HERODOTUS. BOOK III. THALIA.' I. AGAINST this Amasis, Cambyses, the could afford for a disorder in his eyes, the king son of Cyrus, led an army, composed as well had forced him, in preference to all others, from of his other subjects, as of the Ionic and Æolic his wife and family, and sent him into Persia. Greeks. His inducements were these: by an In revenge for which treatment this Egyptian ambassador whom he despatched for this pur- instigated Cambyses to require the daughter of pose into Egypt, he demanded the daughter of Amasis, that he might either suffer affliction Amasis, which he did at the suggestion of a from the loss of his child, or by refusing to certain Egyptian who had entertained an en-send her, provoke the resentment of Cambymity against his master. This man was a phy-ses. Amasis both dreaded and detested the sician, and when Cyrus had once requested of Amasis the best medical advice which Egypt 1 Thalia.]-On the commencement of his observations on this book, M. Larcher remarks, that the names of the Muses were only affixed to the books of Herodotus at a subsequent and later period. Porphyry does not distinguish the second book of our historian by the name of Euterpe, but is satisfied with calling it the book which treats of the affairs of Egypt. Athenæus also says, the first or the second book of the histories of Herodotus. I am nevertheless rather inclined to believe that these names were annexed to the books of Herodotus from the spontaneous impulse of admiration which was excited amongst the first hearers of them at the Olympic games. According to Pausanias, there were originally no more than three Muses, whose names were Melete, Mneme, and Aoide. Their number was afterwards increased to nine, their residence confined to Parnassus, and the Clio gesta canens, transactis tempora reddit. power of Persia, and was unwilling to accept, though fearful of refusing the overture. But he well knew that his daughter was meant to be not the wife but the concubine of Cambyses. and therefore he determined on this mode of conduct: Apries, the former king, had left an only daughter: her name was Nitetis, and she was possessed of much elegance and beauty. The king, having decorated her with great splendour of dress, sent her into Persia as his own child. Not long after, when Cambyses occasionally addressed her as the daughter of Amasis, "Sir," said she, “you are greatly mistaken, and Amasis has deceived you; he has adorned my person, and sent me to you as his daughter, but Apries was my father, whom he with his other rebellious subjects dethroned and put to death." This speech and this occasion 2 Nitetis.]-Cambyses had not long been king, ere he resolved upon a war with the Egyptians, by reason of some offence taken against Amasis their king. Herodotus tells us it was because Amasis, when he desired of him one of his daughters to wife, sent him a daughter of Apries instead of his own. But this could not be true, because Apries having being dead about forty years before, no daughter of his could be young enough to be acceptable to Cambyses.-So far Prideaux; but Larcher endeavours to reconcile the apparent improbability, by saying that there is great reason to suppose that Apries lived a prisoner many years after Amasis dethroned him and succeeded to his power; and that there is no impossibility in the opinion that Nitetis might, therefore, be no more than twenty or twenty-two years of age when she was sent to Cambyses.-T. immediately prompted Cambyses in great wrath, | was then only ten years of age, surprised and to commence hostilities against Egypt.-Such delighted the woman; and as soon as he became is the Persian account of the story. a man, and succeeded to the throne, he remembered the incident, and commenced hostilities against Egypt. II. The Egyptians claim Cambyses as their own, by asserting that this incident did not happen to him, but to Cyrus,' from whom, and from this daughter of Apries, they say he was born." This, however, is certainly not true. The Egyptians are of all mankind the best conversant with the Persian manners, and they must have known that a natural child could never succeed to the throne of Persia, whilst a legitimate one was alive. And it was equally certain that Cambyses was not born of an Egyptian woman, but was the son of Cassandane, the daughter of Pharnaspe, of the race of the Achaemenides. This story, therefore, was invented by the Egyptians, that they might from this pretence claim a connection with the house of Cyrus. IV. He had another inducement to this undertaking. Among the auxiliaries of Amasis was a man named Phanes, a native of Halicarnassus, and greatly distinguished by his mental as well as military accomplishments. This person being, for I know not what reason, incensed against Amasis, fled in a vessel from Egypt to have a conference with Cambyses. As he possessed great influence amongst the auxiliaries, and was perfectly acquainted with the affairs of Egypt, Amasis ordered him to be rigorously pursued, and for this purpose equipped, under the care of the most faithful of his eunuchs, a three-banked galley. The pursuit was successful, and PhaIII. Another story also is asserted, which nes was taken in Lydia, but he was not carried to me seems improbable. They say that back to Egypt, for he circumvented his guards, a Persian lady once visiting the wives of and by making them drunk effected his escape. Cyrus, saw standing near their mother the He fled instantly to Persia: Cambyses was children of Cassandane, whom she compli- then meditating the expedition against Egypt, mented in high terms on their superior excel- but was deterred by the difficulty of marching lence of form and person. "Me," replied an army over the deserts, where so little water Cassandane, "who am the mother of these was to be procured. Phanes explained to the children, Cyrus neglects and despises, all his king all the concerns of Amasis; and to obkindness is bestowed on this Egyptian female." | viate the above difficulty, advised him to send This she said from resentment against Nitetis. and ask of the king of the Arabs a safe pasThey add that Cambyses, her eldest son, in- sage through his territories. stantly exclaimed, "Mother, as soon as I am a man, I will effect the utter destruction of Egypt." These words, from a prince who 1 But to Cyrus.]