the history-第49节

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spatch　his　fleet　against　Carthage　and　to　send　some　portion　of　his　land　army　to　act　against　the　Ammonians；　while　his　spies　went　into　Ethiopia；　under　the　pretence　of　carrying　presents　to　the　king；　but　in　reality　to　take　note　of　all　they　saw；　and　especially　to　observe　whether　there　was　really　what　is　called　〃the　table　of　the　Sun〃　in　Ethiopia。　　　　　Now　the　table　of　the　Sun　according　to　the　accounts　given　of　it　may　be　thus　described：…　It　is　a　meadow　in　the　skirts　of　their　city　full　of　the　boiled　flesh　of　all　manner　of　beasts；　which　the　magistrates　are　careful　to　store　with　meat　every　night；　and　where　whoever　likes　may　come　and　eat　during　the　day。　The　people　of　the　land　say　that　the　earth　itself　brings　forth　the　food。　Such　is　the　description　which　is　given　of　this　table。　　　　　When　Cambyses　had　made　up　his　mind　that　the　spies　should　go；　he　forthwith　sent　to　Elephantine　for　certain　of　the　Icthyophagi　who　were　acquainted　with　the　Ethiopian　tongue；　and；　while　they　were　being　fetched；　issued　orders　to　his　fleet　to　sail　against　Carthage。　But　the　Phoenicians　said　they　would　not　go；　since　they　were　bound　to　the　Carthaginians　by　solemn　oaths；　and　since　besides　it　would　be　wicked　in　them　to　make　war　on　their　own　children。　Now　when　the　Phoenicians　refused；　the　rest　of　the　fleet　was　unequal　to　the　undertaking；　and　so　it　was　that　the　Carthaginians　escaped；　and　were　not　enslaved　by　the　Persians。　Cambyses　thought　it　not　right　to　force　the　war　upon　the　Phoenicians；　because　they　had　yielded　themselves　to　the　Persians；　and　because　upon　the　Phoenicians　all　his　sea…service　depended。　The　Cyprians　had　also　joined　the　Persians　of　their　own　accord；　and　took　part　with　them　in　the　expedition　against　Egypt。　　　　　As　soon　as　the　Icthyophagi　arrived　from　Elephantine；　Cambyses；　having　told　them　what　they　were　to　say；　forthwith　despatched　them　into　Ethiopia　with　these　following　gifts：　to　wit；　a　purple　robe；　a　gold　chain　for　the　neck；　armlets；　an　alabaster　box　of　myrrh；　and　a　cask　of　palm　wine。　The　Ethiopians　to　whom　this　embassy　was　sent　are　said　to　be　the　tallest　and　handsomest　men　in　the　whole　world。　In　their　customs　they　differ　greatly　from　the　rest　of　mankind；　and　particularly　in　the　way　they　choose　their　kings；　for　they　find　out　the　man　who　is　the　tallest　of　all　the　citizens；　and　of　strength　equal　to　his　height；　and　appoint　him　to　rule　over　them。　　　　　The　Icthyophagi　on　reaching　this　people；　delivered　the　gifts　to　the　king　of　the　country；　and　spoke　as　follows：…　〃Cambyses；　king　of　the　Persians；　anxious　to　become　thy　ally　and　sworn　friend；　has　sent　us　to　hold　converse　with　thee；　and　to　bear　thee　the　gifts　thou　seest；　which　are　the　things　wherein　he　himself　delights　the　most。〃　Hereon　the　Ethiopian；　who　knew　they　came　as　spies；　made　answer：…　〃The　king　of　the　Persians　sent　you　not　with　these　gifts　because　he　much　desired　to　become　my　sworn　friend…　nor　is　the　account　which　ye　give　of　yourselves　true；　for　ye　are　come　to　search　out　my　kingdom。　Also　your　king　is　not　a　just　man…　for　were　he　so；　he　had　not　coveted　a　land　which　is　not　his　own；　nor　brought　slavery　on　a　people　who　never　did　him　any　wrong。　