at last they accomplished that which they
desired. Similarly, as I heard, the digging of the lake in Egypt was
effected, except that it was done not by night but during the day; for
as they dug the Egyptians carried to the Nile the earth which was dug
out; and the river, when it received it, would naturally bear it away
and disperse it. Thus is this lake said to have been dug out.

Now the twelve kings continued to rule justly, but in course of time it
happened thus:--After sacrifice in the temple of Hephaistos they
were about to make libation on the last day of the feast, and the
chief-priest, in bringing out for them the golden cups with which they
had been wont to pour libations, missed his reckoning and brought eleven
only for the twelve kings. Then that one of them who was standing last
in order, namely Psammetichos, since he had no cup took off from his
head his helmet, which was of bronze, and having held it out to receive
the wine he proceeded to make libation: likewise all the other kings
were wont to wear helmets and they happened to have them then. Now
Psammetichos held out his helmet with no treacherous meaning; but they
taking note of that which had been done by Psammetichos and of the
oracle, namely how it had been declared to them that whosoever of them
should make libation with a bronze cup should be sole king of Egypt,
recollecting, I say, the saying of the Oracle, they did not indeed deem
it right to slay Psammetichos, since they found by examination that he
had not done it with any forethought, but they determined to strip him
of almost all his power and to drive him away into the fen-country, and
that from the fen-country he should not hold any dealings with the
rest of Egypt. This Psammetichos had formerly been a fugitive from the
Ethiopian Sabacos who had killed his father Necos, from him, I say, he
had then been a fugitive in Syria; and when the Ethiopian had departed
in consequence of the vision of the dream, the Egyptians who were of the
district of Sais brought him back to his own country. Then afterwards,
when he was king, it was his fate to be a fugitive a second time
on account of the helmet, being driven by the eleven kings into the
fen-country. So then holding that he had been grievously wronged by
them, he thought how he might take vengeance on those who had driven
him out: and when he had sent to the Oracle of Leto in the city of Buto,
where the Egyptians have their most truthful Oracle,