The nine books of the History of Herodotus tr. from the text by T. Gaisford, with notes and a summary by P.E. Larent, Volume 1

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Page 134 - Bubastis, they act as follows : for men and women embark together, and great numbers of both sexes in every barge : some of the women have castanets on which they play, and the men play on the flute during the whole voyage ; the rest of the women and men sing and clap their hands together at the same time.
Page 144 - ... executed of these patterns, the name of which in this business I deem it improper to mention. They next shew the second pattern, considerably inferior to the former, and cheaper; and then the third, which is the cheapest of all. They then inquire according to which model the people wish to have the body prepared: when the relations present have agreed for the price, they withdraw ; while the artists, who work at home, proceed to embalm the body in the following manner, which is also the most...
Page 305 - ... in battle to the king ; for when he has brought a head, he is entitled to a share of the booty that may be taken — not otherwise; to skin the head, he makes a circular incision from ear to ear, and then, laying hold of the crown shakes out the skull ; after scraping off the flesh with an ox's rib, he rumples it between his hands, and having thus softened the skin makes use of it as a napkin ; he appends it to the bridle of the horse he rides, and prides himself on this, for the Scythian that...
Page 135 - When they are assembled at the sacrifice, in the city of Sais, they all on a certain night kindle a great number of lamps in the open air, around their houses ; the lamps are flat vessels filled with salt and oil, and the wick floats on the surface, and this burns all night ; and the festival is thence named "the lighting of lamps.
Page 162 - ... even nearly come up to ; and he, wishing to treasure up his wealth in safety, built a chamber of stone, of which one of the walls adjoined the outside of the palace. But the builder, forming a plan against it, devised the following contrivance ; he fitted one of the stones so that it might be easily taken out by two men, or even one. When the chamber was finished, the king laid up his treasures in it ; but in course of time...
Page 47 - The reply of Croesus attracted the attention of Cyrus ; he therefore ordered all the rest to withdraw, and asked Croesus what he thought should be done in the present conjuncture. He answered : " Since the gods have made me your servant, I think it my duty to acquaint you if I perceive anything deserving of remark.
Page 93 - ... enraged with the river for this affront, and threatened to make his stream so weak, that henceforth women should easily cross it without wetting their knees. After this menace, deferring his expedition against Babylon, he divided his army into two parts ; and having so divided it, he marked out by lines one hundred and eighty channels, on each side of the river, diverging every way ; then having distributed his army, he commanded them to dig. His design was indeed executed by the great numbers...
Page 129 - The pig is considered, by Egyptians, as an unclean animal : in the first place, if any one passing by a pig should touch the beast with his garments, he forthwith goes down to the river and plunges in [with all his clothes on] : secondly, the swine-herds, although native Egyptians, are the only people of the country that never enter a temple ; nor will any person give one of them his daughter in marriage; nor will he take a wife from among them: but the swine-herds take and give in marriage among...
Page 140 - Arabia, and bringing with him his father to the temple of the Sun, embalmed in myrrh, and there burying him. The manner in which this is done, is as follows : — In the first place, he sticks together an egg of myrrh, as much as he can carry, and then tries if he can bear the burden: this experiment achieved, he accordingly scoops out the egg, sufficiently to deposit his sire within ; he next fills with fresh myrrh the opening in the egg by which the body was enclosed: thus the whole mass, containing...
Page 53 - ... contributed in some degree, although its effect was mainly due to art. The circles are seven in number : within the last and highest is the royal palace and treasuries. The most extensive of these walls is very nearly equal to the circumference of Athens in length. The battlements of the first circle is white; of the second, black; of the third, purple; of the fourth, blue; of the fifth, scarlet : these battlements are all painted of those colours : the two last are coated respectively with silver...

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