the history-第30章

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　Egypt；　and　that　it　was　he　who　raised　the　dyke　which　protects　Memphis　from　the　inundations　of　the　Nile。　Before　his　time　the　river　flowed　entirely　along　the　sandy　range　of　hills　which　skirts　Egypt　on　the　side　of　Libya。　He；　however；　by　banking　up　the　river　at　the　bend　which　it　forms　about　a　hundred　furlongs　south　of　Memphis；　laid　the　ancient　channel　dry；　while　he　dug　a　new　course　for　the　stream　halfway　between　the　two　lines　of　hills。　To　this　day；　the　elbow　which　the　Nile　forms　at　the　point　where　it　is　forced　aside　into　the　new　channel　is　guarded　with　the　greatest　care　by　the　Persians；　and　strengthened　every　year；　for　if　the　river　were　to　burst　out　at　this　place；　and　pour　over　the　mound；　there　would　be　danger　of　Memphis　being　completely　overwhelmed　by　the　flood。　Min；　the　first　king；　having　thus；　by　turning　the　river；　made　the　tract　where　it　used　to　run；　dry　land；　proceeded　in　the　first　place　to　build　the　city　now　called　Memphis；　which　lies　in　the　narrow　part　of　Egypt；　after　which　he　further　excavated　a　lake　outside　the　town；　to　the　north　and　west；　communicating　with　the　river；　which　was　itself　the　eastern　boundary。　Besides　these　works；　he　also；　the　priests　said；　built　the　temple　of　Vulcan　which　stands　within　the　city；　a　vast　edifice；　very　worthy　of　mention。　　　　　Next；　they　read　me　from　a　papyrus　the　names　of　three　hundred　and　thirty　monarchs；　who　（they　said）　were　his　successors　upon　the　throne。　In　this　number　of　generations　there　were　eighteen　Ethiopian　kings；　and　one　queen　who　was　a　native；　all　the　rest　were　kings　and　Egyptians。　The　queen　bore　the　same　name　as　the　Babylonian　princess；　namely；　Nitocris。　They　said　that　she　succeeded　her　brother；　he　had　been　king　of　Egypt；　and　was　put　to　death　by　his　subjects；　who　then　placed　her　upon　the　throne。　Bent　on　avenging　his　death；　she　devised　a　cunning　scheme　by　which　she　destroyed　a　vast　number　of　Egyptians。　She　constructed　a　spacious　underground　chamber；　and；　on　pretence　of　inaugurating　it；　contrived　the　following：…　Inviting　to　a　banquet　those　of　the　Egyptians　whom　she　knew　to　have　had　the　chief　share　in　the　murder　of　her　brother；　she　suddenly；　as　they　were　feasting；　let　the　river　in　upon　them　by　means　of　a　secret　duct　of　large　size。　This　and　this　only　did　they　tell　me　of　her；　except　that；　when　she　had　done　as　I　have　said；　she　threw　herself　into　an　apartment　full　of　ashes；　that　she　might　escape　the　vengeance　whereto　she　would　otherwise　have　been　exposed。　　　　　The　other　kings；　they　said；　were　personages　of　no　note　or　distinction；　and　left　no　monuments　of　any　account；　with　the　exception　of　the　last；　who　was　named　Moeris。　He　left　several　memorials　of　his　reign…　the　northern　gateway　of　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　the　lake　excavated　by　his　orders；　whose　dimensions　I　shall　give　presently；　and　the　pyramids　built　by　him　in　the　lake；　the　size　of　which　will　be　stated　when　I　describe　the　lake　itself　wherein　they　stand。　Such　were　his　works：　the　other　kings　left　absolutely　nothing。　　　　　Passing　over　these　monarchs；　therefore；　I　shall　speak　of　the　king　who　reigned　next；　whose　name　was　Sesostris。　He；　the　priests　said；　first　of　all　proceeded　in　a　fleet　of　ships　of　war　from　the　Arabian　gulf　along　the　shores　of　the　Erythraean　sea；　subduing　the　nations　as　he　went；　until　he　finally　reached　a　sea　which　could　not　be　navigated　by　reason　of　the　shoals。　Hence　he　returned　to　Egypt；　where；　they　told　me；　he　collected　a　vast　armament；　and　made　a　progress　by　land　across　the　continent；　conquering　every　people　which　fell　in　his　way。　In　the　countries　where　the　natives　withstood　his　attack；　and　fought　gallantly　for　their　liberties；　he　erected　pillars；　on　which　he　inscribed　his　own　name　and　country；　and　how　that　he　had　here　reduced　the　inhabitants　to　subjection　by　the　might　of　his　arms：　where；　on　the　contrary；　they　submitted　readily　and　without　a　struggle；　he　inscribed　on　the　pillars；　in　addition　to　these　particulars；　an　emblem　to　mark　that　they　were　a　nation　of　women；　that　is；　unwarlike　and　effeminate。　　　　　