View:
By Section
[1]
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.
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.
[2] 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.
[3] 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
.
Histories. Herodotus. ed. A.D. Godley. Cambridge. 1920-1925.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.