the history-第37章

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g　custom　is　observed：…　When　the　sun　is　getting　low；　a　few　only　of　the　priests　continue　occupied　about　the　image　of　the　god；　while　the　greater　number；　armed　with　wooden　clubs；　take　their　station　at　the　portal　of　the　temple。　Opposite　to　them　is　drawn　up　a　body　of　men；　in　number　above　a　thousand；　armed；　like　the　others；　with　clubs；　consisting　of　persons　engaged　in　the　performance　of　their　vows。　The　image　of　the　god；　which　is　kept　in　a　small　wooden　shrine　covered　with　plates　of　gold；　is　conveyed　from　the　temple　into　a　second　sacred　building　the　day　before　the　festival　begins。　The　few　priests　still　in　attendance　upon　the　image　place　it；　together　with　the　shrine　containing　it；　on　a　four…wheeled　car；　and　begin　to　drag　it　along；　the　others　stationed　at　the　gateway　of　the　temple；　oppose　its　admission。　Then　the　votaries　come　forward　to　espouse　the　quarrel　of　the　god；　and　set　upon　the　opponents；　who　are　sure　to　offer　resistance。　A　sharp　fight　with　clubs　ensues；　in　which　heads　are　commonly　broken　on　both　sides。　Many；　I　am　convinced；　die　of　the　wounds　that　they　receive；　though　the　Egyptians　insist　that　no　one　is　ever　killed。　　　　　The　natives　give　the　subjoined　account　of　this　festival。　They　say　that　the　mother　of　the　god　Mars　once　dwelt　in　the　temple。　Brought　up　at　a　distance　from　his　parent；　when　he　grew　to　man's　estate　he　conceived　a　wish　to　visit　her。　Accordingly　he　came；　but　the　attendants；　who　had　never　seen　him　before；　refused　him　entrance；　and　succeeded　in　keeping　him　out。　So　he　went　to　another　city　and　collected　a　body　of　men；　with　whose　aid　he　handled　the　attendants　very　roughly；　and　forced　his　way　in　to　his　mother。　Hence　they　say　arose　the　custom　of　a　fight　with　sticks　in　honour　of　Mars　at　this　festival。　　　　　The　Egyptians　first　made　it　a　point　of　religion　to　have　no　converse　with　women　in　the　sacred　places；　and　not　to　enter　them　without　washing；　after　such　converse。　Almost　all　other　nations；　except　the　Greeks　and　the　Egyptians；　act　differently；　regarding　man　as　in　this　matter　under　no　other　law　than　the　brutes。　Many　animals；　they　say；　and　various　kinds　of　birds；　may　be　seen　to　couple　in　the　temples　and　the　sacred　precincts；　which　would　certainly　not　happen　if　the　gods　were　displeased　at　it。　Such　are　the　arguments　by　which　they　defend　their　practice；　but　I　nevertheless　can　by　no　means　approve　of　it。　In　these　points　the　Egyptians　are　specially　careful；　as　they　are　indeed　in　everything　which　concerns　their　sacred　edifices。　　　　　Egypt；　though　it　borders　upon　Libya；　is　not　a　region　abounding　in　wild　animals。　The　animals　that　do　exist　in　the　country；　whether　domesticated　or　otherwise；　are　all　regarded　as　sacred。　If　I　were　to　explain　why　they　are　consecrated　to　the　several　gods；　I　should　be　led　to　speak　of　religious　matters；　which　I　particularly　shrink　from　mentioning；　the　points　whereon　I　have　touched　slightly　hitherto　have　all　been　introduced　from　sheer　necessity。　Their　custom　with　respect　to　animals　is　as　follows：…　For　every　kind　there　are　appointed　certain　guardians；　some　male；　some　female；　whose　business　it　is　to　look　after　them；　and　this　honour　is　made　to　descend　from　father　to　son。　The　inhabitants　of　the　various　cities；　when　they　have　made　a　vow　to　any　god；　pay　it　to　his　animals　in　the　way　which　I　will　now　explain。　At　the　time　of　making　the　vow　they　shave　the　head　of　the　child；　cutting　off　all　the　hair；　or　else　half；　or　sometimes　a　third　part；　which　they　then　weigh　in　a　balance　against　a　sum　of　silver；　and　whatever　sum　the　hair　weighs　is　presented　to　the　guardian　of　the　animals；　who　thereupon　cuts　up　some　fish；　and　gives　it　to　them　for　food…　such　being　the　stuff　whereon　they　are　fed。　When　a　man　has　killed　one　of　the　sacred　animals；　if　he　did　it　with　malice　prepense；　he　is　punished　with　death；　if　unwittingly；　he　has　to　pay　such　a　fine　as　the　priests　choose　to　impose。　When　an　ibis；　however；　or　a　hawk　is　killed；　whether　it　was　done　by　accident　or　on　purpose；　the　man　must　needs　die。　　　　　The　number　of　domestic　animals　in　Egypt　is　very　great；　and　would　be　still　greater　were　it　not　for　what　befalls　the　cats。　