the history-第61章

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ess；　dips　it　in　the　blood　of　each；　and　moistens　therewith　seven　stones　lying　in　the　midst；　calling　the　while　on　Bacchus　and　Urania。　After　this；　the　man　who　makes　the　pledge　commends　the　stranger　（or　the　citizen；　if　citizen　he　be）　to　all　his　friends；　and　they　deem　themselves　bound　to　stand　to　the　engagement。　They　have　but　these　two　gods；　to　wit；　Bacchus　and　Urania；　and　they　say　that　in　their　mode　of　cutting　the　hair；　they　follow　Bacchus。　Now　their　practice　is　to　cut　it　in　a　ring；　away　from　the　temples。　Bacchus　they　call　in　their　language　Orotal；　and　Urania；　Alilat。　　　　　When　therefore　the　Arabian　had　pledged　his　faith　to　the　messengers　of　Cambyses；　he　straightway　contrived　as　follows：…　he　filled　a　number　of　camels'　skins　with　water；　and　loading　therewith　all　the　live　camels　that　he　possessed；　drove　them　into　the　desert；　and　awaited　the　coming　of　the　army。　This　is　the　more　likely　of　the　two　tales　that　are　told。　The　other　is　an　improbable　story；　but；　as　it　is　related；　I　think　that　I　ought　not　to　pass　it　by。　There　is　a　great　river　in　Arabia；　called　the　Corys；　which　empties　itself　into　the　Erythraean　sea。　The　Arabian　king；　they　say；　made　a　pipe　of　the　skins　of　oxen　and　other　beasts；　reaching　from　this　river　all　the　way　to　the　desert；　and　so　brought　the　water　to　certain　cisterns　which　he　had　dug　in　the　desert　to　receive　it。　It　is　a　twelve　days'　journey　from　the　river　to　this　desert　tract。　And　the　water；　they　say；　was　brought　through　three　different　pipes　to　three　separate　places。　　　　　Psammenitus；　son　of　Amasis；　lay　encamped　at　the　mouth　of　the。　Nile；　called　the　Pelusiac；　awaiting　Cambyses。　For　Cambyses；　when　he　went　up　against　Egypt；　found　Amasis　no　longer　in　life：　he　had　died　after　ruling　Egypt　forty　and　four　years；　during　all　which　time　no　great　misfortune　had　befallen　him。　When　he　died；　his　body　was　embalmed；　and　buried　in　the　tomb　which　he　had　himself　caused　to　be　made　in　the　temple。　After　his　son　Psammenitus　had　mounted　the　throne；　a　strange　prodigy　occurred　in　Egypt…　rain　fell　at　Egyptian　Thebes；　a　thing　which　never　happened　before；　and　which；　to　the　present　time；　has　never　happened　again；　as　the　Thebans　themselves　testify。　In　Upper　Egypt　it　does　not　usually　rain　at　all；　but　on　this　occasion；　rain　fell　at　Thebes　in　small　drops。　　　　　The　Persians　crossed　the　desert；　and；　pitching　their　camp　close　to　the　Egyptians；　made　ready　for　battle。　Hereupon　the　mercenaries　in　the　pay　of　Psammenitus；　who　were　Greeks　and　Carians；　full　of　anger　against　Phanes　for　having　brought　a　foreign　army　upon　Egypt；　bethought　themselves　of　a　mode　whereby　they　might　be　revenged　on　him。　Phanes　had　left　sons　in　Egypt。　The　mercenaries　took　these；　and　leading　them　to　the　camp；　displayed　them　before　the　eyes　of　their　father；　after　which　they　brought　out　a　bowl；　and；　placing　it　in　the　space　between　the　two　hosts；　they　led　the　sons　of　Phanes；　one　by　one；　to　the　vessel；　and　slew　them　over　it。　When　the　last　was　dead；　water　and　wine　were　poured　into　the　bowl；　and　all　the　soldiers　tasted　of　the　blood；　and　so　they　went　to　the　battle。　Stubborn　was　the　fight　which　followed；　and　it　was　not　till　vast　numbers　had　been　slain　upon　both　sides；　that　the　Egyptians　turned　and　fled。　　　　　On　the　field　where　this　battle　was　fought　I　saw　a　very　wonderful　thing　which　the　natives　pointed　out　to　me。　The　bones　of　the　slain　lie　scattered　upon　the　field　in　two　lots；　those　of　the　Persians　in　one　place　by　themselves；　as　the　bodies　lay　at　the　first…　those　of　the　Egyptians　in　another　place　apart　from　them。　