The monumental history of Egypt Volume 1; as recorded on the ruins of her temples, palaces, and tombs - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1854 Excerpt: ...period was to be obtained, was also given to him. It is three generations to the century, which gives the moderate sum of 11,366 years for the date of the reign of Menes, before the visit of Herodotus; that is to say, the Egyptian monarchy was founded c.c. 11,806! This was the account given to Herodotus by the Egyptian priests, the authors and custodes, be it remembered, of the lists and the canonical number extracted from them, which we are now called upon to receive as an undoubted fact of history. We have already alluded to another extremely silly old wife's fahle, which was imposed upon the credulity of the same traveller by his Phrygian dragoman. It related that king Psametichus, of the 26th dynasty, was exceedingly anxious to ascertain which was the most ancient nation in the world. He therefore took two infants of poor parents, and gave them to his chief shepherd, directing him to put them in the pens with the she-goats, in a solitary pasturage, where they should never see the face, or hear the voice, of man. After they had been there two years, the shepherd was directed to go in to them, and notice the Herod, lib. ii., c. 142. Chap, v. HEBODOTUS AND HIS DRAGOMAN. 237 first articulations they uttered. This was repeated many times; and, upon every occasion, they stretched out their hands towards him, and cried, "(iexos" (Bekos). The sagacious monarch immediately set on foot an inquiry in what language this word meant anything; and, after much difficulty, discovered that it was the Phrygian word for bread. "After this," proceeds the narrator, "the Egyptians no longer call themselves the oldest of nations, but assign this honour to the Phrygians." We have already explained that (3«of is the Greek transcription of the c...