Histories

After this Cambyses planned three expeditions, against the Carchedonians,[*](Carthaginians.) against the Ammonians, and against the “long-lived”[*](cp. beginning of Hdt. 3.23.) Ethiopians, who inhabit that part of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya that is on the southern sea.

He decided after consideration to send his fleet against the Carthaginians and a part of his land army against the Ammonians; to Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), AfricaEthiopia he would first send spies, to see what truth there was in the story of a Table of the Sun in that country, and to spy out all else besides, under the pretext of bringing gifts for the Ethiopian king.

Now the Table of the Sun is said to be something of this kind:[*](This story may be an indication of offerings made to the dead, or of a region of great fertility. In Homer the gods are fabled to feast with the Ethiopians.) there is a meadow outside the city, filled with the boiled flesh of all four-footed things; here during the night the men of authority among the townsmen are careful to set out the meat, and all day whoever wishes comes and feasts on it. These meats, say the people of the country, are ever produced by the earth of itself. Such is the story of the Sun's Table.

When Cambyses determined to send the spies, he sent for those Fish-eaters from the city of Elephantine who understood the Ethiopian language.

While they were fetching them, he ordered his fleet to sail against +Carthage [10.3333,36.8667] (Perseus) Carthage. But the Phoenicians said they would not do it; for they were bound, they said, by strong oaths, and if they sailed against their own progeny they would be doing an impious thing; and the Phoenicians being unwilling, the rest were inadequate fighters.

Thus the Carthaginians escaped being enslaved by the Persians; for Cambyses would not use force with the Phoenicians, seeing that they had willingly surrendered to the Persians, and the whole fleet drew its strength from them. The Cyprians too had come of their own accord to aid the Persians against Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

When the Fish-eaters arrived from Elephantine at Cambyses' summons, he sent them to Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), AfricaEthiopia, with orders what to say, and bearing as gifts a red cloak and a twisted gold necklace and bracelets and an alabaster box of incense and an earthenware jar of palm wine. These Ethiopians, to whom Cambyses sent them, are said to be the tallest and most handsome of all men.