the history-第35节

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rs　explain；　and　then　ask　in　which　way　it　is　wished　that　the　corpse　should　be　prepared。　The　bearers　tell　them；　and　having　concluded　their　bargain；　take　their　departure；　while　the　embalmers；　left　to　themselves；　proceed　to　their　task。　The　mode　of　embalming；　according　to　the　most　perfect　process；　is　the　following：…　They　take　first　a　crooked　piece　of　iron；　and　with　it　draw　out　the　brain　through　the　nostrils；　thus　getting　rid　of　a　portion；　while　the　skull　is　cleared　of　the　rest　by　rinsing　with　drugs；　next　they　make　a　cut　along　the　flank　with　a　sharp　Ethiopian　stone；　and　take　out　the　whole　contents　of　the　abdomen；　which　they　then　cleanse；　washing　it　thoroughly　with　palm　wine；　and　again　frequently　with　an　infusion　of　pounded　aromatics。　After　this　they　fill　the　cavity　with　the　purest　bruised　myrrh；　with　cassia；　and　every　other　sort　of　spicery　except　frankincense；　and　sew　up　the　opening。　Then　the　body　is　placed　in　natrum　for　seventy　days；　and　covered　entirely　over。　After　the　expiration　of　that　space　of　time；　which　must　not　be　exceeded；　the　body　is　washed；　and　wrapped　round；　from　head　to　foot；　with　bandages　of　fine　linen　cloth；　smeared　over　with　gum；　which　is　used　generally　by　the　Egyptians　in　the　place　of　glue；　and　in　this　state　it　is　given　back　to　the　relations；　who　enclose　it　in　a　wooden　case　which　they　have　had　made　for　the　purpose；　shaped　into　the　figure　of　a　man。　Then　fastening　the　case；　they　place　it　in　a　sepulchral　chamber；　upright　against　the　wall。　Such　is　the　most　costly　way　of　embalming　the　dead。　　　　　If　persons　wish　to　avoid　expense；　and　choose　the　second　process；　the　following　is　the　method　pursued：…　Syringes　are　filled　with　oil　made　from　the　cedar…tree；　which　is　then；　without　any　incision　or　disembowelling；　injected　into　the　abdomen。　The　passage　by　which　it　might　be　likely　to　return　is　stopped；　and　the　body　laid　in　natrum　the　prescribed　number　of　days。　At　the　end　of　the　time　the　cedar…oil　is　allowed　to　make　its　escape；　and　such　is　its　power　that　it　brings　with　it　the　whole　stomach　and　intestines　in　a　liquid　state。　The　natrum　meanwhile　has　dissolved　the　flesh；　and　so　nothing　is　left　of　the　dead　body　but　the　skin　and　the　bones。　It　is　returned　in　this　condition　to　the　relatives；　without　any　further　trouble　being　bestowed　upon　it。　　　　　The　third　method　of　embalming；　which　is　practised　in　the　case　of　the　poorer　classes；　is　to　clear　out　the　intestines　with　a　clyster；　and　let　the　body　lie　in　natrum　the　seventy　days；　after　which　it　is　at　once　given　to　those　who　come　to　fetch　it　away。　　　　　The　wives　of　men　of　rank　are　not　given　to　be　embalmed　immediately　after　death；　nor　indeed　are　any　of　the　more　beautiful　and　valued　women。　It　is　not　till　they　have　been　dead　three　or　four　days　that　they　are　carried　to　the　embalmers。　This　is　done　to　prevent　indignities　from　being　offered　them。　It　is　said　that　once　a　case　of　this　kind　occurred：　the　man　was　detected　by　the　information　of　his　fellow…workman。　　　　　Whensoever　any　one；　Egyptian　or　foreigner；　has　lost　his　life　by　falling　a　prey　to　a　crocodile；　or　by　drowning　in　the　river；　the　law　compels　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　near　which　the　body　is　cast　up　to　have　it　embalmed；　and　to　bury　it　in　one　of　the　sacred　repositories　with　all　possible　magnificence。　No　one　may　touch　the　corpse；　not　even　any　of　the　friends　or　relatives；　but　only　the　priests　of　the　Nile；　who　prepare　it　for　burial　with　their　own　hands…　regarding　it　as　something　more　than　the　mere　body　of　a　man…　and　themselves　lay　it　in　the　tomb。　　　　　The　Egyptians　are　averse　to　adopt　Greek　customs；　or；　in　a　word；　those　of　any　other　nation。　This　feeling　is　almost　universal　among　them。　At　Chemmis；　however；　which　is　a　large　city　in　the　Thebaic　canton；　near　Neapolis；　there　is　a　square　enclosure　sacred　to　Perseus；　son　of　Danae。　Palm　trees　grow　all　round　the　place；　which　has　a　stone　gateway　of　an　unusual　size；　surmounted　by　two　colossal　statues；　also　in　stone。　Inside　this　precinct　is　a　temple；　and　in　the　temple　an　image　of　Perseus。　The　people　of　Chemmis　say　that　Perseus　often　appears　to　them；　sometimes　within　the　sacred　enclosure；　sometimes　in　the　open　country：　one　of　the　sandals　which　he　has　worn　is　frequently　found…　two　cubits　in　length；　as　they　affirm…　and　then　all　Egypt　flourishes　greatly。　In　the　worship　of　Perseus　Greek　ceremonies　are　used；　gymnastic　games　are　celebrated　in　his　honour；　comprising　every　kind　of　contest；　with　prizes　of　cattle；　cloaks；　and　skins。　I　made　inquiries　of　the　Chemmites　why　it　was　that　Perseus　appeared　to　them　and　not　elsewhere　in　Egypt；　and　how　they　came　to　celebrate　gymnastic　contests　unlike　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians：　to　which　they　answered；　〃that　Perseus　belonged　to　their　city　by　descent。　Danans　and　Lynceus　were　Chemmites　before　they　set　sail　for　Greece；　and　from　them　Perseus　was　descended；〃　they　said；　tracing　the　genealogy；　〃and　he；　when　he　came　to　Egypt　for　the　purpose〃　（which　the　Greeks　also　assign）　〃of　bringing　away　from　Libya　the　Gorgon's　head；　paid　them　a　visit；　and　acknowledged　them　for　his　kinsmen…　he　had　heard　the　name　of　their　city　from　his　mother　before　he　left　Greece…　he　bade　them　institute　a　gymnastic　contest　in　his　honour；　and　that　was　the　reason　why　they　observed　the　practice。〃　　　　　The　customs　hitherto　described　are　those　of　the　Egyptians　who　live　above　the　marsh…country。　The　inhabitants　of　the　marshes　have　the　same　customs　as　the　rest；　as　well　in　those　matters　which　have　been　mentioned　above　as　in　respect　of　marriage；　each　Egyptian　taking　to　himself；　like　the　Greeks；　a　single　wife；　but　for　greater　cheapness　of　living　the　marsh…men　practise　certain　peculiar　customs；　such　as　these　following。　They　gather　the　blossoms　of　a　certain　water…lily；　which　grows　in　great　abundance　all　over　the　flat　country　at　the　time　when　the　Nile　rises　and　floods　the　regions　along　its　banks…　the　Egyptians　call　it　lotus…　they　gather；　I　say；　the　blossoms　of　this　plant　and　dry　them　in　the　sun；　after　which　they　extract　from　the　centre　of　each　blossom　a　substance　like　the　head　of　a　poppy；　which　they　crush　and　make　into　bread。　The　root　of　the　lotus　is　likewise　eatable；　and　has　a　pleasant　sweet　taste：　it　is　round；　and　about　the　size　of　an　apple。　There　is　also　another　species　of　the　lily　in　Egypt；　which　grows；　like　the　lotus；　in　the　river；　and　resembles　the　rose。　The　fruit　springs　up　side　by　side　with　the　blossom；　on　a　separate　stalk；　and　has　almost　exactly　the　look　of　the　comb　made　by　wasps。　It　contains　a　number　of　seeds；　about　the　size　of　an　olive…stone；　which　are　good　to　eat：　and　these　are　eaten　both　green　and　dried。　The　byblus　（papyrus）；　which　grows　year　after　year　in　the　marshes；　they　pull　up；　and；　cutting　the　plant　in　two；　reserve　the　upper　portion　for　other　purposes；　but　take　the　lower；　which　is　about　a　cubit　long；　and　either　eat　it　or　else　sell　it。　Such　as　wish　to　enjoy　the　byblus　in　full　perfection　bake　it　first　in　a　closed　vessel；　heated　to　a　glow。　Some　of　these　folk；　however；　live　entirely　on　fish；　which　are　gutted　as　soon　as　caught；　and　then　hung　up　in　the　sun：　when　dry；　they　are　used　as　food。　　　　　Gregarious　fish　are　not　found　in　any　numbers　in　the　rivers；　they　frequent　the　lagunes；　whence；　at　the　season　of　breeding；　they　proceed　in　shoals　towards　the　sea。　The　males　lead　the　way；　and　drop　their　milt　as　they　go；　while　the　females；　following　close　behind；　eagerly　swallow　it　down。　From　this　they　conceive；　and　when；　after　passing　some　time　in　the　sea；　they　begin　to　be　in　spawn；　the　whole　shoal　sets　off　on　its　return　to　its　ancient　haunts。　Now；　however；　it　is　no　longer　the　males；　but　the　females；　who　take　the　lead：　they　swim　in　front　in　a　body；　and　do　exactly　as　the　males　did　before；　dropping；　little　by　little；　their　grains　of　spawn　as　they　go；　while　the　males　in　the　rear　devour　the　grains；　each　one　of　which　is　a　fish。　A　portion　of　the　spawn　escapes　and　is　not　swallowed　by　the　males；　and　hence　come　the　fishes　which　grow　afterwards　to　maturity。　Whan　any　of　this　sort　of　fish　are　taken　on　their　passage　to　the　sea；　they　are　found　to　have　the　left　side　of　the　head　scarred　and　bruised；　while　if　taken　on　their　return；　the　marks　appear　on　the　right。　The　reason　is　that　as　they　swim　down　the　Nile　seaward；　they　keep　close　to　the　bank　of　the　river　upon　their　left；　and　returning　again　up　stream　they　still　cling　to　the　same　side；　hugging　it　and　brushing　against　it　constantly；　to　be　sure　that　they　miss　not　their　road　through　the　great　force　of　the　current。　When　the　Nile　begins　to　rise；　the　hollows　in　the　land　and　the　marshy　spots　near　the　river　are　flooded　before　any　other　places　by　the　percolation　of　the　water　through　the　riverbanks；　and　these；　almost　as　soon　as　they　become　pools；　are　found　to　be　full　of　numbers　of　little　fishes。　I　think　that　I　understand　how　it　is　this　comes　to　pass。　On　the　subsidence　of　the　Nile　the　year　before；　though　the　fish　retired　with　the　retreating　waters；　they　had　first　deposited　their　spawn　in　the　mud　upon　the　banks；　and　so；　when　at　the　usual　season　the　water　returns；　small　fry　are　rapidly　engendered　out　of　the　spawn　of　the　preceding　year。　So　much　concerning　the　fish。　　　　　The　Egyptians　who　live　in　the　marshes　use　for　the　anointing　of　their　bodies　an　oil　made　from　the　fruit　of　the　sillicyprium；　which　is　known　among　them　by　the　name　of　〃kiki。〃　To　obtain　this　they　plant　the　sillicyprium　（which　grows　wild　in　Greece）　along　the　banks　of　the