the history-第47章

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ed　the　power　of　the　Persians；　was　greatly　perplexed　whether　to　give　his　daughter　or　no；　for　that　Cambyses　did　not　intend　to　make　her　his　wife；　but　would　only　receive　her　as　his　concubine；　he　knew　for　certain。　He　therefore　cast　the　matter　in　his　mind；　and　finally　resolved　what　he　would　do。　There　was　a　daughter　of　the　late　king　Apries；　named　Nitetis；　a　tall　and　beautiful　woman；　the　last　survivor　of　that　royal　house。　Amasis　took　this　woman；　and　decking　her　out　with　gold　and　costly　garments；　sent　her　to　Persia　as　if　she　had　been　his　own　child。　Some　time　afterwards；　Cambyses；　as　he　gave　her　an　embrace；　happened　to　call　her　by　her　father's　name；　whereupon　she　said　to　him；　〃I　see；　O　king；　thou　knowest　not　how　thou　has　been　cheated　by　Amasis；　who　took　me；　and；　tricking　me　out　with　gauds；　sent　me　to　thee　as　his　own　daughter。　But　I　am　in　truth　the　child　of　Apries；　who　was　his　lord　and　master；　until　he　rebelled　against　him；　together　with　the　rest　of　the　Egyptians；　and　put　him　to　death。〃　It　was　this　speech；　and　the　cause　of　quarrel　it　disclosed；　which　roused　the　anger　of　Cambyses；　son　of　Cyrus；　and　brought　his　arms　upon　Egypt。　Such　is　the　Persian　story。　　　　　The　Egyptians；　however；　claim　Cambyses　as　belonging　to　them；　declaring　that　he　was　the　son　of　this　Nitetis。　It　was　Cyrus；　they　say；　and　not　Cambyses；　who　sent　to　Amasis　for　his　daughter。　But　here　they　mis…state　the　truth。　Acquainted　as　they　are　beyond　all　other　men　with　the　laws　and　customs　of　the　Persians；　they　cannot　but　be　well　aware；　first；　that　it　is　not　the　Persian　wont　to　allow　a　bastard　to　reign　when　there　is　a　legitimate　heir；　and　next；　that　Cambyses　was　the　son　of　Cassandane；　the　daughter　of　Pharnaspes；　an　Achaemenian；　and　not　of　this　Egyptian。　But　the　fact　is　that　they　pervert　history　in　order　to　claim　relationship　with　the　house　of　Cyrus。　Such　is　the　truth　of　this　matter。　　　　　I　have　also　heard　another　account；　which　I　do　not　at　all　believe：　that　a　Persian　lady　came　to　visit　the　wives　of　Cyrus；　and　seeing　how　tall　and　beautiful　were　the　children　of　Cassandane；　then　standing　by；　broke　out　into　loud　praise　of　them；　and　admired　them　exceedingly。　But　Cassandane；　wife　of　Cyrus；　answered；　〃Though　such　the　children　I　have　borne　him；　yet　Cyrus　slights　me　and　gives　all　his　regard　to　the　new…comer　from　Egypt。〃　Thus　did　she　express　her　vexation　on　account　of　Nitetis：　whereupon　Cambyses；　the　eldest　of　her　boys；　exclaimed；　〃Mother；　when　I　am　a　man；　I　will　turn　Egypt　upside　down　for　you。〃　He　was　but　ten　years　old；　as　the　tale　runs；　when　he　said　this；　and　astonished　all　the　women；　yet　he　never　forgot　it　afterwards；　and　on　this　account；　they　say；　when　he　came　to　be　a　man；　and　mounted　the　throne；　he　made　his　expedition　against　Egypt。　　　　　There　was　another　matter；　quite　distinct；　which　helped　to　bring　about　the　expedition。　One　of　the　mercenaries　of　Amasis；　a　Halicarnassian；　Phanes　by　name；　a　man　of　good　judgment；　and　a　brave　warrior；　dissatisfied　for　some　reason　or　other　with　his　master；　deserted　the　service；　and　taking　ship；　fled　to　Cambyses；　wishing　to　get　speech　with　him。　