230 THE OXYRHYNCHUS PAPYRI
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Nectenibis on hearing this, being extremely vexed with the deserters from the temple
and wishing to ascertain their number speedily by a list, ordered Nechautis, who then performed
the duties of archidicastes, to investigate the book within a month, if possible.
Nechautis conducted his researches with much strenuousness, and brought the list to
the king after spending only two days instead of thirty upon the inquiry. On reading the
book the king was quite amazed at the divine poAver in the story, and finding that there
were twenty-six priests who conducted the god from Heliopolis to Memphis, he assigned
to each of their descendants the due post of prophet. Not content with this, after completing
the renewal of the book (?), he enriched Asclepius himself with three hundred and
thirty arurae more of corn-land, especially because he had heard through the book that the
god had been worshipped with marks of great reverence by IMencheres.
Having often begun the translation of the said book in the Greek tongue, I learnt at
length how to proclaim it, but while I was in the full tide of composition my ardour was
restrained by the greatness of the story, because I was about to make it public ; for to gods
alone, not to mortals, is it permitted to describe the mighty deeds of the gods. For
if I failed, not only was I ashamed before men, but also hindered by the reproaches (?) that
I should incur if the god were vexed, and by the poverty of my description, in course
of completion, of his undying virtue (?). But if I did the god a service, both my life would
be happy and my fame undying ; for the god is disposed to confer benefits, since even
those whose pious ardour is only for the moment are repeatedly preserved by him after the
healing art has failed against diseases which have overtaken them. Therefore avoiding
rashness I was waiting for the favourable occasion afforded by old age, and putting off the
fulfilment of my promise ; for then especially is youth wont to aim too high, since immaturity
and enterprise too quickly extend our zeal. But when a period of three years had
elapsed, in which I was no longer working, and for three years my mother was distracted by
an ungodly quartan ague which had seized her, at length ha\ang with difficulty comprehended
we came as suppliants before the god, entreating him to grant my mother recovery
from the disease. He, havhig shown himself favourable, as he is to all, in dreams, cured
her by simple remedies ; and we rendered due thanks to our preserver by sacrifices. When
I too afterwards was suddenly seized with a pain in my right side, I quickly hastened to the
helper of the human race, and he, being again disposed to pity, listened to me, and displayed
still more effectively his peculiar clemency, which, as I am intending to recount his terrible
powers, I will substantiate.
It was night, when every living creature vas asleep except those in pain, but divinity
showed itself the more effectively ; a violent fever burned me, and I was convulsed with loss of
breath and coughing, owing to the pain proceeding from my side. Heavy in the head with my
troubles I was lapsing half-conscious into sleep, and my mother, as a mother would for her
child (and she is by nature affectionate), being extremely grieved at my agonies was sitting
without enjoying even a short period of slumber, when suddenly she perceived—it was no
dream or sleep, for her eyes were open immovably, though not seeing clearly, for a divine
and terrifying vision came to her, easily preventing her from observing the god himself
1381. GRAECO-EGYPTIAN LITERARY PAPYRI 231
or his servants, whichever it was. In any case there was some one whose height was more
than human, clothed in shining raiment and carrying in his left hand a book, who after
merely regarding me two or three times from head to foot disappeared. When she had
recovered herself, she tried, still trembling, to wake me, and finding that the fever had left
me and that much sweat was pouring off me, did reverence to the manifestation of the god,
and then wiped me and made me more collected. When I spoke with her, she wished to
declare the virtue of the god, but I anticipating her told her all myself; for everything that
she saw in the vision appeared to me in dreams. After these pains in my side had ceased
and the god had given me yet another assuaging cure, I proclaimed his benefits. But when
we had again besought his favours by sacrifices to the best of our ability, he demanded
through the priest who serves him in the ceremonies the fulfilment of the promise long ago
announced to him, and we, although knowing ourselves to be debtors in neither sacrifices
nor votive offering, nevertheless supplicated him again with them. But when he said
repeatedly that he cared not for these but for what had been previously promised, I was at
a loss, and with difficulty, since I disparaged it, felt the divine obligation of the composition.
But since thou hadst once noticed, master, that I was neglecting the divine book, invoking
thy providence and filled with thy divinity I hastened to the inspired task of the history.
And I hope to extend by my proclamation the fame of thy inventiveness ; for I unfolded truly
by a physical treatise in another book the convincing account of the creation of the world.
Throughout the composition I have filled up defects and struck out superfluities, and in
telling a rather long tale I have spoken briefly and narrated once for all a complicated
story. Hence, master, I conjecture that the book has been completed in accordance with
thy favour, not with my aim ; for such a record in writing suits thy divinity. And as the
discoverer of this art, Asclepius, greatest of gods and my teacher, thou art distinguished by
the thanks of all men. For every gift of a votive offering or sacrifice lasts only for the
immediate moment, and presently perishes, while a written record is an undying meed of
gratitude, from time to time renewing its youth in the memory. Every Greek tongue will
tell thy story, and every Greek man will worship the son of Ptah, Imouthes. Assemble
hither, ye kindly and good men ; avaunt ye malignant and impious ! Assemble, all ye . . .,
who by serving the god have been cured of diseases, ye who practise the healing art,
ye who will labour as zealous followers of virtue, ye who have been blessed by great abundance
of benefits, ye who have been saved from the dangers of the sea ! For every place
has been penetrated by the saving power of the god.
I now purpose to recount his miraculous manifestations, the greatness of his power, the
gifts of his benefits. The history is this. King Mencheres by displaying his piety in the
obsequies of three gods, and being successful in winning fame through the book, has won
eternal glory. He presented to the tombs of Asclepius son of Hephaestus, Horus son of
Hermes, and also Caleoibis son of Apollo money in abundance, and received as recompense
his fill of prosperity. For Egypt was then free from war for this reason, and flourished with
abundant crops, since subject countries prosper by the piety of their ruler, and on the other
hand owing to his impiety they are consumed by evils. The manner in which the god
Asclepius bade Mencheres busy himself with his tomb . .
.'
I. []'. the Supposed has an unusually short cross-bar on the left, and perhaps
7[] should be read. The prededing word might be [. .
.Jt. From the references to
Upoi (1. 4), (1. 9), and 6 [\ (1. 2o), as if they had been mentioned previously,
it is clear that Col. i is not the actual beginning of the papyrus, which on the recto breaks
off in the middle of a column at this point.
<€[{]5 : for the form cf. (5 in Theopomp. Fr. 101 (G-H); ^(,
-(, -, &c., are found elsewhere.