e
Hellenes the "Isle of the Blessed." It is said that the army reached
this place, but from that point onwards, except the Ammonians themselves
and those who have heard the account from them, no man is able to say
anything about them; for they neither reached the Ammonians nor
returned back. This however is added to the story by the Ammonians
themselves:--they say that as the army was going from this Oasis through
the sandy desert to attack them, and had got to a point about mid-way
between them and the Oasis, while they were taking their morning meal
a violent South Wind blew upon them, and bearing with it heaps of the
desert sand it buried them under it, and so they disappeared and were
seen no more. Thus the Ammonians say that it came to pass with regard to
this army.

27. When Cambyses arrived at Memphis, Apis appeared to the Egyptians,
whom the Hellenes call Epaphos: and when he had appeared, forthwith the
Egyptians began to wear their fairest garments and to have festivities.
Cambyses accordingly seeing the Egyptians doing thus, and supposing that
they were certainly acting so by way of rejoicing because he had fared
ill, called for the officers who had charge of Memphis; and when they
had come into his presence, he asked them why when he was at Memphis on
the former occasion, the Egyptians were doing nothing of this kind, but
only now, when he came there after losing a large part of his army.
They said that a god had appeared to them, who was wont to appear at
intervals of long time, and that whenever he appeared, then all the
Egyptians rejoiced and kept festival. Hearing this Cambyses said that
they were lying, and as liars he condemned them to death.

28. Having put these to death, next he called the priests into his
presence; and when the priests answered him after the same manner, he
said that it should not be without his knowledge if a tame god had come
to the Egyptians; and having so said he bade the priests bring Apis away
into his presence: so they went to bring him. Now this Apis-Epaphos is a
calf born of a cow who after this is not permitted to conceive any other
offspring; and the Egyptians say that a flash of light comes down from
heaven upon this cow, and of this she produces Apis. This calf which is
called Apis is black and has the following signs, namely a white square
23 upon the forehead, and on the back the likeness of an eagle, and in
the tail the hairs are double, and on 24 the tongue there i