mber, and the most cunning deed in that he made drunk the
guards and took down the dead body of his brother hanging up; and she
when she heard it tried to take hold of him, but the thief held out to
her in the darkness the arm of the corpse, which she grasped and held,
thinking that she was holding the arm of the man himself; but the thief
left it in her hands and departed, escaping through the door. (f) Now
when this also was reported to the king, he was at first amazed at the
ready invention and daring of the fellow, and then afterwards he sent
round to all the cities and made proclamation granting a free pardon to
the thief, and also promising a great reward if he would come into his
presence. The thief accordingly trusting to the proclamation came to
the king, and Rhampsinitos greatly marvelled at him, and gave him this
daughter of his to wife, counting him to be the most knowing of all men;
for as the Egyptians were distinguished from all other men, so was he
from the other Egyptians.

122. After these things they said this king went down alive to that
place which by the Hellenes is called Hades, and there played at dice
with Demeter, and in some throws he overcame her and in others he was
overcome by her; and he came back again having as a gift from her a
handkerchief of gold: and they told me that because of the going down of
Rhampsinitos the Egyptians after he came back celebrated a feast, which
I know of my own knowledge also that they still observe even to my time;
but whether it is for this cause that they keep the feast or for
some other, I am not able to say. However, the priests weave a robe
completely on the very day of the feast, and forthwith they bind up the
eyes of one of them with a fillet, and having led him with the robe to
the way by which one goes to the temple of Demeter, they depart back
again themselves. This priest, they say, with his eyes bound up is led
by two wolves to the temple of Demeter, which is distant from the city
twenty furlongs, and then afterwards the wolves lead him back again from
the temple to the same spot.

123. Now as to the tales told by the Egyptians, any man may accept them
to whom such things appear credible; as for me, it is to be understood
throughout the whole of the history 103 that I write by hearsay that
which is reported by the people in each place. The Egyptians say that
Demeter and Dionysos are rulers of the world below; and the Egyptians
are also the first w