the history-第44章

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exposed　to　a　change；　and　never　more　than　during　changes　of　the　weather。　They　live　on　bread　made　of　spelt；　which　they　form　into　loaves　called　in　their　own　tongue　cyllestis。　Their　drink　is　a　wine　which　they　obtain　from　barley；　as　they　have　no　vines　in　their　country。　Many　kinds　of　fish　they　eat　raw；　either　salted　or　dried　in　the　sun。　Quails　also；　and　ducks　and　small　birds；　they　eat　uncooked；　merely　first　salting　them。　All　other　birds　and　fishes；　excepting　those　which　are　set　apart　as　sacred；　are　eaten　either　roasted　or　boiled。　　　　　In　social　meetings　among　the　rich；　when　the　banquet　is　ended；　a　servant　carries　round　to　the　several　guests　a　coffin；　in　which　there　is　a　wooden　image　of　a　corpse；　carved　and　painted　to　resemble　nature　as　nearly　as　possible；　about　a　cubit　or　two　cubits　in　length。　As　he　shows　it　to　each　guest　in　turn；　the　servant　says；　〃Gaze　here；　and　drink　and　be　merry；　for　when　you　die；　such　will　you　be。〃　　　　　The　Egyptians　adhere　to　their　own　national　customs；　and　adopt　no　foreign　usages。　Many　of　these　customs　are　worthy　of　note：　among　others　their　song；　the　Linus；　which　is　sung　under　various　names　not　only　in　Egypt　but　in　Phoenicia；　in　Cyprus；　and　in　other　places；　and　which　seems　to　be　exactly　the　same　as　that　in　use　among　the　Greeks；　and　by　them　called　Linus。　There　were　very　many　things　in　Egypt　which　filled　me　with　astonishment；　and　this　was　one　of　them。　Whence　could　the　Egyptians　have　got　the　Linus？　It　appears　to　have　been　sung　by　them　from　the　very　earliest　times。　For　the　Linus　in　Egyptian　is　called　Maneros；　and　they　told　me　that　Maneros　was　the　only　son　of　their　first　king；　and　that　on　his　untimely　death　he　was　honoured　by　the　Egyptians　with　these　dirgelike　strains；　and　in　this　way　they　got　their　first　and　only　melody。　　　　　There　is　another　custom　in　which　the　Egyptians　resemble　a　particular　Greek　people；　namely　the　Lacedaemonians。　Their　young　men；　when　they　meet　their　elders　in　the　streets；　give　way　to　them　and　step　aside；　and　if　an　elder　come　in　where　young　men　are　present；　these　latter　rise　from　their　seats。　In　a　third　point　they　differ　entirely　from　all　the　nations　of　Greece。　Instead　of　speaking　to　each　other　when　they　meet　in　the　streets；　they　make　an　obeisance；　sinking　the　hand　to　the　knee。　　　　　They　wear　a　linen　tunic　fringed　about　the　legs；　and　called　calasiris；　over　this　they　have　a　white　woollen　garment　thrown　on　afterwards。　Nothing　of　woollen；　however；　is　taken　into　their　temples　or　buried　with　them；　as　their　religion　forbids　it。　Here　their　practice　resembles　the　rites　called　Orphic　and　Bacchic；　but　which　are　in　reality　Egyptian　and　Pythagorean；　for　no　one　initiated　in　these　mysteries　can　be　buried　in　a　woollen　shroud；　a　religious　reason　being　assigned　for　the　observance。　　　　　The　Egyptians　likewise　discovered　to　which　of　the　gods　each　month　and　day　is　sacred；　and　found　out　from　the　day　of　a　man's　birth　what　he　will　meet　with　in　the　course　of　his　life；　and　how　he　will　end　his　days；　and　what　sort　of　man　he　will　be…　discoveries　whereof　the　Greeks　engaged　in　poetry　have　made　a　use。　The　Egyptians　have　also　discovered　more　prognostics　than　all　the　rest　of　mankind　besides。　Whenever　a　prodigy　takes　place；　they　watch　and　record　the　result；　then；　if　anything　similar　ever　happens　again；　they　expect　the　same　consequences。　　　　　With　respect　to　divination；　they　hold　that　it　is　a　gift　which　no　mortal　possesses；　but　only　certain　of　the　gods：　thus　they　have　an　oracle　of　Hercules；　one　of　Apollo；　of　Minerva；　of　Diana；　of　Mars；　and　of　Jupiter。　Besides　these；　there　is　the　oracle　of　Latona　at　Buto；　which　is　held　in　much　higher　repute　than　any　of　the　rest。　The　mode　of　delivering　the　oracles　is　not　uniform；　but　varies　at　the　different　shrines。　　　　　Medicine　is　practised　among　them　on　a　plan　of　separation；　each　physician　treats　a　single　disorder；　and　no　more：　thus　the　country　swarms　with　medical　practitioners；　some　undertaking　to　cure　diseases　of　the　eye；　others　of　the　head；　others　again　of　the　teeth；　others　of　the　intestines；　and　some　those　which　are　not　local。　　　　　The　following　is　the　way　in　which　they　conduct　their　mournings　and　their　funerals：…　On　the　death　in　any　house　of　a　man　of　consequence；　forthwith　the　women　of　the　family　beplaster　their　heads；　and　sometimes　even　their　faces；　with　mud；　and　then；　leaving　the　body　indoors；　sally　forth　and　wander　through　the　city；　with　their　dress　fastened　by　a　band；　and　their　bosoms　bare；　beating　themselves　as　they　walk。　All　the　female　relations　join　them　and　do　the　same。　The　men　too；　similarly　begirt；　beat　their　breasts　separately。　When　these　ceremonies　are　over；　the　body　is　carried　away　to　be　embalmed。　　　　　There　are　a　set　of　men　in　Egypt　who　practice　the　art　of　embalming；　and　make　it　their　proper　business。　These　persons；　when　a　body　is　brought　to　them；　show　the　bearers　various　models　of　corpses；　made　in　wood；　and　painted　so　as　to　resemble　nature。　The　most　perfect　is　said　to　be　after　the　manner　of　him　whom　I　do　not　think　it　religious　to　name　in　connection　with　such　a　matter；　the　second　sort　is　inferior　to　the　first；　and　less　costly；　the　third　is　the　cheapest　of　all。　All　this　the　embalmers　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　sk