the history-第92章

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according　to　an　oracle。　　　　　The　following　is　the　story　as　it　is　commonly　told。　When　Jason　had　finished　building　the　Argo　at　the　foot　of　Mount　Pelion；　he　took　on　board　the　usual　hecatomb；　and　moreover　a　brazen　tripod。　Thus　equipped；　he　set　sail；　intending　to　coast　round　the　Peloponnese；　and　so　to　reach　Delphi。　The　voyage　was　prosperous　as　far　as　Malea；　but　at　that　point　a　gale　of　wind　from　the　north　came　on　suddenly；　and　carried　him　out　of　his　course　to　the　coast　of　Libya；　where；　before　he　discovered　the　land；　he　got　among　the　shallows　of　Lake　Tritonis。　As　he　was　turning　it　in　his　mind　how　he　should　find　his　way　out；　Triton　（they　say）　appeared　to　him；　and　offered　to　show　him　the　channel；　and　secure　him　a　safe　retreat；　if　he　would　give　him　the　tripod。　Jason　complying；　was　shown　by　Triton　the　passage　through　the　shallows；　after　which　the　god　took　the　tripod；　and；　carrying　it　to　his　own　temple；　seated　himself　upon　it；　and；　filled　with　prophetic　fury；　delivered　to　Jason　and　his　companions　a　long　prediction。　〃When　a　descendant；〃　he　said；　〃of　one　of　the　Argo's　crew　should　seize　and　carry　off　the　brazen　tripod；　then　by　inevitable　fate　would　a　hundred　Grecian　cities　be　built　around　Lake　Tritonis。〃　The　Libyans　of　that　region；　when　they　heard　the　words　of　this　prophecy；　took　away　the　tripod　and　hid　it。　　　　　The　next　tribe　beyond　the　Machlyans　is　the　tribe　of　the　Auseans。　Both　these　nations　inhabit　the　borders　of　Lake　Tritonis；　being　separated　from　one　another　by　the　river　Triton。　Both　also　wear　their　hair　long；　but　the　Machlyans　let　it　grow　at　the　back　of　the　head；　while　the　Auseans　have　it　long　in　front。　The　Ausean　maidens　keep　year　by　year　a　feast　in　honour　of　Minerva；　whereat　their　custom　is　to　draw　up　in　two　bodies；　and　fight　with　stones　and　clubs。　They　say　that　these　are　rites　which　have　come　down　to　them　from　their　fathers；　and　that　they　honour　with　them　their　native　goddess；　who　is　the　same　as　the　Minerva　（Athene）　of　the　Grecians。　If　any　of　the　maidens　die　of　the　wounds　they　receive；　the　Auseans　declare　that　such　are　false　maidens。　Before　the　fight　is　suffered　to　begin；　they　have　another　ceremony。　One　of　the　virgins；　the　loveliest　of　the　number；　is　selected　from　the　rest；　a　Corinthian　helmet　and　a　complete　suit　of　Greek　armour　are　publicly　put　upon　her；　and；　thus　adorned；　she　is　made　to　mount　into　a　chariot；　and　led　around　the　whole　lake　in　a　procession。　What　arms　they　used　for　the　adornment　of　their　damsels　before　the　Greeks　came　to　live　in　their　country；　I　cannot　say。　I　imagine　they　dressed　them　in　Egyptian　armour；　for　I　maintain　that　both　the　shield　and　the　helmet　came　into　Greece　from　Egypt。　The　Auseans　declare　that　Minerva　is　the　daughter　of　Neptune　and　the　Lake　Tritonis…　they　say　she　quarrelled　with　her　father；　and　applied　to　Jupiter；　who　consented　to　let　her　be　his　child；　and　so　she　became　his　adopted　daughter。　These　people　do　not　marry　or　live　in　families；　but　dwell　together　like　the　gregarious　beasts。　When　their　children　are　full…grown；　they　are　brought　before　the　assembly　of　the　men；　which　is　held　every　third　month；　and　assigned　to　those　whom　they　most　resemble。　　　　　Such　are　the　tribes　of　wandering　Libyans　dwelling　upon　the　sea…coast。　Above　them　inland　is　the　wild…beast　tract：　and　beyond　that；　a　ridge　of　sand；　reaching　from　Egyptian　Thebes　to　the　Pillars　of　Hercules。　Throughout　this　ridge；　at　the　distance　of　about　ten　days'　journey　from　one　another；　heaps　of　salt　in　large　lumps　lie　upon　hills。　At　the　top　of　every　hill　there　gushes　forth　from　the　middle　of　the　salt　a　stream　of　water；　which　is　both　cold　and　sweet。　Around　dwell　men　who　are　the　last　inhabitants　of　Libya　on　the　side　of　the　desert；　living；　as　they　do；　more　inland　than　the　wild…beast　district。　Of　these　nations　the　first　is　that　of　the　Ammonians；　who　dwell　at　a　distance　of　ten　days'　from　Thebes；　and　have　a　temple　derived　from　that　of　the　Theban　Jupiter。　For　at　Thebes　likewise；　as　I　mentioned　above；　the　image　of　Jupiter　has　a　face　like　that　of　a　ram。　The　Ammonians　have　another　spring　besides　that　which　rises　from　the　salt。　