If；　then；　you　strike　the　Persian　skulls；　even　with　a　pebble；　they　are　so　weak；　that　you　break　a　hole　in　them；　but　the　Egyptian　skulls　are　so　strong；　that　you　may　smite　them　with　a　stone　and　you　will　scarcely　break　them　in。　They　gave　me　the　following　reason　for　this　difference；　which　seemed　to　me　likely　enough：…　The　Egyptians　（they　said）　from　early　childhood　have　the　head　shaved；　and　so　by　the　action　of　the　sun　the　skull　becomes　thick　and　hard。　The　same　cause　prevents　baldness　in　Egypt；　where　you　see　fewer　bald　men　than　in　any　other　land。　Such；　then；　is　the　reason　why　the　skulls　of　the　Egyptians　are　so　strong。　The　Persians；　on　the　other　hand；　have　feeble　skulls；　because　they　keep　themselves　shaded　from　the　first；　wearing　turbans　upon　their　heads。　What　I　have　here　mentioned　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes；　and　I　observed　also　the　like　at　Papremis；　in　the　case　of　the　Persians　who　were　killed　with　Achaeamenes；　the　son　of　Darius；　by　Inarus　the　Libyan。　　　　　The　Egyptians　who　fought　in　the　battle；　no　sooner　turned　their　backs　upon　the　enemy；　than　they　fled　away　in　complete　disorder　to　Memphis；　where　they　shut　themselves　up　within　the　walls。　Hereupon　Cambyses　sent　a　Mytilenaean　vessel；　with　a　Persian　herald　on　board；　who　was　to　sail　up　the　Nile　to　Memphis；　and　invite　the　Egyptians　to　a　surrender。　They；　however；　when　they　saw　the　vessel　entering　the　town；　poured　forth　in　crowds　from　the　castle；　destroyed　the　ship；　and；　tearing　the　crew　limb　from　limb；　so　bore　them　into　the　fortress。　After　this　Memphis　was　besieged；　and　in　due　time　surrendered。　Hereon　the　Libyans　who　bordered　upon　Egypt；　fearing　the　fate　of　that　country；　gave　themselves　up　to　Cambyses　without　a　battle；　made　an　agreement　to　pay　tribute　to　him；　and　forthwith　sent　him　gifts。　The　Cyrenaeans　too；　and　the　Barcaeans；　having　the　same　fear　as　the　Libyans；　immediately　did　the　like。　Cambyses　received　the　Libyan　presents　very　graciously；　but　not　so　the　gifts　of　the　Cyrenaeans。　They　had　sent　no　more　than　five　hundred　minx　of　silver；　which　Cambyses；　I　imagine；　thought　too　little。　He　therefore　snatched　the　money　from　them；　and　with　his　own　hands　scattered　it　among　his　soldiers。　　　　　Ten　days　after　the　fort　had　fallen；　Cambyses　resolved　to　try　the　spirit　of　Psammenitus；　the　Egyptian　king；　whose　whole　reign　had　been　but　six　months。　He　therefore　had　him　set　in　one　of　the　suburbs；　and　many　other　Egyptians　with　him；　and　there　subjected　him　to　insult。　First　of　all　he　sent　his　daughter　out　from　the　city；　clothed　in　the　garb　of　a　slave；　with　a　pitcher　to　draw　water。　Many　virgins；　the　daughters　of　the　chief　nobles；　accompanied　her；　wearing　the　same　dress。　When　the　damsels　came　opposite　the　place　where　their　fathers　sate；　shedding　tears　and　uttering　cries　of　woe；　the　fathers；　all　but　Psammenitus；　wept　and　wailed　in　return；　grieving　to　see　their　children　in　so　sad　a　plight；　but　he；　when　he　had　looked　and　seen；　bent　his　head　towards　the　ground。　In　this　way　passed　by　the　water…carriers。　Next　to　them　came　Psammenitus'　son；　and　two　thousand　Egyptians　of　the　same　age　with　him…　all　of　them　having　ropes　round　their　necks　and　bridles　in　their　mouths…　and　they　too　passed　by　on　their　way　to　suffer　death　for　the　murder　of　the　Mytilenaeans　who　were　destroyed；　with　their　vessel；　in　Memphis。　For　so　had　the　royal　judges　given　their　sentence　for　each　Mytilenaean　ten　of　the　noblest　Egyptians　must　forfeit　life。〃　King　Psammenitus　saw　the　train　pass　on；　and　knew　his　son　was　being　led　to　death；　but　while　the　other　Egyptians　who　sate　around　him　wept　and　were　sorely　troubled；　he　showed　no　further　sign　than　when　he　saw　his　daughter。　And　now；　when　they　too　were　gone；　it　chanced　that　one　of　his　former　boon…companions；　a　man　advanced　in　years；　who　had　been　stripped　of　all　that　he　had　and　was　a　beggar；