and that at this time the inhabited towns in it numbered
in all twenty thousand. It was Amasis too who established the law that
every year each one of the Egyptians should declare to the ruler of his
district, from what source he got his livelihood, and if any man did
not do this or did not make declaration of an honest way of living,
he should be punished with death. Now Solon the Athenian received from
Egypt this law and had it enacted for the Athenians, and they have
continued to observe it, since it is a law with which none can find
fault.

Moreover Amasis became a lover of the Hellenes; and besides other proofs
of friendship which he gave to several among them, he also granted the
city of Naucratis for those of them who came to Egypt to dwell in; and
to those who did not desire to stay, but who made voyages thither, he
granted portions of land to set up altars and make sacred enclosures for
their gods. Their greatest enclosure and that one which has most name
and is most frequented is called the Hellenion, and this was established
by the following cities in common:--of the Ionians Chios, Teos,
Phocaia, Clazomenai, of the Dorians Rhodes, Cnidos, Halicarnassos,
Phaselis, and of the Aiolians Mytilene alone. To these belongs this
enclosure and these are the cities which appoint superintendents of the
port; and all other cities which claim a share in it, are making a claim
without any right. Besides this the Eginetans established on their own
account a sacred enclosure dedicated to Zeus, the Samians one to Hera,
and the Milesians one to Apollo. Now in old times Naucratis alone was an
open trading-place, and no other place in Egypt: and if any one came to
any other of the Nile mouths, he was compelled to swear that he came not
thither of his own free will, and when he had thus sworn his innocence
he had to sail with his ship to the Canobic mouth, or if it were not
possible to sail by reason of contrary winds, then he had to carry his
cargo round the head of the Delta in boats to Naucratis: thus highly
was Naucratis privileged. Moreover when the Amphictyons had let out the
contract for building the temple which now exists at Delphi, agreeing to
pay a sum of three hundred talents (for the temple which formerly stood
there had been burnt down of itself), it fell to the share of the people
of Delphi to provide the fourth part of the payment; and accordingly the
Delphians went about to various cities and collected contributio