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ve　also　discovered　more　prognostics　than　all　the　rest　of　mankind　besides。　Whenever　a　prodigy　takes　place；　they　watch　and　record　the　result；　then；　if　anything　similar　ever　happens　again；　they　expect　the　same　consequences。　　　　　With　respect　to　divination；　they　hold　that　it　is　a　gift　which　no　mortal　possesses；　but　only　certain　of　the　gods：　thus　they　have　an　oracle　of　Hercules；　one　of　Apollo；　of　Minerva；　of　Diana；　of　Mars；　and　of　Jupiter。　Besides　these；　there　is　the　oracle　of　Latona　at　Buto；　which　is　held　in　much　higher　repute　than　any　of　the　rest。　The　mode　of　delivering　the　oracles　is　not　uniform；　but　varies　at　the　different　shrines。　　　　　Medicine　is　practised　among　them　on　a　plan　of　separation；　each　physician　treats　a　single　disorder；　and　no　more：　thus　the　country　swarms　with　medical　practitioners；　some　undertaking　to　cure　diseases　of　the　eye；　others　of　the　head；　others　again　of　the　teeth；　others　of　the　intestines；　and　some　those　which　are　not　local。　　　　　The　following　is　the　way　in　which　they　conduct　their　mournings　and　their　funerals：…　On　the　death　in　any　house　of　a　man　of　consequence；　forthwith　the　women　of　the　family　beplaster　their　heads；　and　sometimes　even　their　faces；　with　mud；　and　then；　leaving　the　body　indoors；　sally　forth　and　wander　through　the　city；　with　their　dress　fastened　by　a　band；　and　their　bosoms　bare；　beating　themselves　as　they　walk。　All　the　female　relations　join　them　and　do　the　same。　The　men　too；　similarly　begirt；　beat　their　breasts　separately。　When　these　ceremonies　are　over；　the　body　is　carried　away　to　be　embalmed。　　　　　There　are　a　set　of　men　in　Egypt　who　practice　the　art　of　embalming；　and　make　it　their　proper　business。　These　persons；　when　a　body　is　brought　to　them；　show　the　bearers　various　models　of　corpses；　made　in　wood；　and　painted　so　as　to　resemble　nature。　The　most　perfect　is　said　to　be　after　the　manner　of　him　whom　I　do　not　think　it　religious　to　name　in　connection　with　such　a　matter；　the　second　sort　is　inferior　to　the　first；　and　less　costly；　the　third　is　the　cheapest　of　all。　All　this　the　embalmers　explain；　and　then　ask　in　which　way　it　is　wished　that　the　corpse　should　be　prepared。　The　bearers　tell　them；　and　having　concluded　their　bargain；　take　their　departure；　while　the　embalmers；　left　to　themselves；　proceed　to　their　task。　The　mode　of　embalming；　according　to　the　most　perfect　process；　is　the　following：…　They　take　first　a　crooked　piece　of　iron；　and　with　it　draw　out　the　brain　through　the　nostrils；　thus　getting　rid　of　a　portion；　while　the　skull　is　cleared　of　the　rest　by　rinsing　with　drugs；　next　they　make　a　cut　along　the　flank　with　a　sharp　Ethiopian　stone；　and　take　out　the　whole　contents　of　the　abdomen；　which　they　then　cleanse；　washing　it　thoroughly　with　palm　wine；　and　again　frequently　with　an　infusion　of　pounded　aromatics。　After　this　they　fill　the　cavity　with　the　purest　bruised　myrrh；　with　cassia；　and　every　other　sort　of　spicery　except　frankincense；　and　sew　up　the　opening。　Then　the　body　is　placed　in　natrum　for　seventy　days；　and　covered　entirely　over。　After　the　expiration　of　that　space　of　time；　which　must　not　be　exceeded；　the　body　is　washed；　and　wrapped　round；　from　head　to　foot；　with　bandages　of　fine　linen　cloth；　smeared　over　with　gum；　which　is　used　generally　by　the　Egyptians　in　the　place　of　glue；　and　in　this　state　it　is　given　back　to　the　relations；　who　enclose　it　in　a　wooden　case　which　they　have　had　made　for　the　purpose；　shaped　into　the　figure　of　a　man。　Then　fastening　the　case；　they　place　it　in　a　sepulchral　chamber；　upright　against　the　wall。　Such　is　the　most　costly　way　of　embalming　the　dead。　　　　　If　persons　wish　to　avoid　expense；　and　choose　the　second　process；　the　following　is　the　method　pursued：…　Syringes　are　filled　with　oil　made　from　the　cedar…tree；　which　is　then；　without　any　incision　or　disembowelling；　injected　into　the　abdomen。　The　passage　by　which　it　might　be　likely　to　return　is　stopped；　and　the　body　laid　in　natrum　the　prescribed　number　of　days。　At　the　end　of　the　time　the　cedar…oil　is　allowed　to　make　its　escape；　and　such　is　its　power　that　it　brings　with　it　the　whole　stomach　and　intestines　in　a　liquid　state。　