Book 2
It is said that in the reign of Amasis Egypt attained to its greatest prosperity, in respect of what the river did for the land and the land for its people: and that the number of inhabited cities in the country was twenty thousand.
It was Amasis also who made the law that every Egyptian declare his means of livelihood to the ruler of his district annually, and that omitting to do so or to prove that one had a legitimate livelihood be punishable with death. Solon the Athenian got this law from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt and established it among his people; may they always have it, for it is a perfect law.
Amasis became a philhellene, and besides other services which he did for some of the Greeks, he gave those who came to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt the city of Kawm Juayf [30.583,30.9] (inhabited place), Al Buhayrah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Naucratis to live in; and to those who travelled to the country without wanting to settle there, he gave lands where they might set up altars and make holy places for their gods.
Of these the greatest and most famous and most visited precinct is that which is called the Hellenion, founded jointly by the Ionian cities of +Khios [26.116,38.383] (inhabited place), Chios, Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios , +Teos [26.8,38.1667] (Perseus) Teos , +Foca [26.75,38.666] (inhabited place), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Phocaea , and Klazomenai [26.7833,38.3167] (Perseus) Clazomenae , the Dorian cities of +Rhodes [28.216,36.433] (inhabited place), Rhodes, Sporades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Rhodes , +Cnidus Nova [27.366,36.666] (deserted settlement), Mugla Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Cnidus , Bodrum [27.466,37.5] (inhabited place), Mugla Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Halicarnassus , and Phaselis, and one Aeolian city, Mytilene [26.55,39.1] (Perseus) Mytilene .
It is to these that the precinct belongs, and these are the cities that furnish overseers of the trading port; if any other cities advance claims, they claim what does not belong to them. The Aeginetans made a precinct of their own, sacred to Zeus; and so did the Samians for Hera and the Milesians for Apollo.
Kawm Juayf [30.583,30.9] (inhabited place), Al Buhayrah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Naucratis was in the past the only trading port in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt . Whoever came to any other mouth of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile had to swear that he had not come intentionally, and had then to take his ship and sail to the Canobic mouth; or if he could not sail against contrary winds, he had to carry his cargo in barges around the Delta until he came to Kawm Juayf [30.583,30.9] (inhabited place), Al Buhayrah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Naucratis . In such esteem was Kawm Juayf [30.583,30.9] (inhabited place), Al Buhayrah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Naucratis held.
When the Amphictyons paid three hundred talents to have the temple that now stands at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi finished (as that which was formerly there burnt down by accident), it was the Delphians' lot to pay a fourth of the cost.
They went about from city to city collecting gifts, and got most from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt ; for Amasis gave them a thousand talents' weight of astringent earth,Alum, apparently. and the Greek settlers in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt twenty minae.
Amasis made friends and allies of the people of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene . And he decided to marry from there, either because he had his heart set on a Greek wife, or for the sake of the Corcyreans' friendship;
in any case, he married a certain Ladice, said by some to be the daughter of Battus, of Arcesilaus by others, and by others again of Critobulus, an esteemed citizen of the place. But whenever Amasis lay with her, he became unable to have intercourse, though he managed with every other woman;
and when this happened repeatedly, Amasis said to the woman called Ladice, “Woman, you have cast a spell on me, and there is no way that you shall avoid perishing the most wretchedly of all women.”
So Ladice, when the king did not relent at all although she denied it, vowed in her heart to Aphrodite that, if Amasis could have intercourse with her that night, since that would remedy the problem, she would send a statue to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene to her. And after the prayer, immediately, Amasis did have intercourse with her. And whenever Amasis came to her thereafter, he had intercourse, and he was very fond of her after this.
Ladice paid her vow to the goddess; she had an image made and sent it to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene , where it stood safe until my time, facing outside the city. Cambyses, when he had conquered Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt and learned who Ladice was, sent her away to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene unharmed.
Moreover, Amasis dedicated offerings in Greece [22,39] (nation), Europe Hellas . He gave to Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene a gilt image of Athena and a painted picture of himself; to Athena of Lindos [28.1083,36.0833] (Perseus) Lindus , two stone images and a marvellous linen breast-plate; and to Hera in Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos , two wooden statues of himself that were still standing in my time behind the doors in the great shrine.
The offerings in Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos were dedicated because of the friendship between Amasis and Polycrates, Polycrates' rule began probably in 532 B.C. For the friendship between him and Amasis, see Hdt. 3.39. son of Aeaces; what he gave to Lindos [28.1083,36.0833] (Perseus) Lindus was not out of friendship for anyone, but because the temple of Athena in Lindos [28.1083,36.0833] (Perseus) Lindus is said to have been founded by the daughters of Danaus, when they landed there in their flight from the sons of Egyptus. Such were Amasis' offerings. Moreover, he was the first conqueror of Cyprus [33,35] (island), Asia Cyprus , which he made tributary to himself.