§2.87.1οὕτω μὲν τοὺς τὰ πολυτελέστατα σκευάζουσι νεκρούς, τοὺς δὲ τὰ μέσα βουλομένους τὴν δὲ πολυτελείην φεύγοντας σκευάζουσι ὧδε·
In this way they prepare the corpses of those who wish for the most expensive method; but for those who wish for the middle way and avoid heavy expense, they prepare them as follows.
§2.87.2ἐπεὰν τοὺς κλυστῆρας πλήσωνται τοῦ ἀπὸ κέδρου ἀλείφατος γινομένου, ἐν ὦν ἔπλησαν τοῦ νεκροῦ τὴν κοιλίην, οὔτε ἀναταμόντες αὐτὸν οὔτε ἐξελόντες τὴν νηδύν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἕδρην ἐσηθήσαντες καὶ ἐπιλαβόντες τὸ κλύσμα τῆς ὀπίσω ὁδοῦ ταριχεύουσι τὰς προκειμένας ἡμέρας, τῇ δὲ τελευταίῃ ἐξιεῖσι ἐκ τῆς κοιλίης τὴν κεδρίην τὴν ἐσῆκαν πρότερον.
When they have filled the syringes with the oil that comes from the cedar tree, they fill the cavity of the corpse with it, neither cutting it open nor taking out the bowels, but injecting it through the anus and stopping up the back passage so that the liquid cannot escape, and then they embalm it for the prescribed number of days; and on the last day they let the cedar oil, which they injected before, flow out of the cavity.
§2.87.3ἣ δὲ ἔχει τοσαύτην δύναμιν ὥστε ἅμα ἑωυτῇ τὴν νηδὺν καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα κατατετηκότα ἐξάγει· τὰς δὲ σάρκας τὸ λίτρον κατατήκει, καὶ δὴ λείπεται τοῦ νεκροῦ τὸ δέρμα μοῦνον καὶ τὰ ὀστέα.
And this oil has such great power that it brings out with itself the stomach and the inner parts, all dissolved; while the natron dissolves the flesh, and so there is left of the corpse only the skin and the bones.
ἐπεὰν δὲ ταῦτα ποιήσωσι, ἀπʼ ὦν ἔδωκαν οὕτω τὸν νεκρόν, οὐδὲν ἔτι πρηγματευθέντες.
When they have done this, they give back the corpse without performing any further treatment on it.