The　water　of　this　stream　is　lukewarm　at　early　dawn；　at　the　time　when　the　market　fills　it　is　much　cooler；　by　noon　it　has　grown　quite　cold；　at　this　time；　therefore；　they　water　their　gardens。　As　the　afternoon　advances　the　coldness　goes　off；　till；　about　sunset；　the　water　is　once　more　lukewarm；　still　the　heat　increases；　and　at　midnight　it　boils　furiously。　After　this　time　it　again　begins　to　cool；　and　grows　less　and　less　hot　till　morning　comes。　This　spring　is　called　〃the　Fountain　of　the　Sun。〃　　　　　Next　to　the　Ammonians；　at　the　distance　of　ten　days'　journey　along　the　ridge　of　sand；　there　is　a　second　salt…hill　like　the　Ammonian；　and　a　second　spring。　The　country　round　is　inhabited；　and　the　place　bears　the　name　of　Augila。　Hither　it　is　that　the　Nasamonians　come　to　gather　in　the　dates。　　　　　Ten　days'　journey　from　Augila　there　is　again　a　salt…hill　and　a　spring；　palms　of　the　fruitful　kind　grow　here　abundantly；　as　they　do　also　at　the　other　salt…hills。　This　region　is　inhabited　by　a　nation　called　the　Garamantians；　a　very　powerful　people；　who　cover　the　salt　with　mould；　and　then　sow　their　crops。　From　thence　is　the　shortest　road　to　the　Lutophagi；　a　journey　of　thirty　days。　In　the　Garamantian　country　are　found　the　oxen　which；　as　they　graze；　walk　backwards。　This　they　do　because　their　horns　curve　outwards　in　front　of　their　heads；　so　that　it　is　not　possible　for　them　when　grazing　to　move　forwards；　since　in　that　case　their　horns　would　become　fixed　in　the　ground。　Only　herein　do　they　differ　from　other　oxen；　and　further　in　the　thickness　and　hardness　of　their　hides。　The　Garamantians　have　four…horse　chariots；　in　which　they　chase　the　Troglodyte　Ethiopians；　who　of　all　the　nations　whereof　any　account　has　reached　our　ears　are　by　far　the　swiftest　of　foot。　The　Troglodytes　feed　on　serpents；　lizards；　and　other　similar　reptiles。　Their　language　is　unlike　that　of　any　other　people；　it　sounds　like　the　screeching　of　bats。　　　　　At　the　distance　of　ten　days'　journey　from　the　Garamantians　there　is　again　another　salt…hill　and　spring　of　water；　around　which　dwell　a　people；　called　the　Atarantians；　who　alone　of　all　known　nations　are　destitute　of　names。　The　title　of　Atarantians　is　borne　by　the　whole　race　in　common；　but　the　men　have　no　particular　names　of　their　own。　The　Atarantians；　when　the　sun　rises　high　in　the　heaven；　curse　him；　and　load　him　with　reproaches；　because　（they　say）　he　burns　and　wastes　both　their　country　and　themselves。　Once　more　at　the　distance　of　ten　days'　there　is　a　salt…hill；　a　spring；　and　an　inhabited　tract。　Near　the　salt　is　a　mountain　called　Atlas；　very　taper　and　round；　so　lofty；　moreover；　that　the　top　（it　is　said）　cannot　be　seen；　the　clouds　never　quitting　it　either　summer　or　winter。　The　natives　call　this　mountain　〃the　Pillar　of　Heaven〃；　and　they　themselves　take　their　name　from　it；　being　called　Atlantes。　They　are　reported　not　to　eat　any　living　thing；　and　never　to　have　any　dreams。　　　　　As　far　as　the　Atlantes　the　names　of　the　nations　inhabiting　the　sandy　ridge　are　known　to　me；　but　beyond　them　my　knowledge　fails。　The　ridge　itself　extends　as　far　as　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　and　even　further　than　these；　and　throughout　the　whole　distance；　at　the　end　of　every　ten　days'　there　is　a　salt…mine；　with　people　dwelling　round　it　who　all　of　them　build　their　houses　with　blocks　of　the　salt。　No　rain　falls　in　these　parts　of　Libya；　if　it　were　otherwise；　the　walls　of　these　houses　could　not　stand。　The　salt　quarried　is　of　two　colours；　white　and　purple。　Beyond　the　ridge；　southwards；　in　the　direction　of　the　interior；　the　country　is　a　desert；　with　no　springs；　no　beasts；　no　rain；　no　wood；　and　altogether　destitute　of　moisture。　　　　　Thus　from　Egypt　as　far　as　Lake　Tritonis　Libya　is　inhabited　by　wandering　tribes；　whose　drink　is　milk　and　their　food　the　flesh　of　animals。　Cow's　flesh；　however；　none　of　these　tribes　ever　taste；　but　abstain　from　it　for　the　same　reason　as　the　Egyptians；　neither　do　they　any　of　them　breed　swine。　Even　at　Cyrene；　the　women　think　it　wrong　to　eat　the　flesh　of　the　cow；　honouring　in　this　Isis；　the　Egyptian　goddess；　whom　they　worship　both　with　fasts　and　festivals。　The　Barcaean　women　abstain；　not　from　cow's　flesh　only；　but　also　from　the　flesh　of　swine。　　　　　West　of　Lake　Tritonis　the　Libyans　are　no　longer　wanderer