In　this　way　he　traversed　the　whole　continent　of　Asia；　whence　he　passed　on　into　Europe；　and　made　himself　master　of　Scythia　and　of　Thrace；　beyond　which　countries　I　do　not　think　that　his　army　extended　its　march。　For　thus　far　the　pillars　which　he　erected　are　still　visible；　but　in　the　remoter　regions　they　are　no　longer　found。　Returning　to　Egypt　from　Thrace；　he　came；　on　his　way；　to　the　banks　of　the　river　Phasis。　Here　I　cannot　say　with　any　certainty　what　took　place。　Either　he　of　his　own　accord　detached　a　body　of　troops　from　his　main　army　and　left　them　to　colonise　the　country；　or　else　a　certain　number　of　his　soldiers；　wearied　with　their　long　wanderings；　deserted；　and　established　themselves　on　the　banks　of　this　stream。　　　　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　Colchians　are　an　Egyptian　race。　Before　I　heard　any　mention　of　the　fact　from　others；　I　had　remarked　it　myself。　After　the　thought　had　struck　me；　I　made　inquiries　on　the　subject　both　in　Colchis　and　in　Egypt；　and　I　found　that　the　Colchians　had　a　more　distinct　recollection　of　the　Egyptians；　than　the　Egyptians　had　of　them。　Still　the　Egyptians　said　that　they　believed　the　Colchians　to　be　descended　from　the　army　of　Sesostris。　My　own　conjectures　were　founded；　first；　on　the　fact　that　they　are　black…skinned　and　have　woolly　hair；　which　certainly　amounts　to　but　little；　since　several　other　nations　are　so　too；　but　further　and　more　especially；　on　the　circumstance　that　the　Colchians；　the　Egyptians；　and　the　Ethiopians；　are　the　only　nations　who　have　practised　circumcision　from　the　earliest　times。　The　Phoenicians　and　the　Syrians　of　Palestine　themselves　confess　that　they　learnt　the　custom　of　the　Egyptians；　and　the　Syrians　who　dwell　about　the　rivers　Thermodon　and　Parthenius；　as　well　as　their　neighbours　the　Macronians；　say　that　they　have　recently　adopted　it　from　the　Colchians。　Now　these　are　the　only　nations　who　use　circumcision；　and　it　is　plain　that　they　all　imitate　herein　the　Egyptians。　With　respect　to　the　Ethiopians；　indeed；　I　cannot　decide　whether　they　learnt　the　practice　of　the　Egyptians；　or　the　Egyptians　of　them…　it　is　undoubtedly　of　very　ancient　date　in　Ethiopia…　but　that　the　others　derived　their　knowledge　of　it　from　Egypt　is　clear　to　me　from　the　fact　that　the　Phoenicians；　when　they　come　to　have　commerce　with　the　Greeks；　cease　to　follow　the　Egyptians　in　this　custom；　and　allow　their　children　to　remain　uncircumcised。　　　　　I　will　add　a　further　proof　to　the　identity　of　the　Egyptians　and　the　Colchians。　These　two　nations　weave　their　linen　in　exactly　the　same　way；　and　this　is　a　way　entirely　unknown　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　they　also　in　their　whole　mode　of　life　and　in　their　language　resemble　one　another。　The　Colchian　linen　is　called　by　the　Greeks　Sardinian；　while　that　which　comes　from　Egypt　is　known　as　Egyptian。　　　　　The　pillars　which　Sesostris　erected　in　the　conquered　countries　have　for　the　most　part　disappeared；　but　in　the　part　of　Syria　called　Palestine；　I　myself　saw　them　still　standing；　with　the　writing　above…mentioned；　and　the　emblem　distinctly　visible。　In　Ionia　also；　there　are　two　representations　of　this　prince　engraved　upon　rocks；　one　on　the　road　from　Ephesus　to　Phocaea；　the　other　between　Sardis　and　Smyrna。　In　each　case　the　figure　is　that　of　a　man；　four　cubits　and　a　span　high；　with　a　spear　in　his　right　hand　and　a　bow　in　his　left；　the　rest　of　his　costume　being　likewise　half　Egyptian；　half　Ethiopian。　There　is　an　inscription　across　the　breast　from　shoulder　to　shoulder；　in　the　sacred　character　of　Egypt；　which　says；　〃With　my　own　shoulders　I　conquered　this　land。