Histories

After the reign of the priest of Hephaestus the Egyptians were made free. But they could never live without a king, so they divided Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt into twelve districts and set up twelve kings.

These kings intermarried, and agreed to be close friends, no one deposing another or seeking to possess more than another.

The reason for this agreement, which they scrupulously kept, was this: no sooner were they established in their districts than an oracle was given them that whichever of them poured a libation from a bronze vessel in the temple of Hephaestus (where, as in all the temples, they used to assemble) would be king of all Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

Moreover, they decided to preserve the memory of their names by a common memorial, and so they made a labyrinth[*](This “labyrinth” was a horseshoe-shaped group of buildings, supposed to have been near the pyramid of Hawara [30.9,29.266] (ruins), Al-Fayyum, Upper Egypt, Egypt, AfricaHawara (Sayce).) a little way beyond Birkat Qarun [30.666,29.466] (salt lake), Egypt, Africalake Moeris and near the place called the Kiman Faris [30.833,29.316] (deserted settlement), Al-Fayyum, Upper Egypt, Egypt, AfricaCity of Crocodiles. I have seen it myself, and indeed words cannot describe it;[*](I take h)/dh as = h)= dh/, with lo/gou me/zw.)

if one were to collect the walls and evidence of other efforts of the Greeks, the sum would not amount to the labor and cost of this labyrinth. And yet the temple at +Ephesus [27.316,37.916] (deserted settlement), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Ephesus and the one on Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos are noteworthy.