rs upon Libya, 6301 does not very much
abound in wild animals, but such as they have are one and all accounted
by them sacred, some of them living with men and others not. But if I
should say for what reasons the sacred animals have been thus dedicated,
I should fall into discourse of matters pertaining to the gods, of
which I most desire not to speak; and what I have actually said touching
slightly upon them, I said because I was constrained by necessity.
About these animals there is a custom of this kind:--persons have been
appointed of the Egyptians, both men and women, to provide the food for
each kind of beast separately, and their office goes down from father
to son; and those who dwell in the various cities perform vows to
them thus, that is, when they make a vow to the god to whom the animal
belongs, they shave the head of their children either the whole or
the half or the third part of it, and then set the hair in the balance
against silver, and whatever it weighs, this the man gives to the person
who provides for the animals, and she cuts up fish of equal value and
gives it for food to the animals. Thus food for their support has been
appointed: and if any one kill any of these animals, the penalty, if he
do it with his own will, is death, and if against his will, such penalty
as the priests may appoint: but whosoever shall kill an ibis or a hawk,
whether it be with his will or against his will, must die.

66. Of the animals that live with men there are great numbers, and would
be many more but for the accidents which befall the cats. For when the
females have produced young they are no longer in the habit of going
to the males, and these seeking to be united with them are not able. To
this end then they contrive as follows,--they either take away by force
or remove secretly the young from the females and kill them (but after
killing they do not eat them), and the females being deprived of their
young and desiring more, therefore come to the males, for it is a
creature that is fond of its young. Moreover when a fire occurs, the
cats seem to be divinely possessed; 64 for while the Egyptians stand at
intervals and look after the cats, not taking any care to extinguish the
fire, the cats slipping through or leaping over the men, jump into the
fire; and when this happens, great mourning comes upon the Egyptians.
And in whatever houses a cat has died by a natural death, all those who
dwell in this house shave their