-They speak with more probability, V. This is indeed the only avenue by which Egypt can possibly be entered. The whole country, from Phoenicia to Cadytis, a city which belongs to the Syrians of Palestine, and in my opinion equal to Sardis, together with who say it was Cyrus, and not Cambyses, to whom this all the commercial towns as far as Jenysus,◄ daughter of Apries was sent.-Prideaux. 2 They say he was born.]-Polyænus, in his Strata-bably extorted from our great poet, Milton, the followgemata, relates the affair in this manner :-Nitetis, who ing energetic lines: was in reality the daughter of Apries, cohabited a long time with Cyrus as the daughter of Amasis. After having many children by Cyrus, she disclosed to him who she really was; for though Amasis was dead, she wished to revenge herself on his son Psammenitus. Cyrus acceded to her wishes, but died in the midst of his preparations for an Egyptian war. This, Cambyses was persuaded by his mother to undertake, and revenged on the Egyptians the cause of the family of Apries.-T. Oh, why did God, 4 Jenysus.]-Stephanus Byzantinus calls this city 3 I will effect the utter destruction of Egypt.]-Lite- Inys, for that is manifestly the name he gives it, if we rally, I will turn Egypt upside down. M. Larcher enumerates, from Athenæus, the various and destructive wars which had originated on account of women; he adds, what a number of illustrious families had, from a similar cause, been utterly extinguished. The impression of this idea, added to the vexations which he had himself experienced in domestic life, pro take away the Greek termination. But Herodotus from whom he borrows, renders it Jenis. It would have been more truly rendered Dorice Janis, for that was nearer to the real name. The historian, however, points it out plainly by saying, that it was three days' journey from mount Casius, and that the whole way was through the Arabian desert.-Bryant. VII. Such are the means which the Persians have constantly adopted to provide themselves with water in these deserts, from the time that they were first masters of Egypt. But as, at the time of which we speak, they had not this resource, Cambyses listened to the advice of his Halicarnassian guest, and solicited of the Arabian prince a safe passage through his territories; which was granted, after mutual promises of friendship. VIII. These are the ceremonies which the Arabians observe when they make alliances, of which no people in the world are more tena VI. I shall now explain what is known to very few of those who travel into Egypt by sea. Twice in every year there are exported fromcious. On these occasions some one connectdifferent parts of Greece to Egypt, and from Phoenicia in particular, wine secured in earthen jars, not one of which jars is afterwards to be seen. I shall describe to what purpose they are applied the principal magistrate of every town is obliged to collect all the earthen vessels imported to the place where he resides, and send them to Memphis. The Memphians fill them with water," and afterwards transport them to the Syrian deserts. Thus all the earthen vessels carried into Egypt, and there carefully collected, are continually added to those already in Syria. Mr Bryant is certainly mistaken with respect to the situation of this place. It was an Arabian town, on this side lake Serbonis compared with Syria, on the other compared with Egypt. When Herodotus says that this place was three days' journey from mount Casius, he must be understood as speaking of the Syrian side; if otherwise, Cambyses could not have been so embarrassed from want of water, &c.-See Lareher farther on this subject. 5 Mount Casius.]-This place is now called by seamen mount Tenere; here anciently was a temple sacred to Jupiter Casius; in this mountain also was Pompey the great buried, as some affirm, being murdered at its foot. This, however, is not true, his body was burnt on the shore by one of his freedmen, with the planks of an old fishing-boat, and his ashes being conveyed to Rome, were deposited privately by his wife Cornelia in a vault of his Alban villa-See Middleton's Life of Cicero. -T. 6 With water.]-The water of the Nile never becomes impure, whether reserved at home, or exported abroad. On board the vessels which pass from Egypt to Italy, this water, which remains at the end of the voyage, is good, whilst what they happen to take in during their voyage corrupts. The Egyptians are the only people we know who preserve this water in jars, as others do wine. They keep it three or four years, and sometimes longer, and the age of this water is with them an increase of its value, as the age of wine is elsewhere.-Aristides Orat. Egyptian. Modern writers and travellers are agreed about the excellence of the water of the Nile; but the above assertion, with respect to its keeping, wants to be corroborated. Much the same is said respecting the water of the Thames. ed with both parties stands betwixt them, and with a sharp stone opens a vein of the hand, near the middle finger, of those who are about to contract. He then takes a piece of the vest of each person, and dips it in their blood, with which he stains several stones purposely placed in the midst of the assembly, invoking during the process Bacchus and Urania. When this is finished, he who solicits the compact to be made, pledges his friends for the sincerity of his engagements to the stranger or citizen, or whoever it may happen to be; and all of them conceive an indispensable necessity to exist, of performing what they promise. Bacchus and Urania are the only deities whom they venerate. They cut off their hair round their temples, from the supposition that Bacchus wore his in that form; him they call Urotalt; Urania, Alilat.s IX. When the Arabian prince had made an alliance with the messengers of Cambyses, he ordered all his camels to be laden with camelskins filled with water, and to be driven to the deserts, there to wait the arrival of Cambyses and his army. Of this incident the above seems to me the more probable narrative. There is also another, which, however I may disbelieve, 7 Tenacious.]