“Egypt has always attracted people. Since ancient times, the word about the vast knowledge of Egyptian priests and sages had spread throughout the known world at that time. Every cultured person of that time wanted to visit this magical land in the hope of encountering something magical, timeless, and true. Millennia have passed and the same still happens. The intention of this article is not to say something new about Egypt, but to remind us of what the Greeks and Romans, who were culturally much closer to the Egyptians than we are today, wrote in their time; to try to see Egypt through their eyes, when much more was still preserved. At that time, there was still a living tradition and knowledge that, in the times that were relentlessly approaching, would hide from the world’s eyes and withdraw into its invisible sources. We must mention the Greeks who gained a reputation for their wisdom and learning, and who visited Egypt in their…” Long ago, people went to Egypt to learn about their customs and teachings. Egyptian priests recorded in their holy books that in ancient times they were visited by Orpheus, Museus, Melampus, and Daedalus, as well as the poet Homer and Lycurgus from Sparta. Later on, Solon from Athens and the philosopher Plato also went there. They were joined by Pythagoras from Samos and the mathematician Eudoxus, along with Democritus from Abdera and Enopides from the island of Chios. As proof of these visits, the priests mention in some cases statues, places, or buildings named after them, and they offer evidence of the sciences each of them studied, proving that all the knowledge for which the Greeks respected them was transmitted from Egypt to Greece.For example, Orpheus brought most of his mystical ceremonies from Egypt, as well as the orgiastic rituals that accompanied his wanderings and the legendary story of his descent into the underworld. Thus, the rituals of Osiris are the same as those of Dionysus, and the rituals of Isis are very similar to those of Demeter, only the names have changed. Additionally, the punishments inflicted in the underworld were Orpheus introduced unjust suffering, the Elysian Fields of the righteous, and fantastic apparitions of spirits as an imitation of Egyptian funeral customs. (…) They say that Lycurgus, Plato, and Solon incorporated many Egyptian customs into their laws. They claim that Pythagoras learned the mysteries and sacred rituals, the art of geometry, arithmetic, and the doctrine of transmigration of souls from the Egyptians. They also say that Democritus spent five years in Egypt and acquired knowledge of astrology. They say that Euenus, through intimate conversations with priests and astrologers, gained particularly specialized knowledge about the periodic movement of the Sun, and learned that its path is opposite to that of the stars. Likewise, Eudoxus, after acquiring astrology in Egypt, left behind many useful monuments in Greece, for which he became famous. (Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, I, 98) In Heliopolis, I saw large houses where the priests lived; it is said that this place was once the seat of priests who were also highly knowledgeable astronomers. We indulged in philosophy and astronomy; but both of these orders and their studies have now disappeared. In Heliopolis, no one actually identified themselves as someone who mastered this knowledge, only those who offered sacrifices explained to foreigners concerning the sacred rituals. When Eli Gal, the prefect, sailed to Egypt, he was accompanied by a certain man from Alexandria, Heremon, who imagined that he possessed some knowledge of this kind, but was completely ridiculed as a braggart and ignorant person. Nevertheless, in Heliopolis, we were shown the houses of the priests and the schools where Plato and Eudoxus resided; Eudoxus came with Plato and both spent thirteen years with the priests, as some writers claim; they were initiated into knowledge of celestial bodies, albeit in a mysterious and slow manner; over time, Plato and Eudoxus convinced them and gained their favor to allow them to study some of the principles of their teachings, but most of this knowledge was withheld from them by the barbarians. In any case, these men taught them about the division of day and night, which is With the arrival of 365 days, a full year is completed. Because until that time, a full year was unknown among the Greeks, as well as many other things, until later astronomers learned it from a man who translated the priest’s records into Greek; and even to this day they study their teachings, as well as those of the Chaldeans. (Strabo, Geography, XVII, 29) First of all, Egyptian kings did not live like others who had autocratic power and could do whatever they wanted, without any control, but their every action was regulated by laws, not only regarding public administration and authority, but also their daily lives and the food they consumed. For example, their servants were never slaves, even if they were born in their house, but all those who served them were sons of the most prominent priests, not younger than twenty years old and the most educated among the Egyptians. Having such noble, worthy servants (the best and highest rank in the country), who were with him day and night. The king could not do anything contrary to the laws; therefore, the ruler could not veer far off the path of evil because he did not have those who would serve his passions by his side. And every hour of the day and night was determined by a plan, so at every moment the king was expected to fully perform what the law determines, not what he thought was better. For example, in the morning, as soon as he woke up, he had to first review the letters that were sent to him from all sides, so he could arrange all administrative tasks and carry out each job properly, as this way he was fully informed about everything that was happening in the country. Then, after he bathed and adorned his body with rich clothing and symbols of royal power, he would offer sacrifices to the gods. When the sacrifices were presented on the altar, it was customary for the high priest to stand beside the king, while the others gathered around them, and start the prayer in a loud voice that the king would be granted health and other benefits of life, if he maintained justice among his subjects. spoke about the king’s virtues openly. The priest stated that the king devoutly serves the gods and is benevolent towards the people; that he has self-control, is just and noble, a lover of truth, generous with his wealth, and free from all desires; that he punishes wrongdoing more leniently than deserved and shows gratitude to his benefactors by surpassing them in good deeds. After listing many more similar qualities, the priest would conclude his prayer by cursing the actions, absolving the king of any guilt and asking for all the negative consequences and punishments to fall upon those who served him and had ill intentions. The priest did all this partly to make the king fear the gods and lead a life that pleases them, and partly to teach the king the right way of leadership, not through painful punishments, but through praises that are pleasant and lead towards virtue. Afterward, when the king performed the sacrificial offerings and confirmed the auspicious signs, the sacred scribe… He read the laws, instructive advice, and works of the most distinguished individuals from the holy book in front of those gathered, so that the one who had supreme leadership could first consider the most sublime general principles and what is most commendable in those examples, in order to apply them in accordance with prescribed rules. A certain amount of time was allotted to him not only for receiving visits and conducting trials, but also for walking, bathing, sleeping with his wife, and literally every act in life… (Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 70) The kings in Egypt were chosen among the priests or warriors, since these two classes, one due to their courage and the other due to their wisdom, enjoyed special prestige and respect. When the king was chosen from the warrior class, from the moment of his election he entered the priestly class, so they would instruct him in philosophy, in which so many things remain hidden in formulas and myths that surround the truth with apparent obscurity, but which is still intuited. The Egyptians convey their desire to us through numerous sphinxes that they raise in front of their temples. and to communicate that the wisdom of their holy teachings is completely enigmatic. In Sais, in the temple dedicated to Athena, whom they equate with Isis, on the pedestal of a statue, the following inscription can be read: I am all that was, all that is, and all that will be, and still no mortal has lifted my veil (Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris, 9). After the death of the king and his twelve successors, Moeris ruled over Egypt and built a northern entrance colonnade in Memphis, more impressive and magnificent than all others. He also had an artificial lake dug at a distance of ten konopacs from the city; the benefit of this endeavor was extraordinary, and its size was unbelievable. They say that the circumference of the lake was 3600 stadia (about 650 km), and in most places, it was fifty cubits deep (about 90 m) (Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 51). Since the Nile never had a reliable and constant water level during its floods, and the fertility of the land depended on the right measure of river overflow, the king created a lake to receive The excess water. This prevented the river from flooding the land excessively and creating swamps and stagnant puddles, as well as the damage that water shortage due to low water levels would cause to crops. He dug a canal between the river and the lake, which was eighty stadions long (about 15 km) and three plethra wide. Through this canal, he would sometimes release river water into the lake, and other times water from the lake, thus supplying farmers with water as needed by opening or closing the dam, at great effort and cost, no less than fifty talents. This lake still benefits the Egyptians today, and is still known as Lake Moeris or Meris, named after its creator. When excavating the lake, the king left a piece of land in the middle (an island), where he built a tomb and two pyramids, one for himself and one for his queen, a stadium high, and on their top he placed two stone statues sitting on thrones, immortalizing with this monument the fame and glory of his name for all future generations… (Diodorus Siculus, Library, I) , 52)They also made the decision to leave a common monument and decided that it would be a labyrinth located just above Lake Moeris and very close to a city called Crocodipol: I saw it myself and it is beyond any description. If someone were to gather in one place the walls and other works made by the Greeks, it would be seen that they are the result of less effort and expense than this labyrinth, although they are truly worthy of mention, as are the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the Temple of Hera on Samos. Even the pyramids were beyond the possibility of describing, and each of them was equally valuable as many great Greek works, but this labyrinth surpasses even the pyramids. It contains twelve covered courtyards with doors facing each other, six facing north and six facing south, which are surrounded by a single wall from the outside. Inside there are two types of rooms, some underground and others above ground, a total of three thousand in number, a thousand and five hundred of each type. We saw the above-ground rooms with our own eyes, and through them we They were rolling, so we speak about them based on our own insight, and for the underground ones we listened to what was said about them. Namely, the Egyptian supervisors did not want to show them to me at all and they told me that there are tombs of rulers who long ago built this maze, as well as sacred crocodiles. Therefore, we speak about the lower chambers based on what we have heard, and as for the upper ones, with their construction they surpass human capabilities, we saw for ourselves: passages through halls and twists through courtyards, with their beautiful paintings appearing as countless wonders to walkers through courtyards to halls and through halls to atriums, then through atriums to other halls and through halls to other courtyards. The ceilings, like the walls, are made of stone everywhere, while the walls are also full of carved figures, and each courtyard is surrounded by columns made of perfectly joined white stones. In the corner where the maze ends, there is a pyramid 40 cubits high (about 70 meters), and on it are carved large animal figures. An underground corridor leads to it. (Herodotus, The Histories, II) , ten stages away from the first tomb (where it is said that the wife of Jupiter is buried), is the sanctuary of King Osymandias. At its entrance, it is said that there was a pillar made of colorful stone, two plethra long (about 60 m) and 45 cubits high (about 20 m); from there, if one continues forward, they enter a rectangular stone peristyle, four plethra long on each side (about 120 m), supported by monolithic figures instead of columns, each of them carved from one piece of stone and 16 cubits high (about 7 m), done in a unique manner. The entire ceiling is made of stone, and each stone is two spans wide, with a blue sky adorned with stars. At the exit of the peristyle, there is another pillar, very similar to the previous one, but even more marvelously carved and with more decorations. At the entrance, there are three statues, made by the skillful hands of Memnon from Siena, from a single piece of black stone. One of them, made in a sitting position, is the largest in all of Egypt – the dimensions of its feet exceed seven cubits (about 3 m). The other two smaller statues only reach the knee level. In front; one stands to the right, the other to the left, representing his mother and daughter. This statue is not worthy of praise only because of its size, but also because of the quality of craftsmanship and the exceptional stone. On this magnificent work, there are no visible cracks or any marks. Above it, there is an inscription: I am Ozymandias, king of kings; if anyone wants to know how great I am and where I lie, let them judge me by my deeds. Similar was on the other doors, another statue of his mother, herself, a twenty cubits tall stone monolith; above her head were placed three crowns, to indicate that she was simultaneously a daughter, wife, and mother of the king. Next to that pylon, they say, there was another gallery, more exceptional than the first, which contained various sculptures that described his wars with the Bactrians who had rebelled against him, and against whom (it was said) he had waged a military campaign with four hundred thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry; he divided the army into four. and his sons were appointed as commanders of each of them… (Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 47)… Then there is an ascent to the very top of the tomb, where there was a golden cover that crowned the tomb, with a circumference of 365 cubits (about 160 m) and one cubit in thickness; on it were inscribed the days of the year, each on a length of one cubit, and for each day the rising and position of the stars and their meaning and influences according to the observations of Egyptian astrologers. They say that Cambyses and the Persians took this cover when they conquered Egypt. (Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 49) Many ancient customs were not only accepted by the Egyptians, but were greatly admired by the Greeks, to the point that every educated man seriously wished to travel to Egypt in order to acquire knowledge of their laws and customs, giving them great importance and significance: despite the fact that, due to the aforementioned reasons, it was difficult for foreigners to enter the country in ancient times, Orpheus and the poet Homer eagerly visited it in the earliest periods, and later on sao kao začetnik mnogih civilizacijskih postignuća. Mnogi drugi poput Pitagore s otoka Sama i Solona zakonodavca iz Grčke priznavali su da su Egipćani prvi otkrili pismo, proučavali astronomiju, razvili geometriju i postavili temelje mnogim umjetnostima. Egipatski kraljevi, većinski rođeni Egipćani, vladali su Egiptom više od 4700 godina, dok je zemlja bila najnaprednija na svijetu. Taj napredak ne bi bio moguć da stanovništvo nije bilo civilizirano, s najboljim zakonima i slobodnim obrazovanjem u svim područjima umjetnosti i znanosti. To je, prema Diodoru Sicilskom, najbolji dokaz o izvanrednim dostignućima drevnog Egipta. Egypt has always attracted people. Since ancient times, the reputation of the vast knowledge possessed by Egyptian priests and sages spread throughout the known world. Every cultured person of that time wanted to visit this magical land in the hope of encountering something mystical, timeless, and true. Millennia have passed, yet the same still occurs. The purpose of this article is not to present anything new about Egypt, but to remind ourselves of what the Greeks and Romans wrote about Egypt during their time, when they were much closer to the Egyptians culturally than we are today. Let us try to see Egypt through their eyes, when much of its heritage was still preserved. At that time, a living tradition and knowledge still existed, which would later, in the times that inexorably followed, hide itself from the world, retreating into its invisible sources.
We must list the Greeks who gained a reputation for their wisdom and learning and who visited Egypt in ancient times to familiarize themselves with its customs and teachings. Egyptian priests record in their sacred books that they were visited by Orpheus, Museum, Melampus and Daedalus, as well as the poet Homer and Lycurgus from Sparta, later Solon from Athens and the philosopher Plato, and that Pythagoras and mathematician Eudoxus were also there with Samos, as well as Democritus from Abdera and Epimenides from Chios. As evidence of the visit of all these people, the priests mention in some cases their statues, places or buildings in which they stayed, which bear their names, and offer evidence of the sciences that each of them studied, proving that all the knowledge that the Greeks respected had been transferred from Egypt to Greece.
For example, Orpheus brought most of his mystical ceremonies from Egypt, as well as the orgiastic rituals that accompany his wanderings and the legendary story of his descent into Hades. The fact that the rituals of Osiris are the same as those of Dionysus and that the rituals of Isis are very similar to those of Demeter, only the names have changed: and the punishments that the unjust suffer in Hades, the Elysian Fields of the righteous, and the fantastic apparitions of spirits – all of this Orpheus introduced as an imitation of Egyptian funerals. c al nije otkrio ništa posebno o tome da su likovi poput Likurga, Platona i Solona usvojili niz egipatskih običaja u svoje zakone. Također nije dobio nikakve informacije o Pitagori koji je navodno naučio egipatske tajne i svete obrede, kao ni o Demokritu koji je navodno stekao znanje astrologije tijekom petogodišnjeg boravka u Egiptu. Nije čuo ni o Enopidu koji je navodno stekao posebno znanje o periodičnom kretanju Sunca kroz svoje razgovore sa svećenicima i astrolozima, niti o Eudoksu koji je, prema njihovim tvrdnjama, ostavio mnogo značajnih spomenika zahvaljujući znanju astrologije koje je stekao u Egiptu. Također nije primjetio nikakve velike kuće u Heliopolisu koje su navodno bile dom svećenika koji su proučavali filozofiju i astronomiju. Slično tome, nije mogao saznati da su oba reda i njihova istraživanja nestali. U stvari, nitko mu nije pružio nikakve informacije o tome. He did not declare himself as someone who mastered this teaching, but only those who made sacrifices explained to strangers what pertains to the holy rituals. When Elijah Gal, the prefect, sailed to Egypt, he was accompanied by a certain man from Alexandria, Heremon, who imagined that he had some knowledge of this kind, but was completely mocked as a braggart and ignoramus. Anyway, in Heliopolis, the houses of the priests and the schools where Plato and Eudoxus stayed were shown to us; Eudoxus came with Plato and both spent thirteen years with the priests, as some writers claim; they were instructed in the knowledge of celestial bodies, though mysteriously and slowly; Plato and Eudoxus eventually convinced them and gained their favor to allow them to study some of the principles of their teaching, but the barbarians concealed most of this knowledge from them. In any case, these men taught them about the division of day and night that fill up a full year with the passage of 365 days. For until that time, a full year was unknown among the Greeks, as well as many other things. Things, until later astrologers learned it from the man who translated the priest’s records into Greek; and even to this day they study their teachings, as well as those of the Chaldeans. (Strabo, Geography, XVII, 29)
First of all, Egyptian kings did not live like others who had autocratic power and could do as they pleased, without any control, but every action of theirs was regulated by laws, not only concerning public administration and authority, but also their daily lives, and even the food they consumed. For example, their servants were never slaves, even if they were born in their house, but they were all sons of the most prominent priests, not younger than twenty years old and the most educated among the Egyptians. Having such noble, trustworthy servants (the best and highest rank in the country), who were with him day and night, the king could not do anything contrary to the laws; thus, the ruler could not stray far on the path of evil because he was surrounded by them. He had those who would serve his passions. And every hour of the day and night was determined by a plan, so the king was expected to fully adhere to what the law dictates at every moment, rather than what he deemed better. For example, in the morning, as soon as he woke up, he had to review letters that were sent to him from all directions, so that he could organize all administrative tasks and carry out each job properly, as this way he was fully informed about everything happening in the country. Afterwards, after bathing and adorning his body with rich clothing and signs of royal power, he would offer sacrifices to the gods.
When the sacrifices were made on the altar, it was customary for the highest priest to stand next to the king, while the rest of the gathered people stood around them, and begin a prayer out loud, asking for the king to be given health and other blessings in life, as long as he maintained justice among his subjects. The virtues of the king were also openly acknowledged: the priest would speak about how the king acted in accordance with the will of the gods. He devotedly serves the gods and is most well-intentioned towards people; as he has self-control, is just and noble, a lover of truth, generous with his possessions, and free from all desires, he punishes wrongdoings more leniently than they deserve and repays his benefactors by surpassing them in good deeds. And after listing many similar things, he would conclude his prayer by cursing sins, absolving the king of any guilt for them, and asking that all negative consequences and punishments fall upon those who served him and had evil intentions. The priest did all this partly to induce fear of the gods in the king and to lead a life pleasing to the gods, and partly to teach the king the proper way of ruling, not through painful punishments, but through praises that are pleasant and much better directed towards virtue. After that, when the king completed the sacrifices and confirmed the good omens, the holy scribe read the laws, instructive advice, and deeds of the most prominent people from the holy book to those assembled, in order to instruct the king on the proper way of governance. The one who had supreme leadership could first consider the highest general principles and what is most commendable in those examples, in order to apply them in accordance with prescribed rules. He had a designated time not only for receiving visitors and trials, but also for walks, bathing, sleeping with his wife, and literally every act in life…
(Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 70)
The kings in Egypt were chosen among priests or warriors, since these two classes, one because of their courage, and the other because of their wisdom, enjoy special prestige and respect. When the king was chosen from the warrior class, he entered the priestly class from the moment of his election, so he was accordingly instructed in philosophy, in which so many things remain hidden in formulas and myths that surround the truth with apparent obscurity, but which can still be glimpsed. With the numerous sphinxes they erect in front of their temples, the Egyptians want to let us know that the wisdom of their sacred teachings is completely enigmatic. In Sais, in the temple complex In the dedicated Athens, which they equate with Isis, on the pedestal of a statue, the following inscription can be read: I am everything that has been, everything that is, and everything that will be, and still, no mortal has lifted my veil.
(Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris, 9)
After the death of the king and twelve of his successors, Egypt was ruled by Moeris, who built a northern entrance porch in Memphis, more impressive and magnificent than all the others. He also had an artificial lake excavated at a distance of ten ropes from the city; the benefit of this undertaking was remarkable, and its size incredible. They say that the circumference of the lake was 3600 stadia (about 650 km), and in most places, it was fifty cubits deep (about 90 m).
(Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 51)
Since the Nile never had a reliable and constant water level during its floods, and the fertility of the land depended on the proper amount of river overflow, the king made the lake to receive the excess water. This prevented the river from excessively flooding the land and creating marshes. There were stagnant marshes and the damage that a water shortage due to low water levels would cause to crops. Between the river and the lake, he dug a canal eight stadiums long (about 15 km) and three plethra wide. Through this canal, he would occasionally release water from the river into the lake, and vice versa, in order to supply farmers with water when needed, opening or closing the dam at great labor and cost, no less than fifty talents. This lake still serves the benefits of the Egyptians today and is still called Lake Moeris or Meris, named after its creator.
During the excavation of the lake, the king left a piece of land in the middle (an island), where he built a tomb and two pyramids, one for himself and one for his queen, a stadium high. On top of them, he placed two stone statues seated on thrones, perpetuating with this monument the fame and glory of his name for all future generations…
(Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 52)
They also decided to leave a joint memorial and decided that it would be a labyrinth situated slightly above Lake Moeris and very close to a city called Crocodipol: and I have seen it myself and it surpasses any description. If someone were to gather together the walls and other works constructed by the Greeks, it would be seen that they were the result of less effort and expense than this labyrinth, although they are indeed worthy of mention, such as the temple in Ephesus and the temple in Samos. Even the pyramids exceeded the possibility of description and each of them was as valuable as many great Greek works, but this labyrinth surpasses even the pyramids. Inside it are twelve covered courtyards with doors facing each other, six facing north and six facing south, which are surrounded by a single wall from the outside. Inside, there are two types of rooms, some underground and others above ground, totaling three thousand in number, a thousand and five hundred of each kind. We have seen the above-ground rooms with our own eyes and passed through them, so we speak of them based on our own insight, and as for the underground rooms, we have heard from reliable sources. We listened to what was being said about the underground chambers. The Egyptian supervisors refused to show them to us and told me that they were the tombs of rulers who had long ago built this labyrinth, as well as sacred crocodiles. Therefore, we speak about the lower chambers based on what we have heard, while we ourselves have seen that the upper chambers surpass human capabilities with their construction: passages through halls and twists through courtyards, with their beautiful paintings, they appear as countless wonders to those walking through the courtyards to the halls and through the halls to the galleries, then through the galleries to other halls and through the halls to other courtyards. The ceilings, like the walls, are made of stone everywhere, while the walls themselves are filled with carved figures, and each courtyard is surrounded by pillars made of perfectly joined white stone. In the corner where the labyrinth ends, there is a pyramid that is 40 cubits tall (about 70 m), and large animal figures are carved on it. An underground passage leads to it. the burial place of the wife of Jupiter) is the sanctuary of King Osymandys. At its entrance, as they say, there was a pillar made of colorful stone, two plethra long (around 60 m) and 45 cubits high (around 20 m); from there, if you continue forward, you come to a rectangular stone peristyle, four plethra long on each side (around 120 m), supported by monolithic figures, each of them carved from one piece of 16 cubits high stone (around 7 m), carved in a unique way. The ceiling is entirely made of stone, and each stone is two cubits wide, with a blue sky covered in stars. At the exit of the peristyle there is another pillar, very similar to the previous one, but even more marvelously carved and with more decorations. At the entrance, there are three statues, made from a single piece of black stone, a masterful work by Memnon of Siena. One of them, made in a sitting position, is the largest in all of Egypt – the dimensions of the feet exceed seven cubits (around 3m). The other two, much smaller statues only reach up to the knee of the previous one; one stands on the right, the other on the left, representing his mother and daughter. This statue is not worthy of praise only because of its size, but also because of the quality of artistic craftsmanship and the excellence of the stone. On this magnificent work, not even the smallest cracks or any cuts can be detected.
Above it, there is an inscription: I am Ozymandias, king of kings; if anyone wants to know how great I am and where I lie, let them judge me by my deeds.
Similarly, on those other doors, there was another statue of his mother, herself, a twenty cubit high stone monolith; above her head, three crowns were placed to indicate that she was simultaneously the daughter, wife, and mother of the king. Next to that pylon, they say, there was another gallery, more exceptional than the first, in which various sculptures described his wars with the Bactrians who rebelled against him, and against whom he (as it was said) waged a campaign with four hundred thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry; he divided the army into four parts and appointed his sons to commanders of each of them…
(Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 47)
…Then follows the ascent to the very top of the tomb, where there was a golden covering that crowned the tomb, with a circumference of 365 cubits (around 160 m) and a thickness of one cubit; on it were inscribed the days of the year, each on a cubit in length, and for each day the rising and position of the stars and their significance and influences according to the observation of Egyptian astrologers. They say that this covering was taken away by Cambyses and the Persians when they conquered Egypt.
(Diodorus Siculus, Library, I, 49)
Many ancient customs were not only accepted by the Egyptians, but were greatly admired by the Greeks, to the extent that every educated person seriously wanted to travel to Egypt in order to gain knowledge about their laws and customs, giving them great importance and significance: and despite the fact that, due to the previously mentioned reasons, it was difficult for foreigners to enter the country in ancient times, Orpheus and the poet Homer eagerly visited it in the earliest days, and later many others, like Pythagoras comes from the island of Samos and Solon, the lawmaker. The Egyptians have preserved the tradition that they were the first to discover writing, observe the skies, and also discover the basic principles of geometry and most arts, and establish the best laws. And the best proof of all this, they say, lies in the fact that for over 4700 years kings ruled Egypt who were mostly born Egyptians, and that the country was the most advanced in the whole world; and that could not have been possible if the population was not civilized, guided by the best laws and free education in all kinds of arts and sciences.
