the history-第53章

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e；　and　was　often　lashed　by　Sappho　in　her　poetry。　But　enough　has　been　said　on　the　subject　of　this　courtesan。　　　　　After　Mycerinus；　the　priests　said；　Asychis　ascended　the　throne。　He　built　the　eastern　gateway　of　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　which　in　size　and　beauty　far　surpasses　the　other　three。　All　the　four　gateways　have　figures　graven　on　them；　and　a　vast　amount　of　architectural　ornament；　but　the　gateway　of　Asychis　is　by　far　the　most　richly　adorned。　In　the　reign　of　this　king；　money　being　scarce　and　commercial　dealings　straitened；　a　law　was　passed　that　the　borrower　might　pledge　his　father's　body　to　raise　the　sum　whereof　he　had　need。　A　proviso　was　appended　to　this　law；　giving　the　lender　authority　over　the　entire　sepulchre　of　the　borrower；　so　that　a　man　who　took　up　money　under　this　pledge；　if　he　died　without　paying　the　debt；　could　not　obtain　burial　either　in　his　own　ancestral　tomb；　or　in　any　other；　nor　could　he　during　his　lifetime　bury　in　his　own　tomb　any　member　of　his　family。　The　same　king；　desirous　of　eclipsing　all　his　predecessors　upon　the　throne；　left　as　a　monument　of　his　reign　a　pyramid　of　brick。　It　bears　an　inscription；　cut　in　stone；　which　runs　thus：…　〃Despise　me　not　in　comparison　with　the　stone　pyramids；　for　I　surpass　them　all；　as　much　as　Jove　surpasses　the　other　gods。　A　pole　was　plunged　into　a　lake；　and　the　mud　which　clave　thereto　was　gathered；　and　bricks　were　made　of　the　mud；　and　so　I　was　formed。〃　Such　were　the　chief　actions　of　this　prince。　　　　　He　was　succeeded　on　the　throne；　they　said；　by　a　blind　man；　a　native　of　Anysis；　whose　own　name　also　was　Anysis。　Under　him　Egypt　was　invaded　by　a　vast　army　of　Ethiopians；　led　by　Sabacos；　their　king。　The　blind　Anysis　fled　away　to　the　marsh…country；　and　the　Ethiopian　was　lord　of　the　land　for　fifty　years；　during　which　his　mode　of　rule　was　the　following：…　When　an　Egyptian　was　guilty　of　an　offence；　his　plan　was　not　to　punish　him　with　death：　instead　of　so　doing；　he　sentenced　him；　according　to　the　nature　of　his　crime；　to　raise　the　ground　to　a　greater　or　a　less　extent　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　city　to　which　he　belonged。　Thus　the　cities　came　to　be　even　more　elevated　than　they　were　before。　As　early　as　the　time　of　Sesostris；　they　had　been　raised　by　those　who　dug　the　canals　in　his　reign；　this　second　elevation　of　the　soil　under　the　Ethiopian　king　gave　them　a　very　lofty　position。　Among　the　many　cities　which　thus　attained　to　a　great　elevation；　none　（I　think）　was　raised　so　much　as　the　town　called　Bubastis；　where　there　is　a　temple　of　the　goddess　Bubastis；　which　well　deserves　to　be　described。　Other　temples　may　be　grander；　and　may　have　cost　more　in　the　building；　but　there　is　none　so　pleasant　to　the　eye　as　this　of　Bubastis。　The　Bubastis　of　the　Egyptians　is　the　same　as　the　Artemis　（Diana）　of　the　Greeks。　　　　　The　following　is　a　description　of　this　edifice：…　Excepting　the　entrance；　the　whole　forms　an　island。　Two　artificial　channels　from　the　Nile；　one　on　either　side　of　the　temple；　encompass　the　building；　leaving　only　a　narrow　passage　by　which　it　is　approached。　These　channels　are　each　a　hundred　feet　wide；　and　are　thickly　shaded　with　trees。　The　gateway　is　sixty　feet　in　height；　and　is　ornamented　with　figures　cut　upon　the　stone；　six　cubits　high　and　well　worthy　of　notice。　The　temple　stands　in　the　middle　of　the　city；　and　is　visible　on　all　sides　as　one　walks　round　it；　for　as　the　city　has　been　raised　up　by　embankment；　while　the　temple　has　been　left　untouched　in　its　original　condition；　you　look　down　upon　it　wheresoever　you　are。　