self upon such a citizen as he is.
But as to our own men, we have had those who have been as deserving
of commendation as any other whosoever, and such as have perused our
Antiquities cannot be ignorant of them.

14. As to the other things which he sets down as blameworthy, it may
perhaps be the best way to let them pass without apology, that he may
be allowed to be his own accuser, and the accuser of the rest of the
Egyptians. However, he accuses us for sacrificing animals, and for
abstaining from swine's flesh, and laughs at us for the circumcision
of our privy members. Now as for our slaughter of tame animals for
sacrifices, it is common to us and to all other men; but this Apion,
by making it a crime to sacrifice them, demonstrates himself to be
an Egyptian; for had he been either a Grecian or a Macedonian, [as he
pretends to be,] he had not shown any uneasiness at it; for those people
glory in sacrificing whole hecatombs to the gods, and make use of those
sacrifices for feasting; and yet is not the world thereby rendered
destitute of cattle, as Apion was afraid would come to pass. Yet if all
men had followed the manners of the Egyptians, the world had certainly
been made desolate as to mankind, but had been filled full of the
wildest sort of brute beasts, which, because they suppose them to be
gods, they carefully nourish. However, if any one should ask Apion which
of the Egyptians he thinks to be the most wise and most pious of them
all, he would certainly acknowledge the priests to be so; for the
histories say that two things were originally committed to their care
by their kings' injunctions, the worship of the gods, and the support of
wisdom and philosophy. Accordingly, these priests are all circumcised,
and abstain from swine's flesh; nor does any one of the other Egyptians
assist them in slaying those sacrifices they offer to the gods. Apion
was therefore quite blinded in his mind, when, for the sake of the
Egyptians, he contrived to reproach us, and to accuse such others as not
only make use of that conduct of life which he so much abuses, but have
also taught other men to be circumcised, as says Herodotus; which makes
me think that Apion is hereby justly punished for his casting such
reproaches on the laws of his own country; for he was circumcised
himself of necessity, on account of an ulcer in his privy member; and
when he received no benefit by such circumcision, but his member became
putrid, he died in