The　natrum　meanwhile　has　dissolved　the　flesh；　and　so　nothing　is　left　of　the　dead　body　but　the　skin　and　the　bones。　It　is　returned　in　this　condition　to　the　relatives；　without　any　further　trouble　being　bestowed　upon　it。　　　　　The　third　method　of　embalming；　which　is　practised　in　the　case　of　the　poorer　classes；　is　to　clear　out　the　intestines　with　a　clyster；　and　let　the　body　lie　in　natrum　the　seventy　days；　after　which　it　is　at　once　given　to　those　who　come　to　fetch　it　away。　　　　　The　wives　of　men　of　rank　are　not　given　to　be　embalmed　immediately　after　death；　nor　indeed　are　any　of　the　more　beautiful　and　valued　women。　It　is　not　till　they　have　been　dead　three　or　four　days　that　they　are　carried　to　the　embalmers。　This　is　done　to　prevent　indignities　from　being　offered　them。　It　is　said　that　once　a　case　of　this　kind　occurred：　the　man　was　detected　by　the　information　of　his　fellow…workman。　　　　　Whensoever　any　one；　Egyptian　or　foreigner；　has　lost　his　life　by　falling　a　prey　to　a　crocodile；　or　by　drowning　in　the　river；　the　law　compels　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　near　which　the　body　is　cast　up　to　have　it　embalmed；　and　to　bury　it　in　one　of　the　sacred　repositories　with　all　possible　magnificence。　No　one　may　touch　the　corpse；　not　even　any　of　the　friends　or　relatives；　but　only　the　priests　of　the　Nile；　who　prepare　it　for　burial　with　their　own　hands…　regarding　it　as　something　more　than　the　mere　body　of　a　man…　and　themselves　lay　it　in　the　tomb。　　　　　The　Egyptians　are　averse　to　adopt　Greek　customs；　or；　in　a　word；　those　of　any　other　nation。　This　feeling　is　almost　universal　among　them。　At　Chemmis；　however；　which　is　a　large　city　in　the　Thebaic　canton；　near　Neapolis；　there　is　a　square　enclosure　sacred　to　Perseus；　son　of　Danae。　Palm　trees　grow　all　round　the　place；　which　has　a　stone　gateway　of　an　unusual　size；　surmounted　by　two　colossal　statues；　also　in　stone。　Inside　this　precinct　is　a　temple；　and　in　the　temple　an　image　of　Perseus。　The　people　of　Chemmis　say　that　Perseus　often　appears　to　them；　sometimes　within　the　sacred　enclosure；　sometimes　in　the　open　country：　one　of　the　sandals　which　he　has　worn　is　frequently　found…　two　cubits　in　length；　as　they　affirm…　and　then　all　Egypt　flourishes　greatly。　In　the　worship　of　Perseus　Greek　ceremonies　are　used；　gymnastic　games　are　celebrated　in　his　honour；　comprising　every　kind　of　contest；　with　prizes　of　cattle；　cloaks；　and　skins。　I　made　inquiries　of　the　Chemmites　why　it　was　that　Perseus　appeared　to　them　and　not　elsewhere　in　Egypt；　and　how　they　came　to　celebrate　gymnastic　contests　unlike　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians：　to　which　they　answered；　〃that　Perseus　belonged　to　their　city　by　descent。　Danans　and　Lynceus　were　Chemmites　before　they　set　sail　for　Greece；　and　from　them　Perseus　was　descended；〃　they　said；　tracing　the　genealogy；　〃and　he；　when　he　came　to　Egypt　for　the　purpose〃　（which　the　Greeks　also　assign）　〃of　bringing　away　from　Libya　the　Gorgon's　head；　paid　them　a　visit；　and　acknowledged　them　for　his　kinsmen…　he　had　heard　the　name　of　their　city　from　his　mother　before　he　left　Greece…　he　bade　them　institute　a　gymnastic　contest　in　his　honour；　and　that　was　the　reason　why　they　observed　the　practice。〃　　　　　The　customs　hitherto　described　are　those　of　the　Egyptians　who　live　above　the　marsh…country。　The　inhabitants　of　the　marshes　have　the　same　customs　as　the　rest；　as　well　in　those　matters　which　have　been　mentioned　above　as　in　respect　of　marriage；　each　Egyptian　taking　to　himself；　like　the　Greeks；　a　single　wife；　but　for　greater　cheapness　of　living　the　marsh…men　practise　certain　peculiar　customs；　such　as　these　following。　They　gather　the　blossoms　of　a　certain　water…lily；　which　grows　in　great　abundance　all　over　the　flat　country　at　the　time　when　the　Nile　rises　and　floods　the　regions　along　its　banks…　the　Egyptians　call　it　lotus…　they　gather；　I　say；　the　blossoms　of　this　plant　and　dry　them　in　the　sun；　after　which　they　extract　from　the　centre　of　each　blossom　a　substance　like　the　head　of　a　poppy；　which　they　crush　and　make　into　bread。　The　root　of　the　lotus　is　likewise　eatable；　and　has　a　pleasant　sweet　taste：　it　is　round；　and　about　the　size　of　an　apple。　There　is　also　another　species　of　the　lily　in　Egypt；　which　grows；　like　the　lotus；　in　the　river；　and