A　low　wall　runs　round　the　enclosure；　having　figures　engraved　upon　it；　and　inside　there　is　a　grove　of　beautiful　tall　trees　growing　round　the　shrine；　which　contains　the　image　of　the　goddess。　The　enclosure　is　a　furlong　in　length；　and　the　same　in　breadth。　The　entrance　to　it　is　by　a　road　paved　with　stone　for　a　distance　of　about　three　furlongs；　which　passes　straight　through　the　market…place　with　an　easterly　direction；　and　is　about　four　hundred　feet　in　width。　Trees　of　an　extraordinary　height　grow　on　each　side　the　road；　which　conducts　from　the　temple　of　Bubastis　to　that　of　Mercury。　　　　　The　Ethiopian　finally　quitted　Egypt；　the　priests　said；　by　a　hasty　flight　under　the　following　circumstances。　He　saw　in　his　sleep　a　vision：…　a　man　stood　by　his　side；　and　counselled　him　to　gather　together　all　the　priests　of　Egypt　and　cut　every　one　of　them　asunder。　On　this；　according　to　the　account　which　he　himself　gave；　it　came　into　his　mind　that　the　gods　intended　hereby　to　lead　him　to　commit　an　act　of　sacrilege；　which　would　be　sure　to　draw　down　upon　him　some　punishment　either　at　the　hands　of　gods　or　men。　So　he　resolved　not　to　do　the　deed　suggested　to　him；　but　rather　to　retire　from　Egypt；　as　the　time　during　which　it　was　fated　that　he　should　hold　the　country　had　now　（he　thought）　expired。　For　before　he　left　Ethiopia　he　had　been　told　by　the　oracles　which　are　venerated　there；　that　he　was　to　reign　fifty　years　over　Egypt。　The　years　were　now　fled；　and　the　dream　had　come　to　trouble　him；　he　therefore　of　his　own　accord　withdrew　from　the　land。　　　　　As　soon　as　Sabacos　was　gone；　the　blind　king　left　the　marshes；　and　resumed　the　government。　He　had　lived　in　the　marsh…region　the　whole　time；　having　formed　for　himself　an　island　there　by　a　mixture　of　earth　and　ashes。　While　he　remained；　the　natives　had　orders　to　bring　him　food　unbeknown　to　the　Ethiopian；　and　latterly；　at　his　request；　each　man　had　brought　him；　with　the　food；　a　certain　quantity　of　ashes。　Before　Amyrtaeus；　no　one　was　able　to　discover　the　site　of　this　island；　which　continued　unknown　to　the　kings　of　Egypt　who　preceded　him　on　the　throne　for　the　space　of　seven　hundred　years　and　more。　The　name　which　it　bears　is　Elbo。　It　is　about　ten　furlongs　across　in　each　direction。　　　　　The　next　king；　I　was　told；　was　a　priest　of　Vulcan；　called　Sethos。　This　monarch　despised　and　neglected　the　warrior　class　of　the　Egyptians；　as　though　he　did　not　need　their　services。　Among　other　indignities　which　he　offered　them；　he　took　from　them　the　lands　which　they　had　possessed　under　all　the　previous　kings；　consisting　of　twelve　acres　of　choice　land　for　each　warrior。　Afterwards；　therefore；　when　Sanacharib；　king　of　the　Arabians　and　Assyrians；　marched　his　vast　army　into　Egypt；　the　warriors　one　and　all　refused　to　come　to　his　aid。　On　this　the　monarch；　greatly　distressed；　entered　into　the　inner　sanctuary；　and；　before　the　image　of　the　god；　bewailed　the　fate　which　impended　over　him。　As　he　wept　he　fell　asleep；　and　dreamed　that　the　god　came　and　stood　at　his　side；　bidding　him　be　of　good　cheer；　and　go　boldly　forth　to　meet　the　Arabian　host；　which　would　do　him　no　hurt；　as　he　himself　would　send　those　who　should　help　him。　Sethos；　then；　relying　on　the　dream；　collected　such　of　the　Egyptians　as　were　willing　to　follow　him；　who　were　none　of　them　warriors；　but　traders；　artisans；　and　market　people；　and　with　these　marched　to　Pelusium；　which　commands　the　entrance　into　Egypt；　and　there　pitched　his　camp。　As　the　two　armies　lay　here　opposite　one　another；　there　came　in　the　night；　a　multitude　of　field…mice；　which　devoured　all　the　quivers　and　bowstrings　of　the　enemy；　and　ate　the　thongs　by　which　they　managed　their　shields。　Next　morning　they　commenced　their　fight；　and　great　multitudes　fell；　as　they　had　no　arms　with　which　to　defend　themselves。　There　stands　to　thi