ter to her father; wherefore now the images of
them have suffered that which the maids suffered in their life. In thus
saying they speak idly, as it seems to me, especially in what they say
about the hands of the statues; for as to this, even we ourselves saw
that their hands had dropped off from lapse of time, and they were to be
seen still lying at their feet even down to my time. The cow is covered
up with a crimson robe, except only the head and the neck, which are
seen, overlaid with gold very thickly; and between the horns there is
the disc of the sun figured in gold. The cow is not standing up but
kneeling, and in size is equal to a large living cow. Every year it is
carried forth from the chamber, at those times, I say, the Egyptians
beat themselves for that god whom I will not name upon occasion of such
a matter; at these times, I say, they also carry forth the cow to the
light of day, for they say that she asked of her father Mykerinos, when
she was dying, that she might look upon the sun once in the year.

After the misfortune of his daughter it happened, they said, secondly
to this king as follows:--An oracle came to him from the city of Buto,
saying that he was destined to live but six years more, in the seventh
year to end his life: and he being indignant at it sent to the Oracle
a reproach against the god, making complaint in reply that whereas
his father and uncle, who had shut up the temples and had not only not
remembered the gods, but also had been destroyers of men, had lived for
a long time, he himself, who practised piety, was destined to end his
life so soon: and from the Oracle came a second message, which said
that it was for this very cause that he was bringing his life to a swift
close; for he had not done that which it was appointed for him to do,
since it was destined that Egypt should suffer evils for a hundred and
fifty years, and the two kings who had arisen before him had perceived
this, but he had not. Mykerinos having heard this, and considering that
this sentence had passed upon him beyond recall, procured many lamps,
and whenever night came on he lighted these and began to drink and take
his pleasure, ceasing neither by day nor by night; and he went about to
the fen-country and to the woods and wherever he heard there were the
most suitable places of enjoyment. This he devised (having a mind to
prove that the Oracle spoke falsely) in order that he might have twelve
years of life inste