〃　The　conqueror　does　not　tell　who　he　is；　or　whence　he　comes；　though　elsewhere　Sesostris　records　these　facts。　Hence　it　has　been　imagined　by　some　of　those　who　have　seen　these　forms；　that　they　are　figures　of　Memnon；　but　such　as　think　so　err　very　widely　from　the　truth。　　　　　This　Sesostris；　the　priests　went　on　to　say；　upon　his　return　home；　accompanied　by　vast　multitudes　of　the　people　whose　countries　he　had　subdued；　was　received　by　his　brother；　whom　he　had　made　viceroy　of　Egypt　on　his　departure；　at　Daphnae　near　Pelusium；　and　invited　by　him　to　a　banquet；　which　he　attended；　together　with　his　sons。　Then　his　brother　piled　a　quantity　of　wood　all　round　the　building；　and　having　so　done　set　it　alight。　Sesostris；　discovering　what　had　happened；　took　counsel　instantly　with　his　wife；　who　had　accompanied　him　to　the　feast；　and　was　advised　by　her　to　lay　two　of　their　six　sons　upon　the　fire；　and　so　make　a　bridge　across　the　flames；　whereby　the　rest　might　effect　their　escape。　Sesostris　did　as　she　recommended；　and　thus　while　two　of　his　sons　were　burnt　to　death；　he　himself　and　his　other　children　were　saved。　　　　　The　king　then　returned　to　his　own　land　and　took　vengeance　upon　his　brother；　after　which　he　proceeded　to　make　use　of　the　multitudes　whom　he　had　brought　with　him　from　the　conquered　countries；　partly　to　drag　the　huge　masses　of　stone　which　were　moved　in　the　course　of　his　reign　to　the　temple　of　Vulcan…　partly　to　dig　the　numerous　canals　with　which　the　whole　of　Egypt　is　intersected。　By　these　forced　labours　the　entire　face　of　the　country　was　changed；　for　whereas　Egypt　had　formerly　been　a　region　suited　both　for　horses　and　carriages；　henceforth　it　became　entirely　unfit　for　either。　Though　a　flat　country　throughout　its　whole　extent；　it　is　now　unfit　for　either　horse　or　carriage；　being　cut　up　by　the　canals；　which　are　extremely　numerous　and　run　in　all　directions。　The　king's　object　was　to　supply　Nile　water　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　towns　situated　in　the　mid…country；　and　not　lying　upon　the　river；　for　previously　they　had　been　obliged；　after　the　subsidence　of　the　floods；　to　drink　a　brackish　water　which　they　obtained　from　wells。　　　　　Sesostris　also；　they　declared；　made　a　division　of　the　soil　of　Egypt　among　the　inhabitants；　assigning　square　plots　of　ground　of　equal　size　to　all；　and　obtaining　his　chief　revenue　from　the　rent　which　the　holders　were　required　to　pay　him　year　by　year。　If　the　river　carried　away　any　portion　of　a　man's　lot；　he　appeared　before　the　king；　and　related　what　had　happened；　upon　which　the　king　sent　persons　to　examine；　and　determine　by　measurement　the　exact　extent　of　the　loss；　and　thenceforth　only　such　a　rent　was　demanded　of　him　as　was　proportionate　to　the　reduced　size　of　his　land。　From　this　practice；　I　think；　geometry　first　came　to　be　known　in　Egypt；　whence　it　passed　into　Greece。　The　sun…dial；　however；　and　the　gnomon　with　the　division　of　the　day　into　twelve　parts；　were　received　by　the　Greeks　from　the　Babylonians。　　　　　Sesostris　was　king　not　only　of　Egypt；　but　also　of　Ethiopia。　He　was　the　only　Egyptian　monarch　who　ever　ruled　over　the　latter　country。　He　left；　as　memorials　of　his　reign；　the　stone　statues　which　stand　in　front　of　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　two　of　which；　representing　himself　and　his　wife；　are　thirty　cubits　in　height；　while　the　remaining　four；　which　represent　his　sons；　are　twenty　cubits。　These　are　the　statues；　in　front　of　which　the　priest　of　Vulcan；　very　many　years　afterwards；　would　not　allow　Darius　the　Persian　to　place　a　statue　of　himself；　〃because；〃　he　said；　〃Darius　had　not　equalled　the　achievements　of　Sesostris　the　Egyptian：　for　while　Sesostris　had　subdued　to　the　full　as　many　nations　as　ever　Darius　had　brought　under；　he　had　likewise　conquered　the　Scythians；　whom　Darius　had　failed　to　master。　It　was　not　fair；　therefore；　that　he　should　erect　his　statue　in　front　of　the　offerings　of　a　king；　whose　de