hose of Thebes,
Bubastis, Aphthis, Tanis, Mendes, Sebennytos, Athribis, Pharbaithos,
Thmuis Onuphis, Anytis, Myecphoris,--this last is on an island opposite
to the city of Bubastis. These are the districts of the Calasirians;
and they reached, when most numerous, to the number of five-and-twenty
myriads 14202 of men; nor is it lawful for these, any more than for the
others, to practise any craft; but they practise that which has to do
with war only, handing down the tradition from father to son.

167. Now whether the Hellenes have learnt this also from the Egyptians,
I am not able to say for certain, since I see that the Thracians also
and Scythians and Persians and Lydians and almost all the Barbarians
esteem those of their citizens who learn the arts, and the descendants
of them, as less honourable than the rest; while those who have got free
from all practice of manual arts are accounted noble, and especially
those who are devoted to war: however that may be, the Hellenes have all
learnt this, and especially the Lacedemonians; but the Corinthians least
of all cast slight upon those who practise handicrafts.

168. The following privilege was specially granted to this class and to
none others of the Egyptians except the priests, that is to say, each
man had twelve yokes 143 of land specially granted to him free from
imposts: now the yoke of land measures a hundred Egyptian cubits every
way, and the Egyptian cubit is, as it happens, equal to that of Samos.
This, I say, was a special privilege granted to all, and they also had
certain advantages in turn and not the same men twice; that is to say, a
thousand of the Calasirians and a thousand of the Hermotybians acted as
body-guard to the king during each year; 144 and these had besides their
yokes of land an allowance given them for each day of five pounds weight
14401 of bread to each man, and two pounds of beef, and four half-pints
145 of wine. This was the allowance given to those who were serving as
the king's bodyguard for the time being.

169. So when Apries leading his foreign mercenaries, and Amasis at
the head of the whole body of the Egyptians, in their approach to one
another had come to the city of Momemphis, they engaged battle: and
although the foreign troops fought well, yet being much inferior in
number they were worsted by reason of this. But Apries is said to have
supposed that not even a god would be able to cause him to cease from
his rule, so firmly