e
mother-city of the Ethiopians. Now the name of these "Deserters" is
Asmach, and this word signifies, when translated into the tongue of the
Hellenes, "those who stand on the left hand of the king." These were two
hundred and forty thousand Egyptians of the warrior class, who revolted
and went over to the Ethiopians for the following cause:--In the reign of
Psammetichos garrisons were set, one towards the Ethiopians at the city
of Elephantine, another towards the Arabians and Assyrians at Daphnai
of Pelusion, and another towards Libya at Marea: and even in my own
time the garrisons of the Persians too are ordered in the same manner as
these were in the reign of Psammetichos, for both at Elephantine and at
Daphnai the Persians have outposts. The Egyptians then of whom I speak
had served as outposts for three years and no one relieved them from
their guard; accordingly they took counsel together, and adopting a
common plan they all in a body revolted from Psammetichos and set out
for Ethiopia. Hearing this Psammetichos set forth in pursuit, and when
he came up with them he entreated them much and endeavoured to persuade
them not to desert the gods of their country and their children and
wives: upon which it is said that one of them pointed to his privy
member and said that wherever this was, there would they have both
children and wives. When these came to Ethiopia they gave themselves
over to the king of the Ethiopians; and he rewarded them as
follows:--there were certain of the Ethiopians who had come to be at
variance with him; and he bade them drive these out and dwell in their
land. So since these men settled in the land of the Ethiopians, the
Ethiopians have come to be of milder manners, from having learnt the
customs of the Egyptians.

31. The Nile then, besides that part of its course which is in Egypt,
is known as far as a four months' journey by river and land: for that is
the number of months which are found by reckoning to be spent in going
from Elephantine to these "Deserters": and the river runs from the West
and the setting of the sun. But what comes after that no one can clearly
say; for this land is desert by reason of the burning heat.

32. Thus much however I heard from men of Kyrene, who told me that they
had been to the Oracle of Ammon, and had come to speech with Etearchos
king of the Ammonians: and it happened that after speaking of other
matters they fell to discourse about the Nile and how no on