As　he　was　a　person　of　no　small　account　among　the　mercenaries；　and　one　who　could　give　very　exact　intelligence　about　Egypt；　Amasis；　anxious　to　recover　him；　ordered　that　he　should　be　pursued。　He　gave　the　matter　in　charge　to　one　of　the　most　trusty　of　the　eunuchs；　who　went　in　quest　of　the　Halicarnassian　in　a　vessel　of　war。　The　eunuch　caught　him　in　Lycia；　but　did　not　contrive　to　bring　him　back　to　Egypt；　for　Phanes　outwitted　him　by　making　his　guards　drunk；　and　then　escaping　into　Persia。　Now　it　happened　that　Cambyses　was　meditating　his　attack　on　Egypt；　and　doubting　how　he　might　best　pass　the　desert；　when　Phanes　arrived；　and　not　only　told　him　all　the　secrets　of　Amasis；　but　advised　him　also　how　the　desert　might　be　crossed。　He　counselled　him　to　send　an　ambassador　to　the　king　of　the　Arabs；　and　ask　him　for　safe…conduct　through　the　region。　　　　　Now　the　only　entrance　into　Egypt　is　by　this　desert：　the　country　from　Phoenicia　to　the　borders　of　the　city　Cadytis　belongs　to　the　people　called　the　Palaestine　Syrians；　from　Cadytis；　which　it　appears　to　me　is　a　city　almost　as　large　as　Sardis；　the　marts　upon　the　coast　till　you　reach　Jenysus　are　the　Arabian　king's；　after　Jenysus　the　Syrians　again　come　in；　and　extend　to　Lake　Serbonis；　near　the　place　where　Mount　Casius　juts　out　into　the　sea。　At　Lake　Serbonis；　where　the　tale　goes　that　Typhon　hid　himself；　Egypt　begins。　Now　the　whole　tract　between　Jenysus　on　the　one　side；　and　Lake　Serbonis　and　Mount　Casius　on　the　other；　and　this　is　no　small　space；　being　as　much　as　three　days'　journey；　is　a　dry　desert　without　a　drop　of　water。　　　　　I　shall　now　mention　a　thing　of　which　few　of　those　who　sail　to　Egypt　are　aware。　Twice　a　year　wine　is　brought　into　Egypt　from　every　part　of　Greece；　as　well　as　from　Phoenicia；　in　earthen　jars；　and　yet　in　the　whole　country　you　will　nowhere　see；　as　I　may　say；　a　single　jar。　What　then；　every　one　will　ask；　becomes　of　the　jars？　This；　too；　I　will　clear　up。　The　burgomaster　of　each　town　has　to　collect　the　wine…jars　within　his　district；　and　to　carry　them　to　Memphis；　where　they　are　all　filled　with　water　by　the　Memphians；　who　then　convey　them　to　this　desert　tract　of　Syria。　And　so　it　comes　to　pass　that　all　the　jars　which　enter　Egypt　year　by　year；　and　are　there　put　up　to　sale；　find　their　way　into　Syria；　whither　all　the　old　jars　have　gone　before　them。　　　　　This　way　of　keeping　the　passage　into　Egypt　fit　for　use　by　storing　water　there；　was　begun　by　the　Persians　so　soon　as　they　became　masters　of　that　country。　As；　however；　at　the　time　of　which　we　speak　the　tract　had　not　yet　been　so　supplied；　Cambyses　took　the　advice　of　his　Halicarnassian　guest；　and　sent　messengers　to　the　Arabian　to　beg　a　safe…conduct　through　the　region。　The　Arabian　granted　his　prayer；　and　each　pledged　faith　to　the　other。　　　　　The　Arabs　keep　such　pledges　more　religiously　than　almost　any　other　people。　They　plight　faith　with　the　forms　following。　When　two　men　would　swear　a　friendship；　they　stand　on　each　side　of　a　third：　he　with　a　sharp　stone　makes　a　cut　on　the　inside　of　the　hand　of　each　near　the　middle　finger；　and；　taking　a　piece　from　their　dress；　dips　it　in　the　blood　of　each；　and　moistens　therewith　seven　stones　lying　in　the　midst；　calling　the　while　on　Bacchus　and　Urania。　