the history-第30节

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；　and　here；　while　the　rest　of　the　world　works　the　woof　up　the　warp；　the　Egyptians　work　it　down；　the　women　likewise　carry　burthens　upon　their　shoulders；　while　the　men　carry　them　upon　their　heads。　They　eat　their　food　out　of　doors　in　the　streets；　but　retire　for　private　purposes　to　their　houses；　giving　as　a　reason　that　what　is　unseemly；　but　necessary；　ought　to　be　done　in　secret；　but　what　has　nothing　unseemly　about　it；　should　be　done　openly。　A　woman　cannot　serve　the　priestly　office；　either　for　god　or　goddess；　but　men　are　priests　to　both；　sons　need　not　support　their　parents　unless　they　choose；　but　daughters　must；　whether　they　choose　or　no。　　　　　In　other　countries　the　priests　have　long　hair；　in　Egypt　their　heads　are　shaven；　elsewhere　it　is　customary；　in　mourning；　for　near　relations　to　cut　their　hair　close：　the　Egyptians；　who　wear　no　hair　at　any　other　time；　when　they　lose　a　relative；　let　their　beards　and　the　hair　of　their　heads　grow　long。　All　other　men　pass　their　lives　separate　from　animals；　the　Egyptians　have　animals　always　living　with　them；　others　make　barley　and　wheat　their　food；　it　is　a　disgrace　to　do　so　in　Egypt；　where　the　grain　they　live　on　is　spelt；　which　some　call　zea。　Dough　they　knead　with　their　feet；　but　they　mix　mud；　and　even　take　up　dirt；　with　their　hands。　They　are　the　only　people　in　the　world…　they　at　least；　and　such　as　have　learnt　the　practice　from　them…　who　use　circumcision。　Their　men　wear　two　garments　apiece；　their　women　but　one。　They　put　on　the　rings　and　fasten　the　ropes　to　sails　inside；　others　put　them　outside。　When　they　write　or　calculate；　instead　of　going；　like　the　Greeks；　from　left　to　right；　they　move　their　hand　from　right　to　left；　and　they　insist；　notwithstanding；　that　it　is　they　who　go　to　the　right；　and　the　Greeks　who　go　to　the　left。　They　have　two　quite　different　kinds　of　writing；　one　of　which　is　called　sacred；　the　other　common。　　　　　They　are　religious　to　excess；　far　beyond　any　other　race　of　men；　and　use　the　following　ceremonies：…　They　drink　out　of　brazen　cups；　which　they　scour　every　day：　there　is　no　exception　to　this　practice。　They　wear　linen　garments；　which　they　are　specially　careful　to　have　always　fresh　washed。　They　practise　circumcision　for　the　sake　of　cleanliness；　considering　it　better　to　be　cleanly　than　comely。　The　priests　shave　their　whole　body　every　other　day；　that　no　lice　or　other　impure　thing　may　adhere　to　them　when　they　are　engaged　in　the　service　of　the　gods。　Their　dress　is　entirely　of　linen；　and　their　shoes　of　the　papyrus　plant：　it　is　not　lawful　for　them　to　wear　either　dress　or　shoes　of　any　other　material。　They　bathe　twice　every　day　in　cold　water；　and　twice　each　night；　besides　which　they　observe；　so　to　speak；　thousands　of　ceremonies。　They　enjoy；　however；　not　a　few　advantages。　They　consume　none　of　their　own　property；　and　are　at　no　expense　for　anything；　but　every　day　bread　is　baked　for　them　of　the　sacred　corn；　and　a　plentiful　supply　of　beef　and　of　goose's　flesh　is　assigned　to　each；　and　also　a　portion　of　wine　made　from　the　grape。　