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1、ANACCOUNTOFEGYPTANACCOUNTOFEGYPTByHerodotus1ANACCOUNTOFEGYPTNOTEHERODOTUSwasbornatHalicarnassus,onthesouthwestcoastofAsiaMinor,intheearlypartofthefifthcentury,B.C.Ofhislifeweknowalmostnothing,exceptthathespentmuchofittraveling,tocollectthematerialforhiswritings,a
2、ndthathefinallysettleddownatThurii,insouthernItaly,wherehisgreatworkwascomposed.Hediedin424B.C.ThesubjectofthehistoryofHerodotusisthestrugglebetweentheGreeksandthebarbarians,whichhebringsdowntothebattleofMycalein479B.C.Thework,aswehaveit,isdividedintoninebooks,na
3、medafterthenineMuses,butthisdivisionisprobablyduetotheAlexandrinegrammarians.Hisinformationhegatheredmainlyfromoralsources,ashetraveledthroughAsiaMinor,downintoEgypt,roundtheBlackSea,andintovariouspartsofGreeceandtheneighboringcountries.Thechronologicalnarrativeh
4、altsfromtimetotimetogiveopportunityfordescriptionsofthecountry,thepeople,andtheircustomsandprevioushistory;andthepoliticalaccountisconstantlyvariedbyraretalesandwonders.Amongthesedescriptionsofcountriesthemostfascinatingtothemodern,asitwastotheancient,readerishis
5、accountofthemarvelsofthelandofEgypt.FromthepriestsatMemphis,Heliopolis,andtheEgyptianThebeshelearnedwhathereportsofthesizeofthecountry,thewondersoftheNile,theceremoniesoftheirreligion,thesacrednessoftheiranimals.Hetellsalsoofthestrangewaysofthecrocodileandofthatm
6、arvelousbird,thePhoenix;ofdressandfuneralsandembalming;oftheeatingoflotosandpapyrus;ofthepyramidsandthegreatlabyrinth;oftheirkingsandqueensandcourtesans.YetHerodotusisnotameretellerofstrangetales.Howevercreduloushemayappeartoamodernjudgment,hetakescaretokeepsepar
7、atewhatheknowsbyhisownobservationfromwhathehasmerelyinferredandfromwhathehasbeentold.Heiscandidaboutacknowledgingignorance,andwhenversionsdifferhegivesboth.Thusthemodernscientifichistorian,withothermeansofcorroboration,cansometimeslearnfromHerodotusmorethanHerodo
8、tushimselfknew.2ANACCOUNTOFEGYPTThereisabundantevidence,too,thatHerodotushadaphilosophyofhistory.TheunitywhichmarkshisworkisduenotonlytothestrongGreeknationalf