After　this；　the　man　who　makes　the　pledge　commends　the　stranger　（or　the　citizen；　if　citizen　he　be）　to　all　his　friends；　and　they　deem　themselves　bound　to　stand　to　the　engagement。　They　have　but　these　two　gods；　to　wit；　Bacchus　and　Urania；　and　they　say　that　in　their　mode　of　cutting　the　hair；　they　follow　Bacchus。　Now　their　practice　is　to　cut　it　in　a　ring；　away　from　the　temples。　Bacchus　they　call　in　their　language　Orotal；　and　Urania；　Alilat。　　　　　When　therefore　the　Arabian　had　pledged　his　faith　to　the　messengers　of　Cambyses；　he　straightway　contrived　as　follows：…　he　filled　a　number　of　camels'　skins　with　water；　and　loading　therewith　all　the　live　camels　that　he　possessed；　drove　them　into　the　desert；　and　awaited　the　coming　of　the　army。　This　is　the　more　likely　of　the　two　tales　that　are　told。　The　other　is　an　improbable　story；　but；　as　it　is　related；　I　think　that　I　ought　not　to　pass　it　by。　There　is　a　great　river　in　Arabia；　called　the　Corys；　which　empties　itself　into　the　Erythraean　sea。　The　Arabian　king；　they　say；　made　a　pipe　of　the　skins　of　oxen　and　other　beasts；　reaching　from　this　river　all　the　way　to　the　desert；　and　so　brought　the　water　to　certain　cisterns　which　he　had　dug　in　the　desert　to　receive　it。　It　is　a　twelve　days'　journey　from　the　river　to　this　desert　tract。　And　the　water；　they　say；　was　brought　through　three　different　pipes　to　three　separate　places。　　　　　Psammenitus；　son　of　Amasis；　lay　encamped　at　the　mouth　of　the。　Nile；　called　the　Pelusiac；　awaiting　Cambyses。　For　Cambyses；　when　he　went　up　against　Egypt；　found　Amasis　no　longer　in　life：　he　had　died　after　ruling　Egypt　forty　and　four　years；　during　all　which　time　no　great　misfortune　had　befallen　him。　When　he　died；　his　body　was　embalmed；　and　buried　in　the　tomb　which　he　had　himself　caused　to　be　made　in　the　temple。　After　his　son　Psammenitus　had　mounted　the　throne；　a　strange　prodigy　occurred　in　Egypt…　rain　fell　at　Egyptian　Thebes；　a　thing　which　never　happened　before；　and　which；　to　the　present　time；　has　never　happened　again；　as　the　Thebans　themselves　testify。　In　Upper　Egypt　it　does　not　usually　rain　at　all；　but　on　this　occasion；　rain　fell　at　Thebes　in　small　drops。　　　　　The　Persians　crossed　the　desert；　and；　pitching　their　camp　close　to　the　Egyptians；　made　ready　for　battle。　Hereupon　the　mercenaries　in　the　pay　of　Psammenitus；　who　were　Greeks　and　Carians；　full　of　anger　against　Phanes　for　having　brought　a　foreign　army　upon　Egypt；　bethought　themselves　of　a　mode　whereby　they　might　be　revenged　on　him。　Phanes　had　left　sons　in　Egypt。　The　mercenaries　took　these；　and　leading　them　to　the　camp；　displayed　them　before　the　eyes　of　their　father；　after　which　they　brought　out　a　bowl；　and；　placing　it　in　the　space　between　the　two　hosts；　they　led　the　sons　of　Phanes；　one　by　one；　to　the　vessel；　and　slew　them　over　it。　When　the　last　was　dead；　water　and　wine　were　poured　into　the　bowl；　and　all　the　soldiers　tasted　of　the　blood；　and　so　they　went　to　the　battle。　Stubborn　was　the　fight　which　followed；　and　it　was　not　till　vast　numbers　had　been　slain　upon　both　sides；　that　the　Egyptians　tu