Histories

The rest of the festival of Dionysus is observed by the Egyptians much as it is by the Greeks, except for the dances; but in place of the phallus, they have invented the use of puppets two feet high moved by strings, the male member nodding and nearly as big as the rest of the body, which are carried about the villages by women; a flute-player goes ahead, the women follow behind singing of Dionysus.

Why the male member is so large and is the only part of the body that moves, there is a sacred legend that explains.

Now then, it seems to me that Melampus son of Amytheon was not ignorant of but was familiar with this sacrifice. For Melampus was the one who taught the Greeks the name of Dionysus and the way of sacrificing to him and the phallic procession; he did not exactly unveil the subject taking all its details into consideration, for the teachers who came after him made a fuller revelation; but it was from him that the Greeks learned to bear the phallus along in honor of Dionysus, and they got their present practice from his teaching.

I say, then, that Melampus acquired the prophetic art, being a discerning man, and that, besides many other things which he learned from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, he also taught the Greeks things concerning Dionysus, altering few of them; for I will not say that what is done in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt in connection with the god and what is done among the Greeks originated independently: for they would then be of an Hellenic character and not recently introduced.