herodotus

[217] {me eie}.[218] {tou katharou stratou}, perhaps "the effective part," withoutthe encumbrances, cp. iv. 135.[219] {alexomenous}.[220] {sagaris nomizontes ekhein}: cp. iv. 5.[221] {maskhalisteras}.[222] {thuousi}.[223] {nomos}: the conjecture {noos}, "meaning," which is adopted bymany Editors, may be right; but {nomos} seems to mean the"customary rule" which determines this form of sacrifice, the rulenamely of "swift to the swift."BOOK IITHE SECOND BOOK OF THE HISTORIES, CALLED EUTERPE1. When Cyrus had brought his life to an end, Cambyses received theroyal power in succession, being the son of Cyrus and of Cassandanethe daughter of Pharnaspes, for whose death, which came about beforehis own, Cyrus had made great mourning himself and also had proclaimedto all those over whom he bore rule that they should make mourning forher: Cambyses, I say, being the son of this woman and of Cyrus,regarded the Ionians and Aiolians as slaves inherited from his father;and he proceeded to march an army against Egypt, taking with him ashelpers not only the other nations of which he was the ruler, but alsothose of the Hellenes over whom he had power besides.*****2. Now the Egyptians, before the time when Psammetichos[1] became kingover them, were wont to suppose that they had come into being first ofall men; but since the time when Psammetichos having become kingdesired to know what men had come into being first, they suppose thatthe Phrygians came into being before themselves, but they themselvesbefore all other men. Now Psammetichos, when he was not able byinquiry to find out any means of knowing who had come into being firstof all men, contrived a device of the following kind:--Taking two newbornchildren belonging to persons of the common sort he gave them to