he is one of those which are called the eight gods, while
Heracles is of the second rank, who are called the twelve gods, and
Dionysos is of the third rank, namely of those who were born of the
twelve gods. Now as to Heracles I have shown already how many years old
he is according to the Egyptians themselves, reckoning down to the
reign of Amasis, and Pan is said to have existed for yet more years than
these, and Dionysos for the smallest number of years as compared with
the others; and even for this last they reckon down to the reign of
Amasis fifteen thousand years. This the Egyptians say that they know for
a certainty, since they always kept a reckoning and wrote down the years
as they came. Now the Dionysos who is said to have been born of Semele
the daughter of Cadmos, was born about sixteen hundred years before my
time, and Heracles who was the son of Alcmene, about nine hundred years,
and that Pan who was born of Penelope, for of her and of Hermes Pan is
said by the Hellenes to have been born, came into being later than the
wars of Troy, about eight hundred years before my time.

146. Of these two accounts every man may adopt that one which he shall
find the more credible when he hears it. I however, for my part, have
already declared my opinion about them. 129 For if these also, like
Heracles the son of Amphitryon, had appeared before all men's eyes and
had lived their lives to old age in Hellas, I mean Dionysos the son of
Semele and Pan the son of Penelope, then one would have said that these
also 130 had been born mere men, having the names of those gods who had
come into being long before: but as it is, with regard to Dionysos the
Hellenes say that as soon as he was born Zeus sewed him up in his thigh
and carried him to Nysa, which is above Egypt in the land of Ethiopia;
and as to Pan, they cannot say whither he went after he was born. Hence
it has become clear to me that the Hellenes learnt the names of these
gods later than those of the other gods, and trace their descent as if
their birth occurred at the time when they first learnt their names.

Thus far then the history is told by the Egyptians themselves;

147, but I will now recount that which other nations also tell, and the
Egyptians in agreement with the others, of that which happened in this
land: and there will be added to this also something of that which I
have myself seen.

Being set free after the reign of the priest of Hephaistos, the
Egypt