the history-第37节

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ended　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　deeds　he　had　been　unable　to　surpass。〃　Darius；　they　say；　pardoned　the　freedom　of　this　speech。　　　　　On　the　death　of　Sesostris；　his　son　Pheron；　the　priests　said；　mounted　the　throne。　He　undertook　no　warlike　expeditions；　being　struck　with　blindness；　owing　to　the　following　circumstance。　The　river　had　swollen　to　the　unusual　height　of　eighteen　cubits；　and　had　overflowed　all　the　fields；　when；　a　sudden　wind　arising；　the　water　rose　in　great　waves。　Then　the　king；　in　a　spirit　of　impious　violence；　seized　his　spear；　and　hurled　it　into　the　strong　eddies　of　the　stream。　Instantly　he　was　smitten　with　disease　of　the　eyes；　from　which　after　a　little　while　he　became　blind；　continuing　without　the　power　of　vision　for　ten　years。　At　last；　in　the　eleventh　year；　an　oracular　announcement　reached　him　from　the　city　of　Buto；　to　the　effect；　that　〃the　time　of　his　punishment　had　run　out；　and　he　should　recover　his　sight　by　washing　his　eyes　with　urine。　He　must　find　a　woman　who　had　been　faithful　to　her　husband；　and　had　never　preferred　to　him　another　man。〃　The　king；　therefore；　first　of　all　made　trial　of　his　wife；　but　to　no　purpose　he　continued　as　blind　as　before。　So　he　made　the　experiment　with　other　women；　until　at　length　he　succeeded；　and　in　this　way　recovered　his　sight。　Hereupon　he　assembled　all　the　women；　except　the　last；　and　bringing　them　to　the　city　which　now　bears　the　name　of　Erythrabolus　（Red…soil）；　he　there　burnt　them　all；　together　with　the　place　itself。　The　woman　to　whom　he　owed　his　cure；　he　married；　and　after　his　recovery　was　complete；　he　presented　offerings　to　all　the　temples　of　any　note；　among　which　the　best　worthy　of　mention　are　the　two　stone　obelisks　which　he　gave　to　the　temple　of　the　Sun。　These　are　magnificent　works；　each　is　made　of　a　single　stone；　eight　cubits　broad；　and　a　hundred　cubits　in　height。　　　　　Pheron；　they　said；　was　succeeded　by　a　man　of　Memphis；　whose　name；　in　the　language　of　the　Greeks；　was　Proteus。　There　is　a　sacred　precinct　of　this　king　in　Memphis；　which　is　very　beautiful；　and　richly　adorned；　situated　south　of　the　great　temple　of　Vulcan。　Phoenicians　from　the　city　of　Tyre　dwell　all　round　this　precinct；　and　the　whole　place　is　known　by　the　name　of　〃the　camp　of　the　Tyrians。〃　Within　the　enclosure　stands　a　temple；　which　is　called　that　of　Venus　the　Stranger。　I　conjecture　the　building　to　have　been　erected　to　Helen；　the　daughter　of　Tyndarus；　first；　because　she；　as　I　have　heard　say；　passed　some　time　at　the　court　of　Proteus；　and　secondly；　because　the　temple　is　dedicated　to　Venus　the　Stranger；　for　among　all　the　many　temples　of　Venus　there　is　no　other　where　the　goddess　bears　this　title。　　　　　The　priests；　in　answer　to　my　inquiries　on　the　subject　of　Helen；　informed　me　of　the　following　particulars。　When　Alexander　had　carried　off　Helen　from　Sparta；　he　took　ship　and　sailed　homewards。　On　his　way　across　the　Egean　a　gale　arose；　which　drove　him　from　his　course　and　took　him　down　to　the　sea　of　Egypt；　hence；　as　the　wind　did　not　abate；　he　was　carried　on　to　the　coast；　when　he　went　ashore；　landing　at　the　Salt…Pans；　in　that　mouth　of　the　Nile　which　is　now　calle