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第26章

an account of egypt(埃及记)-第26章

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who dwelt nearest to the lake where the earth was which had been dug out。 

These   told   me   to   what   place   it   had   been    carried   away;   and   I   readily 

believed them; for I knew by report that a similar thing had been done at 

Nineveh; the city of the Assyrians。 There certain thieves formed a design 

once   to   carry   away   the   wealth   of   Sardanapallos   son   of   Ninos;   the   king; 

which   wealth   was   very  great   and   was   kept   in   treasure…houses   under   the 

earth。    Accordingly       they   began    from    their   own    dwelling;     and   making 

estimate of their direction they dug under ground towards the king's palace; 



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and the earth which was brought out of the excavation they used to carry 

away; when night came on; to the river Tigris which flows by the city of 

Nineveh; until at last they accomplished that which they desired。 Similarly; 

as I heard; the digging of the lake in Egypt was effected; except that it was 

done not by night but during the day; for as they dug the Egyptians carried 

to the Nile the earth which was dug out; and the river; when it received it; 

would naturally bear it away and disperse it。 Thus is this lake said to have 

been dug out。 

     Now the twelve kings continued to rule justly; but in course of time it 

happened   thus:After   sacrifice   in   the   temple   of   Hephaistos   they   were 

about to make libation on the last day of the feast; and the chief…priest; in 

bringing out for them the golden cups with which they had been wont to 

pour     libations;   missed     his  reckoning      and   brought     eleven    only   for   the 

twelve   kings。   Then   that   one   of   them   who   was   standing   last   in        order; 

namely   Psammetichos;   since   he   had   no   cup   took   off   from   his   head   his 

helmet; which was of bronze; and having held it out to receive the wine he 

proceeded to make libation: likewise all the other kings were wont to wear 

helmets   and they  happened   to   have   them  then。  Now  Psammetichos   held 

out his helmet with no treacherous meaning; but they taking note of that 

which had been done by Psammetichos and of the oracle; namely how it 

had been declared to them that whosoever of them should make libation 

with   a   bronze   cup   should   be   sole   king   of   Egypt;   recollecting;   I   say;   the 

saying      of   the   Oracle;     they    did   not   indeed     deem      it  right   to   slay 

Psammetichos;  since   they  found   by  examination that   he   had   not   done   it 

with   any  forethought;  but   they  determined   to  strip him  of   almost   all   his 

power and to drive him away into the fen…country; and that from the fen… 

country   he   should   not   hold   any   dealings   with   the   rest   of   Egypt。   This 

Psammetichos   had   formerly  been   a   fugitive   from  the   Ethiopian   Sabacos 

who   had   killed   his   father   Necos;   from   him;   I   say;   he   had   then   been   a 

fugitive in Syria; and when the Ethiopian had departed in consequence of 

the   vision   of   the   dream;   the   Egyptians   who   were   of   the   district   of   Sais 

brought him back to his own country。 Then afterwards; when he was king; 

it   was   his   fate   to   be   a   fugitive   a   second   time   on   account   of   the  helmet; 

being driven by the eleven kings into the fen…country。 So then holding that 



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he had been grievously wronged by them; he thought how he might take 

vengeance on those who had driven him out: and when he had sent to the 

Oracle of Leto in the city of Buto; where the Egyptians have their most 

truthful   Oracle;   there   was   given   to   him   the   reply   that   vengeance   would 

come   when   men   of   bronze   appeared   from  the   sea。 And   he   was   strongly 

disposed not to believe that bronze men would come to help him; but after 

no long time had passed; certain Ionians and Carians who had sailed forth 

for plunder were compelled to come to shore in Egypt; and they  having 

landed and being clad in bronze armour; came to the fen…land and brought 

a   report   to   Psammetichos   that   bronze   men   had   come   from   the   sea   and 

were plundering the plain。 So he; perceiving that the saying of the Oracle 

was   coming   to   pass;   dealt   in   a   friendly   manner   with   the   Ionians   and 

Carians; and with large promises he persuaded them to take his part。 Then 

when     he   had   persuaded     them;    with   the  help   of  those   Egyptians      who 

favoured   his   cause   and   of   these   foreign   mercenaries   he   overthrew   the 

kings。   Having   thus   got   power   over   all   Egypt;   Psammetichos   made   for 

Hephaistos       that  gateway     of  the   temple    at  Memphis       which    is  turned 

towards the South Wind; and he built a court for Apis; in which Apis is 

kept when he appears; opposite to the gateway of the temple; surrounded 

all   with   pillars   and   covered   with   figures;   and   instead   of   columns   there 

stand to support the roof of the court colossal statues twelve cubits high。 

Now Apis is in the tongue of the Hellenes Epaphos。 To the Ionians and to 

the Carians who had helped him Psammetichos granted portions of land to 

dwell in; opposite to one another with the river Nile between; and these 

were called 〃Encampments〃; these portions of land he gave them; and he 

paid them besides all that he had promised: moreover he placed with them 

Egyptian boys to have them taught the Hellenic tongue; and from these; 

who   learnt   the   language   thoroughly;   are   descended   the   present   class   of 

interpreters     in   Egypt。    Now     the  Ionians     and   Carians    occupied      these 

portions of land for a long time; and they are towards the sea a little below 

the city of Bubastis; on that which is called the Pelusian mouth of the Nile。 

These men king Amasis afterwards removed from thence and established 

them   at    Memphis;      making     them   into   a  guard    for  himself    against   the 

Egyptians: and they being settled in Egypt; we who are Hellenes know by 



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intercourse   with   them  the   certainty  of   all   that   which   happened   in   Egypt 

beginning from king Psammetichos and afterwards; for these were the first 

men of foreign tongue who settled in Egypt: and in the land from which 

they were removed there still remained down to my time the sheds where 

their ships were drawn up and the ruins of their houses。 

     Thus then Psammetichos obtained Egypt: and of the Oracle which is in 

Egypt I have made mention often before this; and now I give an account of 

it; seeing that it is worthy to be described。 This Oracle which is in Egypt is 

sacred to Leto; and it is established in a great city near that mouth of the 

Nile which is called Sebennytic; as one sails up the river from the sea; and 

the   name   of   this   city   where   the   Oracle   is   found   is   Buto;   as   I   have   said 

before   in   mentioning   it。   In   this   Buto   there   is   a   temple   of   Apollo   and 

Artemis;   and   the   temple…house   of   Leto;   in   which   the   Oracle   is;   is   both 

great   in   itself   and   has   a   gateway   of   the   height   of   ten   fathoms:   but   that 

which caused me most to marvel of the things to be seen there; I will now 

tell。 There is in this sacred enclosure a house of Leto made of one single 

stone upon the top; the cornice measuring four cubits。 This house then of 

all   the   things   that   were  

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