er land, and works too it has to show as much as any land,
which are beyond expression great: for this reason then more shall be
said concerning it.

The Egyptians in agreement with their climate, which is unlike any
other, and with the river, which shows a nature different from all other
rivers, established for themselves manners and customs in a way opposite
to other men in almost all matters: for among them the women frequent
the market and carry on trade, while the men remain at home and weave;
and whereas others weave pushing the woof upwards, the Egyptians push
it downwards: the men carry their burdens upon their heads and the
women upon their shoulders: the women make water standing up and the
men crouching down: they ease themselves in their houses and they eat
without in the streets, alleging as reason for this that it is right
to do secretly the things that are unseemly though necessary, but those
which are not unseemly, in public: no woman is a minister either of male
or female divinity, but men of all, both male and female: to support
their parents the sons are in no way compelled, if they do not desire
to do so, but the daughters are forced to do so, be they never so
unwilling. The priests of the gods in other lands wear long hair, but
in Egypt they shave their heads: among other men the custom is that in
mourning those whom the matter concerns most nearly have their hair cut
short, but the Egyptians, when deaths occur, let their hair grow long,
both that on the head and that on the chin, having before been close
shaven: other men have their daily living separated from beasts, but the
Egyptians have theirs together with beasts: other men live on wheat and
on barley, but to any one of the Egyptians who makes his living on these
it is a great reproach; they make their bread of maize, which some call
spelt: they knead dough with their feet and clay with their hands, with
which also they gather up dung: and whereas other men, except such as
have learnt otherwise from the Egyptians, have their members as nature
made them, the Egyptians practice circumcision: as to garments, the men
wear two each and the women but one: and whereas others make fast the
rings and ropes of the sails outside the ship, the Egyptians do this
inside: finally in the writing of characters and reckoning with pebbles,
while the Hellenes carry the hand from the left to the right, the
Egyptians do this from the right to the left; and doing so