Herodotus 2.35 & 2.36

Clark, Brian R. / Herodotus
  • Created on 2017-05-03 04:44:54
  • Modified on 2017-05-03 20:41:06
  • Translated by A. D. Godley
  • Aligned by Clark, Brian R.
Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
Νείλου μέν νυν πέρι τοσαῦτα εἰρήσθω . ἔρχομαι δὲ περὶ Αἰγύπτου μηκυνέων τὸν λόγον , ὅτι πλεῖστα θωμάσια ἔχει ἢ ἡ ἄλλη πᾶσα χώρη καὶ ἔργα λόγου μέζω παρέχεται πρὸς πᾶσαν χώρην τούτων εἵνεκα πλέω περὶ αὐτῆς εἰρήσεται . Αἰγύπτιοι ἅμα τῷ οὐρανῷ τῷ κατὰ σφέας ἐόντι ἑτεροίῳ καὶ τῷ ποταμῷ φύσιν ἀλλοίην παρεχομένῳ ἢ οἱ ἄλλοι ποταμοί , τὰ πολλὰ πάντα ἔμπαλιν τοῖσι ἄλλοισι ἀνθρώποισι ἐστήσαντο ἤθεά τε καὶ νόμους · ἐν τοῖσι αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ἀγοράζουσι καὶ καπηλεύουσι , οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες κατ᾽ οἴκους ἐόντες ὑφαίνουσι · ὑφαίνουσι δὲ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἄνω τὴν κρόκην ὠθέοντες , Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ κάτω . τὰ ἄχθεα οἱ μὲν ἄνδρες ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλέων φορέουσι , αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων . οὐρέουσι αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ὀρθαί , οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες κατήμενοι . εὐμαρείῃ χρέωνται ἐν τοῖσι οἴκοισι , ἐσθίουσι δὲ ἔξω ἐν τῇσι ὁδοῖσι ἐπιλέγοντες ὡς τὰ μὲν αἰσχρὰ ἀναγκαῖα δὲ ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ ἐστὶ ποιέειν χρεόν , τὰ δὲ μὴ αἰσχρὰ ἀναφανδόν . ἱρᾶται γυνὴ μὲν οὐδεμία οὔτε ἔρσενος θεοῦ οὔτε θηλέης , ἄνδρες δὲ πάντων τε καὶ πασέων . τρέφειν τοὺς τοκέας τοῖσι μὲν παισὶ οὐδεμία ἀνάγκη μὴ βουλομένοισι , τῇσι δὲ θυγατράσι πᾶσα ἀνάγκη καὶ μὴ βουλομένῃσι .

οἱ ἱρέες τῶν θεῶν τῇ μὲν ἄλλῃ κομέουσι , ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δὲ ξυρῶνται . τοῖσι ἄλλοισι ἀνθρώποισι νόμος ἅμα κήδεϊ κεκάρθαι τὰς κεφαλὰς τοὺς μάλιστα ἱκνέεται , Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ ὑπὸ τοὺς θανάτους ἀνιεῖσι τὰς τρίχας αὔξεσθαι τάς τε ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ τῷ γενείῳ , τέως ἐξυρημένοι . τοῖσι μὲν ἄλλοισι ἀνθρώποισι χωρὶς θηρίων ἡ δίαιτα ἀποκέκριται , Αἰγυπτίοισι δὲ ὁμοῦ θηρίοισι ἡ δίαιτα ἐστί . ἀπὸ πυρῶν καὶ κριθέων ὧλλοι ζώουσι , Αἰγυπτίων δὲ τῷ ποιευμένῳ ἀπὸ τούτων τὴν ζόην ὄνειδος μέγιστον ἐστί , ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ ὀλυρέων ποιεῦνται σιτία , τὰς ζειὰς μετεξέτεροι καλέουσι . φυρῶσι τὸ μὲν σταῖς τοῖσι ποσί , τὸν δὲ πηλὸν τῇσι χερσί , καὶ τὴν κόπρον ἀναιρέονται . τὰ αἰδοῖα ὧλλοι μὲν ἐῶσι ὡς ἐγένοντο , πλὴν ὅσοι ἀπὸ τούτων ἔμαθον , Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ περιτάμνονται . εἵματα τῶν μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἕκαστος ἔχει δύο , τῶν δὲ γυναικῶν ἓν ἑκάστη . τῶν ἱστίων τοὺς κρίκους καὶ τοὺς κάλους οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ἔξωθεν προσδέουσι , Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ ἔσωθεν . γράμματα γράφουσι καὶ λογίζονται ψήφοισι Ἕλληνες μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀριστερῶν ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ φέροντες τὴν χεῖρα , Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν δεξιῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερά · καὶ ποιεῦντες ταῦτα αὐτοὶ μὲν φασὶ ἐπὶ δεξιὰ ποιέειν , Ἕλληνας δὲ ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερά . διφασίοισι δὲ γράμμασι χρέωνται , καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν ἱρὰ τὰ δὲ δημοτικὰ καλέεται .
It is sufficient to say this much concerning the Nile . But concerning Egypt , I am going to speak at length , because it has the most wonders , and everywhere presents works beyond description ; therefore , I shall say the more concerning Egypt . Just as the Egyptians have a climate peculiar to themselves , and their river is different in its nature from all other rivers , so , too , have they instituted customs and laws contrary for the most part to those of the rest of mankind . Among them , the women buy and sell , the men stay at home and weave ; and whereas in weaving all others push the woof upwards , the Egyptians push it downwards . Men carry burdens on their heads , women on their shoulders . Women pass water standing , men sitting . They ease their bowels indoors , and eat out of doors in the streets , explaining that things unseemly but necessary should be done alone in private , things not unseemly should be done openly . No woman is dedicated to the service of any god or goddess ; men are dedicated to all deities male or female . Sons are not compelled against their will to support their parents , but daughters must do so though they be unwilling .

Everywhere else , priests of the gods wear their hair long ; in Egypt , they are shaven . For all other men , the rule in mourning for the dead is that those most nearly concerned have their heads shaven ; Egyptians are shaven at other times , but after a death they let their hair and beard grow . The Egyptians are the only people who keep their animals with them in the house . Whereas all others live on wheat and barley , it is the greatest disgrace for an Egyptian to live so ; they make food from a coarse grain which some call spelt . They knead dough with their feet , and gather mud and dung with their hands . The Egyptians and those who have learned it from them are the only people who practise circumcision . Every man has two garments , every woman only one . The rings and sheets of sails are made fast outside the boat elsewhere , but inside it in Egypt . The Greeks write and calculate from left to right ; the Egyptians do the opposite ; yet they say that their way of writing is towards the right , and the Greek way towards the left . They employ two kinds of writing ; one is called sacred , the other demotic .

( 74 ) 18% GRC
( 344 ) 82% GRC - ENG

( 382 ) 84% GRC - ENG
( 75 ) 16% ENG