represented namely
that Artemis was the daughter of Demeter. For this reason then, they
say, it became a floating island.

Such is the story which they tell; but as for Psammetichos, he was king
over Egypt for four-and-fifty years, of which for thirty years save one
he was sitting before Azotos, a great city of Syria, besieging it, until
at last he took it: and this Azotos of all cities about which we have
knowledge held out for the longest time under a siege.

The son of Psammetichos was Necos, and he became king of Egypt. This man
was the first who attempted the channel leading to the Erythraian Sea,
which Dareios the Persian afterwards completed: the length of this is
a voyage of four days, and in breadth it was so dug that two triremes
could go side by side driven by oars; and the water is brought into
it from the Nile. The channel is conducted a little above the city of
Bubastis by Patumos the Arabian city, and runs into the Erythraian Sea:
and it is dug first along those parts of the plain of Egypt which lie
towards Arabia, just above which run the mountains which extend
opposite Memphis, where are the stone-quarries,--along the base of these
mountains the channel is conducted from West to East for a great way;
and after that it is directed towards a break in the hills and tends
from these mountains towards the noon-day and the South Wind to the
Arabian gulf. Now in the place where the journey is least and shortest
from the Northern to the Southern Sea (which is also called Erythraian),
that is from Mount Casion, which is the boundary between Egypt and
Syria, the distance is exactly a thousand furlongs to the Arabian gulf;
but the channel is much longer, since it is more winding; and in the
reign of Necos there perished while digging it twelve myriads of the
Egyptians. Now Necos ceased in the midst of his digging, because the
utterance of an Oracle impeded him, which was to the effect that he was
working for the Barbarian: and the Egyptians call all men Barbarians who
do not agree with them in speech. Thus having ceased from the work of
the channel, Necos betook himself to raging wars, and triremes were
built by him, some for the Northern Sea and others in the Arabian gulf
for the Erythraian Sea; and of these the sheds are still to be seen.
These ships he used when he needed them; and also on land Necos engaged
battle at Magdolos with the Syrians, and conquered them; and after this
he took Cadytis, which is a gre