Fish　they　are　not　allowed　to　eat；　and　beans…　which　none　of　the　Egyptians　ever　sow；　or　eat；　if　they　come　up　of　their　own　accord；　either　raw　or　boiled…　the　priests　will　not　even　endure　to　look　on；　since　they　consider　it　an　unclean　kind　of　pulse。　Instead　of　a　single　priest；　each　god　has　the　attendance　of　a　college；　at　the　head　of　which　is　a　chief　priest；　when　one　of　these　dies；　his　son　is　appointed　in　his　room。　　　　　Male　kine　are　reckoned　to　belong　to　Epaphus；　and　are　therefore　tested　in　the　following　manner：…　One　of　the　priests　appointed　for　the　purpose　searches　to　see　if　there　is　a　single　black　hair　on　the　whole　body；　since　in　that　case　the　beast　is　unclean。　He　examines　him　all　over；　standing　on　his　legs；　and　again　laid　upon　his　back；　after　which　he　takes　the　tongue　out　of　his　mouth；　to　see　if　it　be　clean　in　respect　of　the　prescribed　marks　（what　they　are　I　will　mention　elsewhere）；　he　also　inspects　the　hairs　of　the　tail；　to　observe　if　they　grow　naturally。　If　the　animal　is　pronounced　clean　in　all　these　various　points；　the　priest　marks　him　by　twisting　a　piece　of　papyrus　round　his　horns；　and　attaching　thereto　some　sealing…clay；　which　he　then　stamps　with　his　own　signet…ring。　After　this　the　beast　is　led　away；　and　it　is　forbidden；　under　the　penalty　of　death；　to　sacrifice　an　animal　which　has　not　been　marked　in　this　way。　　　　　The　following　is　their　manner　of　sacrifice：…　They　lead　the　victim；　marked　with　their　signet；　to　the　altar　where　they　are　about　to　offer　it；　and　setting　the　wood　alight；　pour　a　libation　of　wine　upon　the　altar　in　front　of　the　victim；　and　at　the　same　time　invoke　the　god。　Then　they　slay　the　animal；　and　cutting　off　his　head；　proceed　to　flay　the　body。　Next　they　take　the　head；　and　heaping　imprecations　on　it；　if　there　is　a　market…place　and　a　body　of　Greek　traders　in　the　city；　they　carry　it　there　and　sell　it　instantly；　if；　however；　there　are　no　Greeks　among　them；　they　throw　the　head　into　the　river。　The　imprecation　is　to　this　effect：…　They　pray　that　if　any　evil　is　impending　either　over　those　who　sacrifice；　or　over　universal　Egypt；　it　may　be　made　to　fall　upon　that　head。　These　practices；　the　imprecations　upon　the　heads；　and　the　libations　of　wine；　prevail　all　over　Egypt；　and　extend　to　victims　of　all　sorts；　and　hence　the　Egyptians　will　never　eat　the　head　of　any　animal。　　　　　The　disembowelling　and　burning　are；　however；　different　in　different　sacrifices。　I　will　mention　the　mode　in　use　with　respect　to　the　goddess　whom　they　regard　as　the　greatest；　and　honour　with　the　chiefest　festival。　When　they　have　flayed　their　steer　they　pray；　and　when　their　prayer　is　ended　they　take　the　paunch　of　the　animal　out　entire；　leaving　the　intestines　and　the　fat　inside　the　body；　they　then　cut　off　the　legs；　the　ends　of　the　loins；　the　shoulders；　and　the　neck；　and　having　so　done；　they　fill　the　body　of　the　steer　with　clean　bread；　honey；　raisins；　figs；　frankincense；　myrrh；　and　other　aromatics。　Thus　filled；　they　burn　the　body；　pouring　over　it　great　quantities　of　oil。　Before　offering　the　sacrifice　they　fast；　and　while　the　bodies　of　the　victims　are　being　consumed　they　beat　themselves。　Afterwards；　when　they　have　concluded　this　part　of　the　ceremony；　they　have　the　other　parts　of　the　victim　served　up　to　them　for　a　repast。　　　　　