-How faithful the Arabs are at this day, when they have pledged themselves to be so, is a topic of admiration and of praise with all modern travellers. They who once put themselves under their protection have nothing afterwards to fear, for their word is sacred. Singular as the mode here described of forming alliances may appear to an English reader, that of taking an oath by putting the hand under the thigh, in use among the patriarchs, was surely not less 80. "Abraham said unto the eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh." Gen. xxiv. 2.—T. 8 Alilat.]-According to Selden, in his treatise de Diis Syris, the Mitra of the Persians is the same with the Alitta or Alilat of the Arabians. In this term Alilat we doubtless recognise the ALLAH of the modern Arabians. S In Arabia is a | diately engaged the enemy. I think I ought not to omit. X. At the Pelusian mouth of the Nile Psammenitus, the son of Amasis, was encamped, and expected Cambyses in arms. Amasis himself, after a reign of forty-four years, died before Cambyses had advanced to Egypt, and during the whole enjoyment of his power he experienced no extraordinary calamity. At his death his body was embalmed, and deposited in a sepulchre which he had erected for himself in the temple of Minerva. During the reign of his son Psammenitus, Egypt beheld a most remarkable prodigy; there was rain at the Egyptian Thebes, a circumstance which never happened before, and which, as the Thebans them selves assert, has never occurred since. In the higher parts of Egypt it never rains, but at that period we read it rained at Thebes in distinct drops.* XI. The Persians having passed the deserts, fixed their camp opposite to the Egyptians, as with the design of offering them battle. The Greeks and Carians, who were the confederates of the Egyptians, to show their resentment against Phanes, for introducing a foreign army against Egypt, adopted this expedient his sons, whom he had left behind, they brought into the camp, and in a conspicuous place, in the sight of their father, they put them one by one to death upon a vessel brought thither for that purpose. When they had done this, they filled the vase which had received the blood with wine and water; having drank which, all the auxiliaries imme : 1 Temple of Minerva.]-This is not expressed in the original text, but it was evident that it is in the temple of Minerva, from chap. clxix. of the second book.-T. 2 In distinct drops.]-Herodotus is perhaps thus particular, to distinguish rain from mist. It is a little remarkable that all the mention which Herodotus makes of the ancient Thebes, is in this passage, and in this slight manner. In book ii. chap. xv. he informs us that all Egypt was formerly called Thebes.-T. The battle was obstinately disputed, but after considerable loss on both sides, the Egyptians fled. XII. By the people inhabiting the place where this battle was fought a very surprising thing was pointed out to my attention. The bones of those who fell in the engagement were soon afterwards collected, and separated into two distinct heaps. It was observed of the Persians, that their heads were so extremely soft as to yield to the slight impression even of a pebble; those of the Egyptians, on the contrary, were so firm, that the blow of a large stone could hardly break them. The reason which they gave for this was very satisfactory-the Egyptians from a very early age shave their heads,' which by being constantly exposed to the action of the sun, become firm and hard; this treatment also prevents baldness, very few instances of which are ever to be seen in Egypt. Why the skulls of the Persians are so soft may be explained from their being from their infancy accustomed to shelter them from the sun, by the constant use of turbans. I saw the very same fact at Papremis, after examining the bones of those who, under the conduct of Achæmenes, son of Darius, were defeated by Inarus, the African. XIII. The Egyptians after their defeat fled in great disorder to Memphis. Cambyses despatched a Persian up the river in a Mitylenian vessel to treat with them; but as soon as they saw the vessel enter Memphis, they rushed in a crowd from the citadel, destroyed The blood of a human victim mixed with wine accompanied the most solemn forms of execration among the ancients. Catiline made use of this superstition to bind his adherents to secrecy: "He carried round," says Sallust, "the blood of a human victim, mixed with wine; and when all had tasted it, after a set form of execration (sicut in solennibus sacris fieri consuevit) he imparted his design.”—T. 4 Shave their heads.]-The same custom still subsists: I have seen every where the children of the common people, whether running in the field, assembled round the village, or swimming in the waters, with their heads shaved and bare. Let us but imagine the hard. ness a skull must acquire thus exposed to the scorching sun, and we shall not be astonished at the remark of Herodotus.-Savary. 5 Achæmenes.]-Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus say, that it was Achæmenes, the brother of Xerxes, and uncle of Artaxerxes, the same who before had the government of Egypt in the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, that had the conduct of this war; but herein they were deceived by the similitude of names; for it appears by Ctesias, that he was the son of Hamestris, whom Artaxerxes sent with his army into Egypt. 3 Having drank which.]-They probably swore at the same time to avenge the treason of Phanes, or perish. | Prideaux. |