the history-第62章

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oon…companions；　a　man　advanced　in　years；　who　had　been　stripped　of　all　that　he　had　and　was　a　beggar；　came　where　Psammenitus；　son　of　Amasis；　and　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians　were；　asking　alms　from　the　soldiers。　At　this　sight　the　king　burst　into　tears；　and　weeping　out　aloud；　called　his　friend　by　his　name；　and　smote　himself　on　the　head。　Now　there　were　some　who　had　been　set　to　watch　Psammenitus　and　see　what　he　would　do　as　each　train　went　by；　so　these　persons　went　and　told　Cambyses　of　his　behaviour。　Then　he；　astonished　at　what　was　done；　sent　a　messenger　to　Psammenitus；　and　questioned　him；　saying；　〃Psammenitus；　thy　lord　Cambyses　asketh　thee　why；　when　thou　sawest　thy　daughter　brought　to　shame；　and　thy　son　on　his　way　to　death；　thou　didst　neither　utter　cry　nor　shed　tear；　while　to　a　beggar；　who　is；　he　hears；　a　stranger　to　thy　race；　thou　gavest　those　marks　of　honour。〃　To　this　question　Psammenitus　made　answer；　〃O　son　of　Cyrus；　my　own　misfortunes　were　too　great　for　tears；　but　the　woe　of　my　friend　deserved　them。　When　a　man　falls　from　splendour　and　plenty　into　beggary　at　the　threshold　of　old　age；　one　may　well　weep　for　him。〃　When　the　messenger　brought　back　this　answer；　Cambyses　owned　it　was　just；　Croesus；　likewise；　the　Egyptians　say；　burst　into　tears…　for　he　too　had　come　into　Egypt　with　Cambyses…　and　the　Persians　who　were　present　wept。　Even　Cambyses　himself　was　touched　with　pity；　and　he　forthwith　gave　an　order　that　the　son　of　Psammenitus　should　be　spared　from　the　number　of　those　appointed　to　die；　and　Psammenitus　himself　brought　from　the　suburb　into　his　presence。　　　　　The　messengers　were　too　late　to　save　the　life　of　Psammenitus'　son；　who　had　been　cut　in　pieces　the　first　of　all；　but　they　took　Psammenitus　himself　and　brought　him　before　the　king。　Cambyses　allowed　him　to　live　with　him；　and　gave　him　no　more　harsh　treatment；　nay；　could　he　have　kept　from　intermeddling　with　affairs；　he　might　have　recovered　Egypt；　and　ruled　it　as　governor。　For　the　Persian　wont　is　to　treat　the　sons　of　kings　with　honour；　and　even　to　give　their　fathers'　kingdoms　to　the　children　of　such　as　revolt　from　them。　There　are　many　cases　from　which　one　may　collect　that　this　is　the　Persian　rule；　and　especially　those　of　Pausiris　and　Thannyras。　Thannyras　was　son　of　Inarus　the　Libyan；　and　was　allowed　to　succeed　his　father；　as　was　also　Pausiris；　son　of　Amyrtaeus；　yet　certainly　no　two　persons　ever　did　the　Persians　more　damage　than　Amyrtaeus　and　Inarus。　In　this　case　Psammenitus　plotted　evil；　and　received　his　reward　accordingly。　He　was　discovered　to　be　stirring　up　revolt　in　Egypt；　wherefore　Cambyses；　when　his　guilt　clearly　appeared；　compelled　him　to　drink　bull's　blood；　which　presently　caused　his　death。　Such　was　the　end　of　Psammenitus。　　　　　After　this　Cambyses　left　Memphis；　and　went　to　Sais；　wishing　to　do　that　which　he　actually　did　on　his　arrival　there。　He　entered　the　palace　of　Amasis；　and　straightway　commanded　that　the　body　of　the　king　should　be　brought　forth　from　the　sepulchre。　When　the　attendants　did　according　to　his　commandment；　he　further　bade　them　scourge　the　body；　and　prick　it　with　goads；　and　pluck　the　hair　from　it；　and　heap　upon　it　all　manner　of　insults。　The　body；　however；　having　been　embalmed；　resisted；　and　refused　to　come　apart；　do　what　they　would　to　it；　so　the　attendants　grew　weary　of　their　work；　whereupon　Cambyses　bade　them　take　the　corpse　and　burn　it。　This　was　truly　an　impious　command　to　give；　for　the　Persians　hold　fire　to　be　a　god；　and　never　by　any　chance　burn　their　dead。　Indeed　this　practice　is　unlawful；　both　with　them　and　with　the　Egyptians…　with　them　for　the　reason　above　mentioned；　since　they　deem　it　wrong　to　give　the　corpse　of　a　man　to　a　god；　and　with　the　Egyptians；　because　they　believe　fire　to　be　a　live　animal；　which　eats　whatever　it　can　seize；　and　then；　glutted　with　the　food；　dies　with　the　matter　which　it　feeds　upon。　Now　to　give　a　man's　body　to　be　devoured　by　beasts　is　in　no　wise　agreeable　to　their　customs；　and　indeed　this　is　the　very　reason　why　they　embalm　their　dead；　namely；　to　prevent　them　from　being　eaten　in　the　grave　by　worms。　Thus　Cambyses　commanded　what　both　nations　accounted　unlawful。　According　to　the　Egyptians；　it　was　not　Amasis　who　was　thus　treated；　but　another　of　their　nation　who　was　of　about　the　same　height。　The　Persians；　believing　this　man's　body　to　be　the　king's；　abused　it　in　the　fashion　described　above。　Amasis；　they　say；　was　warned　by　an　oracle　of　what　would　happen　to　him　after　his　death：　in　order；　therefore；　to　prevent　the　impending　fate；　he　buried　the　body；　which　afterwards　received　the　blows；　inside　his　own　tomb　near　the　entrance；　commanding　his　son　to　bury　him；　when　he　died；　in　the　furthest　recess　of　the　same　sepulchre。　For　my　own　part　I　do　not　believe　that　these　orders　were　ever　given　by　Amasis；　the　Egyptians；　as　it　seems　to　me；　falsely　assert　it；　to　save　their　own　dignity。　　　　　After　this　Cambyses　took　counsel　with　himself；　and　planned　three　expeditions。　One　was　against　the　Carthaginians；　another　against　the　Ammonians；　and　a　third　against　the　long…lived　Ethiopians；　who　dwelt　in　that　part　of　Libya　which　borders　upon　the　southern　sea。　He　judged　it　best　to　despatch　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　res