The　male　kine；　therefore；　if　clean；　and　the　male　calves；　are　used　for　sacrifice　by　the　Egyptians　universally；　but　the　females　they　are　not　allowed　to　sacrifice；　since　they　are　sacred　to　Isis。　The　statue　of　this　goddess　has　the　form　of　a　woman　but　with　horns　like　a　cow；　resembling　thus　the　Greek　representations　of　Io；　and　the　Egyptians；　one　and　all；　venerate　cows　much　more　highly　than　any　other　animal。　This　is　the　reason　why　no　native　of　Egypt；　whether　man　or　woman；　will　give　a　Greek　a　kiss；　or　use　the　knife　of　a　Greek；　or　his　spit；　or　his　cauldron；　or　taste　the　flesh　of　an　ox；　known　to　be　pure；　if　it　has　been　cut　with　a　Greek　knife。　When　kine　die；　the　following　is　the　manner　of　their　sepulture：…　The　females　are　thrown　into　the　river；　the　males　are　buried　in　the　suburbs　of　the　towns；　with　one　or　both　of　their　horns　appearing　above　the　surface　of　the　ground　to　mark　the　place。　When　the　bodies　are　decayed；　a　boat　comes；　at　an　appointed　time；　from　the　island　called　Prosopitis；…　which　is　a　portion　of　the　Delta；　nine　schoenes　in　circumference；…　and　calls　at　the　several　cities　in　turn　to　collect　the　bones　of　the　oxen。　Prosopitis　is　a　district　containing　several　cities；　the　name　of　that　from　which　the　boats　come　is　Atarbechis。　Venus　has　a　temple　there　of　much　sanctity。　Great　numbers　of　men　go　forth　from　this　city　and　proceed　to　the　other　towns；　where　they　dig　up　the　bones；　which　they　take　away　with　them　and　bury　together　in　one　place。　The　same　practice　prevails　with　respect　to　the　interment　of　all　other　cattle…　the　law　so　determining；　they　do　not　slaughter　any　of　them。　　　　　Such　Egyptians　as　possess　a　temple　of　the　Theban　Jove；　or　live　in　the　Thebaic　canton；　offer　no　sheep　in　sacrifice；　but　only　goats；　for　the　Egyptians　do　not　all　worship　the　same　gods；　excepting　Isis　and　Osiris；　the　latter　of　whom　they　say　is　the　Grecian　Bacchus。　Those；　on　the　contrary；　who　possess　a　temple　dedicated　to　Mendes；　or　belong　to　the　Mendesian　canton；　abstain　from　offering　goats；　and　sacrifice　sheep　instead。　The　Thebans；　and　such　as　imitate　them　in　their　practice；　give　the　following　account　of　the　origin　of　the　custom：…　〃Hercules；〃　they　say；　〃wished　of　all　things　to　see　Jove；　but　Jove　did　not　choose　to　be　seen　of　him。　At　length；　when　Hercules　persisted；　Jove　hit　on　a　device…　to　flay　a　ram；　and；　cutting　off　his　head；　hold　the　head　before　him；　and　cover　himself　with　the　fleece。　In　this　guise　he　showed　himself　to　Hercules。〃　Therefore　the　Egyptians　give　their　statues　of　Jupiter　the　face　of　a　ram：　and　from　them　the　practice　has　passed　to　the　Ammonians；　who　are　a　joint　colony　of　Egyptians　and　Ethiopians；　speaking　a　language　between　the　two；　hence　also；　in　my　opinion；　the　latter　people　took　their　name　of　Ammonians；　since　the　Egyptian　name　for　Jupiter　is　Amun。　Such；　then；　is　the　reason　why　the　Thebans　do　not　sacrifice　rams；　but　consider　them　sacred　animals。　Upon　one　day　in　the　year；　however；　at　the　festival　of　Jupiter；　they　slay　a　single　ram；　and　stripping　off　the　fleece；　cover　with　it　the　statue　of　that　god；　as　he　once　covered　himself；　and　then　bring