Such, too, is the nature of man. Were one to be always at serious work and not permit oneself a bit of relaxation, he would go mad or idiotic before he knew it; I am well aware of that, and give each of the two its turn.” Such was his answer to his friends.

It is said that even when Amasis was a private man he was fond of drinking and joking and was not at all a sober man; and that when his drinking and pleasure-seeking cost him the bare necessities, he would go around stealing. Then when he contradicted those who said that he had their possessions, they would bring him to whatever place of divination was nearby, and sometimes the oracles declared him guilty and sometimes they acquitted him.

When he became king, he did not take care of the shrines of the gods who had acquitted him of theft, or give them anything for maintenance, or make it his practice to sacrifice there, for he knew them to be worthless and their oracles false; but he took scrupulous care of the gods who had declared his guilt, considering them to be gods in very deed and their oracles infallible.

Amasis made a marvellous outer court for the temple of Athena Apparently, Nit; also identified with Demeter (Hdt. 2.132, note). at Saïs, far surpassing all in its height and size, and in the size and quality of the stone blocks; moreover, he set up huge images and vast man-headed sphinxes,Visitors to +Karnak [32.65,25.716] (inhabited place), Qina, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Karnak will remember the double row of sphinxes leading to the temple. and brought enormous blocks of stone besides for the building.

Some of these he brought from the stone quarries of Mit Rahina [31.25,29.85] (inhabited place), Giza, Upper Egypt, Egypt, AfricaMemphis; the largest came from the city of Elephantine,The island opposite +Aswan [32.666,23.83] (governorate), Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Assuan; the +Aswan [32.666,23.83] (governorate), Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Assuan quarries have always been famous. twenty days' journey distant by river from Saïs.