Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
dead body of the thief had been stolen away, displayed great anger; and
desiring by all means that it should be found out who it might be who
devised these things, did this (so at least they said, but I do not
believe the account),—he caused his own daughter to sit in the stews,
and enjoined her to receive all equally, and before having commerce with
any one to compel him to tell her what was the most cunning and what the
most unholy deed which had been done by him in all his life-time; and
whosoever should relate that which had happened about the thief, him she
must seize and not let him go out. Then as she was doing that which was
enjoined by her father, the thief, hearing for what purpose this was
done and having a desire to get the better of the king in resource,
did thus:—from the body of one lately dead he cut off the arm at the
shoulder and went with it under his mantle: and having gone in to the
daughter of the king, and being asked that which the others also were
asked, he related that he had done the most unholy deed when he cut off
the head of his brother, who had been caught in a trap in the king's
treasure-chamber, and the most cunning deed in that he made drunk the
guards and took down the dead body of his brother hanging up; and she
when she heard it tried to take hold of him, but the thief held out to
her in the darkness the arm of the corpse, which she grasped and held,
thinking that she was holding the arm of the man himself; but the thief
left it in her hands and departed, escaping through the door. (f) Now
when this also was reported to the king, he was at first amazed at the
ready invention and daring of the fellow, and then afterwards he sent
round to all the cities and made proclamation granting a free pardon to
the thief, and also promising a great reward if he would come into his
presence. The thief accordingly trusting to the proclamation came to
the king, and Rhampsinitos greatly marvelled at him, and gave him this
daughter of his to wife, counting him to be the most knowing of all men;
for as the Egyptians were distinguished from all other men, so was he
from the other Egyptians.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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