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an account of egypt(埃及记)-第10章

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Egypt: for that it has come from the Barbarians I find by inquiry is true; 

and I am of opinion that most probably it has come from Egypt; because; 

except in the case of Poseidon and the Dioscuroi (in accordance with that 

which I have said before); and also of Hera and Hestia and Themis and the 

Charites   and   Nereids; the   Egyptians  say  themselves:   but   as   for   the   gods 

whose names   they  profess that they  do   not   know;  these  I  think   received 

their naming from the Pelasgians; except Poiseidon; but about this god the 

Hellenes learnt from the Libyans; for no people except the Libyans have 

had the name of Poseidon from the first and have paid honour to this god 

always。     Nor;    it  may    be  added;     have   the   Egyptians     any    custom    of 

worshipping       heroes。   These   observances   then;   and      others   besides    these 

which I shall mention; the Hellenes have adopted from the Egyptians; but 

to   make;   as   they   do   the   images   of   Hermes   with   the   /phallos/   they   have 

learnt not from the Egyptians but from the Pelasgians; the custom having 

been received by the Athenians first of all the Hellenes and from these by 

the rest; for just at the time   when the Athenians were beginning to   rank 

among   the   Hellenes;   the   Pelasgians   became   dwellers   with   them   in   their 

land;   and   from   this   very   cause   it   was   that   they   began   to   be   counted   as 

Hellenes。 Whosoever has been initiated in the mysteries of the Cabeiroi; 

which      the   Samothrakians       perform     having     received     them    from    the 

Pelasgians;   that   man   knows   the   meaning   of   my   speech;   for   these   very 

Pelasgians who became dwellers with the Athenians used to dwell before 



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that time in Samothrake; and from them the Samothrakians received their 

mysteries。 So then the Athenians were the first of the Hellenes who made 

the images of Hermes with the /phallos/; having learnt from the Pelasgians; 

and   the   Pelasgians   told   a   sacred story  about it;  which   is   set   forth   in   the 

mysteries in Samothrake。 Now the Pelasgians formerly were wont to make 

all   their   sacrifices   calling   upon   the   gods   in   prayer;   as   I   know   from   that 

which I heard at Dodona; but they gave no title or name to any of them; 

for they had not yet heard any; but they called them gods from some such 

notion     as  this;  that  they   had   set  in  order   all  things   and   so   had   the 

distribution of everything。 Afterwards when much time had elapsed; they 

learnt from Egypt the names of the gods; all except Dionysos; for his name 

they learnt long afterwards; and after a time the Pelasgians consulted the 

Oracle at Dodona about the names; for this prophetic seat is accounted to 

be the most ancient of the Oracles which are among the Hellenes; and at 

that time it was the only one。 So when the Pelasgians asked the Oracle at 

Dodona whether they should adopt the names which had come from the 

Barbarians; the Oracle in reply bade them make use of the names。 From 

this   time   they   sacrificed    using   the  names     of  the  gods;   and   from    the 

Pelasgians   the   Hellenes   afterwards   received   them:   but   when   the   several 

gods had their birth; or whether they all were from the beginning; and of 

what form they are; they did not learn till yesterday; as it were; or the day 

before: for Hesiod and Homer I suppose were four hundred years before 

my time and not more; and these are they who made a theogony for the 

Hellenes and gave the titles to the gods and distributed to them honours 

and arts; and set forth their forms: but the poets who are said to have been 

before these men were really in my opinion after them。 Of these things the 

first   are   said   by   the   priestesses   of   Dodona;   and   the   latter   things;   those 

namely which have regard to Hesiod and Homer; by myself。 

     As regards the Oracles both that among the Hellenes and that in Libya; 

the Egyptians tell the following tale。 The priests of the Theban Zeus told 

me   that   two   women   in the   service   of   the   temple   had   been   carried   away 

from Thebes by Phenicians; and that they had heard that one of them had 

been sold to go into Libya and the other to the Hellenes; and these women; 

they   said;   were   they   who   first   founded   the   prophetic   seats   among   the 



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nations which have been named: and when I inquired whence they knew 

so   perfectly   of   this   tale   which   they   told;   they   said   in   reply   that   a   great 

search had been made by the priests after these women; and that they had 

not been able to find them; but they had heard afterwards this tale about 

them which they were telling。 This I heard from the priests at Thebes; and 

what   follows   is   said   by   the   prophetesses   of   Dodona。   They   say   that   two 

black doves flew from Thebes in Egypt; and came one of them to Libya 

and   the   other   to   their   land。 And   this   latter   settled   upon   an   oak…tree   and 

spoke with human voice; saying that it was necessary that a prophetic seat 

of   Zeus   should be   established   in   that   place;   and   they  supposed   that   that 

was of the gods which was announced to them; and made one accordingly: 

and the dove which went away to the Libyans; they say; bade the Libyans 

make   an   Oracle   of Ammon;   and   this   also   is   of   Zeus。 The   priestesses   of 

Dodona told me these things; of whom the eldest was named Promeneia; 

the   next   after   her   Timarete;   and   the   youngest   Nicandra;   and   the   other 

people   of   Dodona   who   were   engaged   about   the   temple   gave   accounts 

agreeing      with   theirs。   I  however     have    an   opinion    about    the  matter    as 

follows:If the Phenicians did in truth carry away the consecrated women 

and sold one of them into Libya and the other into Hellas; I suppose that in 

the   country  now   called   Hellas;   which   was   formerly  called   Pelasgia;   this 

woman was sold into the land of the Thesprotians; and then being a slave 

there she set up a sanctuary of Zeus under a real oak…tree; as indeed it was 

natural   that   being   an   attendant   of   the   sanctuary   of   Zeus   at   Thebes;   she 

should there; in the place to which she had come; have a memory of him; 

and   after   this;   when   she   got   understanding   of   the   Hellenic   tongue;   she 

established an Oracle; and she reported; I suppose; that her sister had been 

sold in Libya by the same Phenicians by whom she herself had been sold。 

Moreover;   I   think   that   the   women   were   called   doves   by   the   people   of 

Dodona for the reason that they were barbarians and because it seemed to 

them that they uttered voice like birds; but after a time (they say) the dove 

spoke with human voice; that is when the woman began to speak so that 

they could   understand; but   so long   as she spoke a  Barbarian tongue  she 

seemed to them to be uttering voice like a bird: for if it had been really a 

dove; how could it speak with human voice? And in saying that the dove 



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was    black;   they   indicate    that  the  woman      was   Egyptian。     The   ways    of 

delivering oracles too at Thebes in Egypt and at Dodona closely resemble 

each other; as it happens; and also the method of divination by victims has 

come from Egypt。 

     Moreover; it is true also that the Egyptians were the first of men who 


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