；　notwithstanding　that　they　are　of　pure　Egyptian　blood；　are　forbidden　to　enter　into　any　of　the　temples；　which　are　open　to　all　other　Egyptians；　and　further；　no　one　will　give　his　daughter　in　marriage　to　a　swineherd；　or　take