Bear　him　this　bow；　and　say…　'The　king　of　the　Ethiops　thus　advises　the　king　of　the　Persians　when　the　Persians　can　pull　a　bow　of　this　strength　thus　easily；　then　let　him　come　with　an　army　of　superior　strength　against　the　long…lived　Ethiopians…　till　then；　let　him　thank　the　gods　that　they　have　not　put　it　into　the　heart　of　the　sons　of　the　Ethiops　to　covet　countries　which　do　not　belong　to　them。'　　　　　So　speaking；　he　unstrung　the　bow；　and　gave　it　into　the　hands　of　the　messengers。　Then；　taking　the　purple　robe；　he　asked　them　what　it　was；　and　how　it　had　been　made。　They　answered　truly；　telling　him　concerning　the　purple；　and　the　art　of　the　dyer…　whereat　he　observed　〃that　the　men　were　deceitful；　and　their　garments　also。〃　Next　he　took　the　neck…chain　and　the　armlets；　and　asked　about　them。　So　the　Icthyophagi　explained　their　use　as　ornaments。　Then　the　king　laughed；　and　fancying　they　were　fetters；　said；　〃the　Ethiopians　had　much　stronger　ones。〃　Thirdly；　he　inquired　about　the　myrrh；　and　when　they　told　him　how　it　was　made　and　rubbed　upon　the　limbs；　he　said　the　same　as　he　had　said　about　the　robe。　Last　of　all　he　came　to　the　wine；　and　having　learnt　their　way　of　making　it；　he　drank　a　draught；　which　greatly　delighted　him；　whereupon　he　asked　what　the　Persian　king　was　wont　to　eat；　and　to　what　age　the　longest…lived　of　the　Persians　had　been　known　to　attain。　They　told　him　that　the　king　ate　bread；　and　described　the　nature　of　wheat…　adding　that　eighty　years　was　the　longest　term　of　man's　life　among　the　Persians。　Hereat　he　remarked；　〃It　did　not　surprise　him；　if　they　fed　on　dirt；　that　they　died　so　soon；　indeed　he　was　sure　they　never　would　have　lived　so　long　as　eighty　years；　except　for　the　refreshment　they　got　from　that　drink　（meaning　the　wine）；　wherein　he　confessed　the　Persians　surpassed　the　Ethiopians。〃　　　　　The　Icthyophagi　then　in　their　turn　questioned　the　king　concerning　the　term　of　life；　and　diet　of　his　people；　and　were　told　that　most　of　them　lived　to　be　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　old；　while　some　even　went　beyond　that　age…　they　ate　boiled　flesh；　and　had　for　their　drink　nothing　but　milk。　When　the　Icthyophagi　showed　wonder　at　the　number　of　the　years；　he　led　them　to　a　fountain；　wherein　when　they　had　washed；　they　found　their　flesh　all　glossy　and　sleek；　as　if　they　had　bathed　in　oil…　and　a　scent　came　from　the　spring　like　that　of　violets。　The　water　was　so　weak；　they　said；　that　nothing　would　float　in　it；　neither　wood；　nor　any　lighter　substance；　but　all　went　to　the　bottom。　If　the　account　of　this　fountain　be　true；　it　would　be　their　constant　use　of　the　water　from　it　which　makes　them　so　long…lived。　When　they　quitted　the　fountain　the　king　led　them　to　a　prison；　where　the　prisoners　were　all　of　them　bound　with　fetters　of　gold。　Among　these　Ethiopians　copper　is　of　all　metals　the　most　scarce　and　valuable。　After　they　had　seen　the　prison；　they　were　likewise　shown　what　is　called　〃the　table　of　the　Sun。〃　　　　　Also；　last　of　all；　they　were　allowed　to　behold　the　coffins　of　the　Ethiopians；　which　are　made　（according　to　report）　of　crystal；　after　the　following　fashion：…　When　the　dead　body　has　been　dried；　either　in　the　Egyptian；　or　in　some　other　manner；　they　cover　the　whole　with　gypsum；　and　adorn　it　with　painting　until　it　is　as　like　the　living　man　as　possible。　