As　the　females；　when　they　have　kittened；　no　longer　seek　the　company　of　the　males；　these　last；　to　obtain　once　more　their　companionship；　practise　a　curious　artifice。　They　seize　the　kittens；　carry　them　off；　and　kill　them；　but　do　not　cat　them　afterwards。　Upon　this　the　females；　being　deprived　of　their　young；　and　longing　to　supply　their　place；　seek　the　males　once　more；　since　they　are　particularly　fond　of　their　offspring。　On　every　occasion　of　a　fire　in　Egypt　the　strangest　prodigy　occurs　with　the　cats。　The　inhabitants　allow　the　fire　to　rage　as　it　pleases；　while　they　stand　about　at　intervals　and　watch　these　animals；　which；　slipping　by　the　men　or　else　leaping　over　them；　rush　headlong　into　the　flames。　When　this　happens；　the　Egyptians　are　in　deep　affliction。　If　a　cat　dies　in　a　private　house　by　a　natural　death；　all　the　inmates　of　the　house　shave　their　eyebrows；　on　the　death　of　a　dog　they　shave　the　head　and　the　whole　of　the　body。　　　　　The　cats　on　their　decease　are　taken　to　the　city　of　Bubastis；　where　they　are　embalmed；　after　which　they　are　buried　in　certain　sacred　repositories。　The　dogs　are　interred　in　the　cities　to　which　they　belong；　also　in　sacred　burial…places。　The　same　practice　obtains　with　respect　to　the　ichneumons；　the　hawks　and　shrew…mice；　on　the　contrary；　are　conveyed　to　the　city　of　Buto　for　burial；　and　the　ibises　to　Hermopolis。　The　bears；　which　are　scarce　in　Egypt；　and　the　wolves；　which　are　not　much　bigger　than　foxes；　they　bury　wherever　they　happen　to　find　them　lying。　　　　　The　following　are　the　peculiarities　of　the　crocodile：…　During　the　four　winter　months　they　eat　nothing；　they　are　four…footed；　and　live　indifferently　on　land　or　in　the　water。　The　female　lays　and　hatches　her　eggs　ashore；　passing　the　greater　portion　of　the　day　on　dry　land；　but　at　night　retiring　to　the　river；　the　water　of　which　is　warmer　than　the　night…air　and　the　dew。　Of　all　known　animals　this　is　the　one　which　from　the　smallest　size　grows　to　be　the　greatest：　for　the　egg　of　the　crocodile　is　but　little　bigger　than　that　of　the　goose；　and　the　young　crocodile　is　in　proportion　to　the　egg；　yet　when　it　is　full　grown；　the　animal　measures　frequently　seventeen　cubits　and　even　more。　It　has　the　eyes　of　a　pig；　teeth　large　and　tusk…like；　of　a　size　proportioned　to　its　frame；　unlike　any　other　animal；　it　is　without　a　tongue；　it　cannot　move　its　under…jaw；　and　in　this　respect　too　it　is　singular；　being　the　only　animal　in　the　world　which　moves　the　upper…jaw　but　not　the　under。　It　has　strong　claws　and　a　scaly　skin；　impenetrable　upon　the　back。　In　the　water　it　is　blind；　but　on　land　it　is　very　keen　of　sight。　As　it　lives　chiefly　in　the　river；　it　has　the　inside　of　its　mouth　constantly　covered　with　leeches；　hence　it　happens　that；　while　all　the　other　birds　and　beasts　avoid　it；　with　the　trochilus　it　lives　at　peace；　since　it　owes　much　to　that　bird：　for　the　crocodile；　when　he　leaves　the　water　and　comes　out　upon　the　land；　is　in　the　habit　of　lying　with　his　mouth　wide　open；　facing　the　western　breeze：　at　such　times　the　trochilus　goes　into　his　mouth　and　devours　the　leeches。　This　benefits　the　crocodile；　who　is　pleased；　and　takes　care　not　to　hurt　the　trochilus。　　　　　The　crocodile　is　esteemed　sacred　by　some　of　the　Egyptians；　by　others　he　is　treated　as　an　enemy。　Those　who　live　near　Thebes；　and　those　who　dwell　around　Lake　Moeris；　regard　them　with　especial　veneration。　In　each　of　these　places　they　keep　one　crocodile　in　particular；　who　is　taught　to　be　tame　and　tractable。　They　adorn　his　ears　with　ear…rings　of　molten　stone　or　gold；　and　put　bracelets　on　his　fore…paws；　giving　him　daily　a　set　portion　of　bread；　with　a　certain　number　of　victims；　and；　after　having　thus　treated　him　with　the　greatest　possible　attention　while　alive；　they　embalm　him　when　he　dies　and　bury　him　in　a　sacred　repository。　The　people　of　Elephantine　on　the　other　hand；　are　so　far　from　considering　these　animals　as　sacred　that　they　even　eat　their　flesh。　In　the　Egyptian　language　they　are　not　called　crocodiles；　but　Champsae。　The　name　of　crocodiles　was　given　them　by　the　Ionians；　who　remarked　their　resemblance　to　the　lizards；　which　in　Ionia　live　in　the　walls　and　are　called　crocodiles。　　　　　The　modes　of　catching　the　crocodile　are　many　and　various。　I　shall　only　describe　the　one