herodotus

went continually to visit the image and did great reverence to it.Then Amasis, having learnt that which was done by the men of the city,called together the Egyptians and made known to them the matter,saying that the image had been produced from the foot-basin, intowhich formerly the Egyptians used to vomit and make water, and inwhich they washed their feet, whereas now they did to it greatreverence; and just so, he continued, had he himself now fared, as thefoot-basin; for though formerly he was a man of the people, yet now hewas their king, and he bade them accordingly honour him and haveregard for him. 173. In such manner he won the Egyptians to himself,so that they consented to be his subjects; and his ordering of affairswas thus:--In the early morning, and until the time of the filling ofthe market he did with a good will the business which was broughtbefore him; but after this he passed the time in drinking and injesting at his boon-companions, and was frivolous and playful. And hisfriends being troubled at it admonished him in some such words asthese: "O king, thou dost not rightly govern thyself in thus lettingthyself descend to behaviour so trifling; for thou oughtest rather tohave been sitting throughout the day stately upon a stately throne andadministering thy business; and so the Egyptians would have beenassured that they were ruled by a great man, and thou wouldest havehad a better report: but as it is, thou art acting by no means in akingly fashion." And he answered them thus: "They who have bowsstretch them at such time as they wish to use them, and when they havefinished using them they loose them again;[148] for if they werestretched tight always they would break, so that the men would not beable to use them when they needed them. So also is the state of man:if he should always be in earnest and not relax himself for sport atthe due time, he would either go mad or be struck with stupor beforehe was aware; and knowing this well, I distribute a portion of thetime to each of the two ways of living." Thus he replied to hisfriends. 174. It is said however that Amasis, even when he was in aprivate station, was a lover of drinking and of jesting, and not atall seriously disposed; and whenever his means of livelihood failedhim through his drinking and luxurious living, he would go about andsteal; and they from whom he stole would charge him with having theirproperty, and when he denied it would bring him before the judgment ofan Oracle, whenever there was one in their place; and many times hewas convicted by the Oracles and many times he was absolved: and thenwhen finally he became king he did as follows:--as many of the gods ashad absolved him and pronounced him not to be a thief, to theirtemples he paid no regard, nor gave anything for the further adornmentof them, nor even visited them to offer sacrifice, considering them tobe worth nothing and to possess lying Oracles; but as many as hadconvicted him of being a thief, to these he paid very great regard,considering them to be truly gods, and to present Oracles which did