Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

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.

Nor again will I say that the Egyptians took either this or any other custom from the Greeks. But I believe that Melampus learned the worship of Dionysus chiefly from Cadmus of +Tyre [35.183,33.266] (inhabited place), Al-Janub, Lebanon, Asia Tyre and those who came with Cadmus from +Phoenicia (region (general)), Asia Phoenicia to the land now called Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia.