invader. But the ingratitude, perhaps the jealousy of the Memphites, disguised the truth from the Greek historian, and the miraculous interposition of Pthah was affirmed to have been the cause of Sennacherib's defeat. Concealing the assistance received from the army of Tirhakah, the priests assured Herodotus, that when the Assyrians or Arabians and the feeble party commanded by Sethos were encamped opposite each other, a prodigious number of rats infested the enemy's camp by night, and gnawed in pieces their quivers and bows, as well as the handles of their shields; so that in the morning, finding themselves without arms, they fled in confusion, and lost great numbers of their men. And in order to commemorate the event, a marble statue of Sethos was erected in the temple of Pthah at Memphis, representing the king holding a rat in his hand, with this inscription" Whoever thou art, learn from my fortune to reverence the gods." "From Menes to this prince," adds the historian, "was a period of 341 generations, in which there had been as many high-priests, and the same number of kings. And as three generations are equal to 100 years, the total of these may be estimated at 11,340 years." Such are the extravagant dates given by ancient writers. That Tirhakah ruled at Napata and in the Thebaïd at the same period, is sufficiently proved by the additions he made to the temples of Thebes, and by the monuments he built in Ethiopia; nor did the Egyptians efface his records, or forget the gratitude they owed to the defender of their country. The name of Nectanebo has indeed usurped the place of Tirhakah's ovals in one or two instances among the sculptures at Thebes; but such substitutions are not uncommon, and the name of the Ethiopian has not been erased from any ill-will, so often evinced when an obnoxious monarch had ceased to reign. That he was a very potent prince, is evident from his defeat of the numerous army of Sennacherib* as well as from the monuments he has left both in Egypt and Ethiopia, and his maintenance of the Egyptian possessions in Asia; and however Strabo may have exaggerated his power when he affirms that he extended his conquests, like Sesostris, into Europe, even as far as the Pillars of Hercules, yet his authority is of use, as it leads to the conclusion that Tirhakah, or, as he calls him, Tearcon †, ruled Lower as well as Upper Egypt, to which he, perhaps, succeeded on the death of the priest-king Sethos. According to Herodotus, twelve kings, or rather monarchs ‡, succeeded to the dominion of all Egypt; but it is probable they did not assume the title of Pharaoh, being only governors of the twelve provinces or nomes into which the country was divided. On this occasion the historian sarcastically observes, that "as the Egyptians were not capable of existing a single instant without a king, they elected twelve," each enjoying equal *In the Syriac and Arabic versions he is called Sanherib. Herodotus, ii. 147. rank and authority. "They connected themselves by intermarriages, solemnly promising to promote their common interests, and never to engage in any acts of separate policy: their principal motive in this union being to guard against the declaration of an oracle, which had predicted that whoever among them should offer a libation in the temple of Vulcan from a brazen vessel, should be sole sovereign of Egypt." For many years they continued the management of affairs in perfect amity and mutual confidence, and no administration was more eminent for justice and impartiality. An accident at length occurred to interrupt their friendship. "On a certain occasion they were called upon to offer sacrifice in the temple of Vulcan; and when the last day of the festival came, they prepared to make the accustomed libation. For this purpose the chief priest presented the golden cups used on those solemnities; but having mistaken the number, he brought only eleven. Psammitichus*, who was the last, not having a cup, took off his helmet, which was of brass, and poured from it the libation. The other princes had similar helmets, and wore them on the present occasion; so that the circumstance of this one king using his was accidental and unpremeditated; but when they observed what Psammitichus had done, and remembered the prediction of the oracle, they examined him, suspecting he had acted designedly. Finding, however, that *This is Herodotus's mode of writing the name of Psamatik, or Psamaticus. it was purely accidental, they did not think him worthy of death, but were satisfied with depriving him of his regal power; and, confining him to the low lands of Egypt, they forbade him to leave that district, or to hold any communication with the rest of the country." Things continued in this state for some time; the eleven kings having taken the whole direction of affairs, and the dethroned prince still remaining in exile. Psamaticus, however, could not passively submit to this uncalled-for treatment; and feeling the strongest resentment for the injury, he determined to be revenged upon his oppressors. With this view he sent to consult the oracle of Latona at Butos, which had among the Egyptians the highest character for veracity, and received for answer that the sea should avenge his cause by producing brazen men. He was little inclined to believe that such an event could ever occur; but some time afterwards a body of Ionians and Carians, who had been engaged in a voyage of plunder, were compelled by stress of weather to touch at Egypt and landed there, clad in brazen armour. Some Egyptians, alarmed at their appearance, hastened to carry the news to Psamaticus; and as they had never before seen persons so armed, they described them as brazen men*, who had arisen from the sea, and were plundering the country. He instantly conceived this to be the accomplish * The surprise of the Egyptians on seeing men clad in bronze or brass armour would seem to imply that they used iron for the same purpose. But can we trust this statement of Herodotus? Psamaticus's helmet was also of bronze, according to the same author. ment of the oracular prediction; and having entered into an alliance with the strangers, and engaged them by splendid promises to unite with his Egyptian adherents, he vanquished the eleven kings, and made himself master of the whole country. Previous to this event, the twelve kings are said by Herodotus to have erected the famous labyrinth in the nome of Crocodilopolis, afterwards called Arsinoe; but since the prior claims of Mœris*, as the builder of that monument, appear to be fully established, we can only suppose that Psamaticus and his coadjutors completed a work commenced many ages previously by one of their early predecessors. "In acknowledgment," continues the historian, "of the assistance he had received from the Ionian and Carian strangers, Psammitichus conferred upon them certain lands termed the camp, which were situated opposite each other, on either bank of the river; and having fulfilled all his engagements with them, he entrusted to their care some Egyptian children, to be instructed in the Greek language; and from those the present interpreters of Egypt are said to be descended. The district they inhabited was near the sea coast, a short distance below Bubastis, on the Pelusian branch of the Nile, and the same Greek settlers continued in possession of it for a considerable period; till Amasis, wishing to avail himself of their services against the Egyptians, removed them to Memphis. They were the * Vide p. 92. |