Histories

After what happened to his daughter, the following happened next to this king: an oracle came to him from the city of +Kawm al-Farain [30.733,31.2] (deserted settlement), Kafr ash-Shaykh, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Buto, announcing that he had just six years to live and was to die in the seventh.

The king took this badly, and sent back to the oracle a message of reproach, blaming the god that his father and his uncle, though they had shut up the temples, and disregarded the gods, and destroyed men, had lived for a long time, but that he who was pious was going to die so soon.

But a second oracle came announcing that for this very reason his life was hastening to a close: he had done what was contrary to fate; Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt should have been afflicted for a hundred and fifty years, and the two kings before him knew this, but not he.

Hearing this, Mycerinus knew that his doom was fixed. Therefore, he had many lamps made, and would light these at nightfall and drink and enjoy himself, not letting up day or night, roaming to the marsh country and the groves and wherever he heard of the likeliest places of pleasure.

This was his recourse, so that by turning night into day he might make his six years into twelve and so prove the oracle false.