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    Herodotus, The Histories (ed. A. D. Godley)

    Editions and translations: Greek | English (ed. A. D. Godley)
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    book=1:chapter=11:section=4 book=1:chapter=26 book=1:chapter=37:section=1 book=1:chapter=51:section=2 book=1:chapter=62:section=4 book=1:chapter=70:section=1 book=1:chapter=80:section=3 book=1:chapter=90 book=1:chapter=100:section=1 book=1:chapter=113:section=3 book=1:chapter=124 book=1:chapter=136:section=1 book=1:chapter=151:section=3 book=1:chapter=165:section=1 book=1:chapter=177:section=1 book=1:chapter=189:section=1 book=1:chapter=201 book=1:chapter=214:section=3 book=2:chapter=11:section=4 book=2:chapter=25:section=3 book=2:chapter=36:section=2 book=2:chapter=46 book=2:chapter=59:section=2 book=2:chapter=73:section=2 book=2:chapter=87:section=3 book=2:chapter=100 book=2:chapter=112:section=2 book=2:chapter=121A book=2:chapter=127:section=2 book=2:chapter=139 book=2:chapter=149:section=5 book=2:chapter=161:section=1 book=2:chapter=174 book=3:chapter=5:section=2 book=3:chapter=16:section=1 book=3:chapter=27:section=3 book=3:chapter=38:section=3 book=3:chapter=51:section=3 book=3:chapter=61:section=3 book=3:chapter=71:section=3 book=3:chapter=82:section=2 book=3:chapter=96:section=2 book=3:chapter=111:section=2 book=3:chapter=124:section=2 book=3:chapter=137 book=3:chapter=150:section=2 book=4:chapter=5:section=1 book=4:chapter=18:section=1 book=4:chapter=34:section=1 book=4:chapter=47:section=2 book=4:chapter=63:section=1 book=4:chapter=77 book=4:chapter=88:section=2 book=4:chapter=101:section=2 book=4:chapter=118:section=2 book=4:chapter=131:section=2 book=4:chapter=145:section=3 book=4:chapter=156:section=2 book=4:chapter=167:section=1 book=4:chapter=183:section=4 book=4:chapter=198:section=2 book=5:chapter=10:section=1 book=5:chapter=24 book=5:chapter=37:section=2 book=5:chapter=52:section=1 book=5:chapter=65:section=3 book=5:chapter=79 book=5:chapter=92B:section=1 book=5:chapter=98:section=3 book=5:chapter=113:section=2 book=6:chapter=7 book=6:chapter=22:section=1 book=6:chapter=38 book=6:chapter=52:section=5 book=6:chapter=67:section=2 book=6:chapter=81:section=1 book=6:chapter=92:section=3 book=6:chapter=108 book=6:chapter=122:section=2 book=6:chapter=137 book=7:chapter=8B:section=2 book=7:chapter=12:section=2 book=7:chapter=25:section=1 book=7:chapter=40:section=3 book=7:chapter=55:section=3 book=7:chapter=73:section=1 book=7:chapter=95:section=2 book=7:chapter=110:section=1 book=7:chapter=129 book=7:chapter=140:section=3 book=7:chapter=148:section=4 book=7:chapter=163 book=7:chapter=178:section=2 book=7:chapter=194:section=2 book=7:chapter=211:section=3 book=7:chapter=226:section=1 book=8:chapter=1 book=8:chapter=18 book=8:chapter=34:section=1 book=8:chapter=52:section=2 book=8:chapter=68A:section=1 book=8:chapter=81 book=8:chapter=96:section=2 book=8:chapter=110:section=2 book=8:chapter=126 book=8:chapter=140A:section=1 book=9:chapter=7B:section=1 book=9:chapter=21:section=3 book=9:chapter=33:section=3 book=9:chapter=47 book=9:chapter=61:section=3 book=9:chapter=77:section=1 book=9:chapter=92:section=2 book=9:chapter=107:section=2

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    CXL. So much I can say of them from my own certain knowledge. But there are other matters concerning the dead which are secretly and obscurely told: how the dead bodies of Persians are not buried before they have been mangled by birds or dogs. [2] That this is the way of the Magi, I know for certain; for they do not conceal the practice. But this is certain, that before the Persians bury the body in earth they embalm it in wax. These Magi are as unlike the priests of Egypt as they are unlike all other men: [3] for the priests consider it sacrilege to kill anything that lives, except what they sacrifice; but the Magi kill with their own hands every creature, except dogs and men; they kill all alike, ants and snakes, creeping and flying things, and take great pride in it. Leaving this custom to be such as it has been from the first,1 I return now to my former story.

    1 Lit. “let matters stand concerning this custom as it was first instituted:” i.e., apparently, “let us be content with knowing that this custom is as it has been from its origin.”

    There are a total of 9 comments on and cross references to this page.

    Further comments from W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus:
    book 1 (general note)
    book 1 (general note)
    book 1, chapter 140 (general note)
    book 1, chapter 140, section 1 (general note)
    book 1, chapter 140, section 2: de ôn
    book 1, chapter 140, section 3 (general note)

    Cross references from Perseus Encyclopedia:
    herodotus-3 [Herodotus and Homer (3)]

    Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
    436 [1) Amphi und peri.]

    Cross references from Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898):
    zoroaster [Zoroaster]

    Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hdt.+1.140.1

    The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.

    This text is based on the following book(s):
    Herodotus, with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920.
    OCLC: 1610641
    ISBN: 0674991303, 0674991311, 0674991338, 0674991346

    Buy a copy of this text (not necessarily the same edition) from Amazon.com: vol. 1; vol. 2; vol. 3; vol. 4

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