Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
80. In another respect the Egyptians are in agreement with some of the
Hellenes, namely with the Lacedemonians, but not with the rest, that is
to say, the younger of them when they meet the elder give way and move
out of the path, and when their elders approach they rise out of their
seat. In this which follows however they are not in agreement with any
of the Hellenes,—instead of addressing one another in the roads they do
reverence, lowering their hand down to their knee.
81. They wear tunics of linen about their legs with fringes, which they
call calasiris; above these they have garments of white wool thrown
over: woollen garments however are not taken into the temples, nor are
they buried with them, for this is not permitted by religion. In these
points they are in agreement with the observances called Orphic and
Bacchic (which are really Egyptian), 71 and also with those of the
Pythagoreans, for one who takes part in these mysteries is also
forbidden by religious rule to be buried in woollen garments; and about
this there is a sacred story told.
82. Besides these things the Egyptians have found out also to what god
each month and each day belongs, and what fortunes a man will meet with
who is born on any particular day, and how he will die, and what kind
of a man he will be: and these inventions were taken up by those of the
Hellenes who occupied themselves about poesy. Portents too have been
found out by them more than by all other men besides; for when a portent
has happened, they observe and write down the event which comes of it,
and if ever afterwards anything resembling this happens, they believe
that the event which comes of it will be similar.
83. Their divination is ordered thus:—the art is assigned not to any
man, but to certain of the gods, for there are in their land Oracles of
Heracles, of Apollo, of Athene, of Artemis, of Ares, and of Zeus, and
moreover that which they hold most in honour of all, namely the Oracle
of Leto which is in the city of Buto. The manner of divination however
is not yet established among them according to the same fashion
everywhere, but is different in different places.
84. The art of medicine among them is distributed thus:—each physician
is a physician of one disease and of no more; and the whole country is
full of physicians, for some profess themselves to be physicians of the
eyes, others of the head, others of the teeth, others of the affections
of the stomach, and others of the more obscure ailments.
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