But, Above All, He Is The Father Of Story-Tellers.
"Herodotus is such
simple and delightful reading," says Jevons; "he is so unaffected and
entertaining, his story flows so
Naturally and with such ease that we
have a difficulty in bearing in mind that, over and above the hard
writing which goes to make easy reading there is a perpetual marvel in
the work of Herodotus. It is the first artistic work in prose that
Greek literature produced. This prose work, which for pure literary
merit no subsequent work has surpassed, than which later generations,
after using the pen for centuries, have produced no prose more easy or
more readable, this was the first of histories and of literary prose."
AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT
BY HERODOTUS
BEING THE SECOND BOOK OF HIS HISTORIES
CALLED EUTERPE
When Cyrus had brought his life to an end, Cambyses received the royal
power in succession, being the son of Cyrus and of Cassandane the
daughter of Pharnaspes, for whose death, which came about before his
own, Cyrus had made great mourning himself and also had proclaimed to
all those over whom he bore rule that they should make mourning for
her: 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 as
helpers not only other nations of which he was ruler, but also those
of the Hellenes over whom he had power besides.
Now the Egyptians, before the time when Psammetichos became king over
them, were wont to suppose that they had come into being first of all
men; but since the time when Psammetichos having become king desired
to know what men had come into being first, they suppose that the
Phrygians came into being before themselves, but they themselves
before all other men. Now Psammetichos, when he was not able by
inquiry to find out any means of knowing who had come into being first
of all men, contrived a device of the following kind: - Taking two new-
born children belonging to persons of the common sort he gave them to
a shepherd to bring up at the place where his flocks were, with a
manner of bringing up such as I shall say, charging him namely that no
man should utter any word in their presence, and that they should be
placed by themselves in a room where none might come, and at the
proper time he should bring them she-goats, and when he had satisfied
them with milk he should do for them whatever else was needed. These
things Psammetichos did and gave him this charge wishing to hear what
word the children would let break forth first after they had ceased
from wailings without sense. And accordingly it came to pass; for
after a space of two years had gone by, during which the shepherd went
on acting so, at length, when he opened the door and entered, both
children fell before him in entreaty and uttered the word /bekos/,
stretching forth their hands.
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