Then　they　place　the　body　in　a　crystal　pillar　which　has　been　hollowed　out　to　receive　it；　crystal　being　dug　up　in　great　abundance　in　their　country；　and　of　a　kind　very　easy　to　work。　You　may　see　the　corpse　through　the　pillar　within　which　it　lies；　and　it　neither　gives　out　any　unpleasant　odour；　nor　is　it　in　any　respect　unseemly；　yet　there　is　no　part　that　is　not　as　plainly　visible　as　if　the　body　were　bare。　The　next　of　kin　keep　the　crystal　pillar　in　their　houses　for　a　full　year　from　the　time　of　the　death；　and　give　it　the　first　fruits　continually；　and　honour　it　with　sacrifice。　After　the　year　is　out　they　bear　the　pillar　forth；　and　set　it　up　near　the　town。　　　　　When　the　spies　had　now　seen　everything；　they　returned　back　to　Egypt；　and　made　report　to　Cambyses；　who　was　stirred　to　anger　by　their　words。　Forthwith　he　set　out　on　his　march　against　the　Ethiopians　without　having　made　any　provision　for　the　sustenance　of　his　army；　or　reflected　that　he　was　about　to　wage　war　in　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　earth。　Like　a　senseless　madman　as　he　was；　no　sooner　did　he　receive　the　report　of　the　Icthyophagi　than　he　began　his　march；　bidding　the　Greeks　who　were　with　his　army　remain　where　they　were；　and　taking　only　his　land　force　with　him。　At　Thebes；　which　he　passed　through　on　his　way；　he　detached　from　his　main　body　some　fifty　thousand　men；　and　sent　them　against　the　Ammonians　with　orders　to　carry　the　people　into　captivity；　and　burn　the　oracle　of　Jupiter。　Meanwhile　he　himself　went　on　with　the　rest　of　his　forces　against　the　Ethiopians。　Before；　however；　he　had　accomplished　one…fifth　part　of　the　distance；　all　that　the　army　had　in　the　way　of　provisions　failed；　whereupon　the　men　began　to　eat　the　sumpter　beasts；　which　shortly　failed　also。　If　then；　at　this　time；　Cambyses；　seeing　what　was　happening；　had　confessed　himself　in　the　wrong；　and　led　his　army　back；　he　would　have　done　the　wisest　thing　that　he　could　after　the　mistake　made　at　the　outset；　but　as　it　was；　he　took　no　manner　of　heed；　but　continued　to　march　forwards。　So　long　as　the　earth　gave　them　anything；　the　soldiers　sustained　life　by　eating　the　grass　and　herbs；　but　when　they　came　to　the　bare　sand；　a　portion　of　them　were　guilty　of　a　horrid　deed：　by　tens　they　cast　lots　for　a　man；　who　was　slain　to　be　the　food　of　the　others。　When　Cambyses　heard　of　these　doings；　alarmed　at　such　cannibalism；　he　gave　up　his　attack　on　Ethiopia；　and　retreating　by　the　way　he　had　come；　reached　Thebes；　after　he　had　lost　vast　numbers　of　his　soldiers。　From　Thebes　he　marched　down　to　Memphis；　where　he　dismissed　the　Greeks；　allowing　them　to　sail　home。　And　so　ended　the　expedition　against　Ethiopia。　　　　　The　men　sent　to　attack　the　Ammonians；　started　from　Thebes；　having　guides　with　them；　and　may　be　clearly　traced　as　far　as　the　city　Oasis；　which　is　inhabited　by　Samians；　said　to　be　of　the　tribe　Aeschrionia。　The　place　is　distant　from　Thebes　seven　days'　journey　across　the　sand；　and　is　called　in　our　tongue　〃the　Island　of　the　Blessed。