Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
53. This is the report given by the Lacedemonians alone of all the
Hellenes; but this which follows I write in accordance with that which
is reported by the Hellenes generally,--I mean that the names of these
kings of the Dorians are rightly enumerated by the Hellenes up to
Perseus the son of Danae (leaving the god out of account), 36 and proved
to be of Hellenic race; for even from that time they were reckoned as
Hellenes. I said "up to Perseus" and did not take the descent from a yet
higher point, because there is no name mentioned of a mortal father for
Perseus, as Amphitryon is for Heracles. Therefore with reason, as is
evident, I have said "rightly up to Perseus"; but if one enumerates
their ancestors in succession going back from Danae the daughter of
Acrisios, the rulers of the Dorians will prove to be Egyptians by direct
descent..
54. Thus I have traced the descent according to the account given by the
Hellenes; but as the story is reported which the Persians tell, Perseus
himself was an Assyrian and became a Hellene, whereas the ancestors of
Perseus were not Hellenes; and as for the ancestors of Acrisios, who
(according to this account) belonged not to Perseus in any way by
kinship, they say that these were, as the Hellenes report, Egyptians..
55. Let it suffice to have said so much about these matters; and as to
the question how and by what exploits being Egyptians they received the
sceptres of royalty over the Dorians, we will omit these things, since
others have told about them; but the things with which other narrators
have not dealt, of these I will make mention.
56. These are the royal rights which have been given by the Spartans
to their kings, namely, two priesthoods, of Zeus Lakedaimon and Zeus
Uranios; 37 and the right of making war against whatsoever land they
please, and that no man of the Spartans shall hinder this right, or
if he do, he shall be subject to the curse; and that when they go on
expeditions the kings shall go out first and return last; that a hundred
picked men shall be their guard upon expeditions; and that they shall
use in their goings forth to war as many cattle as they desire, and take
both the hides and the backs of all that are sacrificed..
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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