§1.29.1ὁμοίως δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τὸν Ἐρεχθέα λέγουσι τὸ γένος Αἰγύπτιον ὄντα βασιλεῦσαι τῶν Ἀθηνῶν, τοιαύτας τινὰς φέροντες ἀποδείξεις· γενομένων γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως αὐχμῶν μεγάλων κατὰ πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν οἰκουμένην πλὴν Αἰγύπτου διὰ τὴν ἰδιότητα τῆς χώρας, καὶ φθορᾶς ἐπιγενομένης τῶν τε καρπῶν καὶ πλήθους ἀνθρώπων, ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τὸν Ἐρεχθέα κομίσαι διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν σίτου πλῆθος εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας· ἀνθʼ ὧν τοὺς εὖ παθόντας βασιλέα καταστῆσαι τὸν εὐεργέτην. §1.29.2τοῦτον δὲ παραλαβόντα τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καταδεῖξαι τὰς τελετὰς τῆς Δήμητρος ἐν Ἐλευσῖνι καὶ τὰ μυστήρια ποιῆσαι, μετενεγκόντα τὸ περὶ τούτων νόμιμον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.
In the same way as this, they say that Erechtheus also, being by birth an Egyptian, became king of Athens, bringing forward some such proofs: for when, as is admitted, great droughts occurred throughout almost the entire inhabited world except Egypt because of the peculiar nature of its land, and there followed the destruction of crops and of a multitude of men, Erechtheus, because of their relationship, brought a large supply of grain from Egypt to Athens; in return for which those who had been well treated established their benefactor as king. And having received the leadership, he established the initiatory rites of Demeter in Eleusis and instituted the mysteries, transferring the custom concerning them from Egypt.
καὶ τῆς θεοῦ δὲ παρουσίαν εἰς τὴν Ἀττικὴν γεγονυῖαν κατὰ τούτους τοὺς χρόνους παραδεδόσθαι κατὰ λόγον, ὡς ἂν τῶν ἐπωνύμων ταύτης καρπῶν τότε κομισθέντων εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δόξαι πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν εὕρεσιν γεγονέναι τοῦ σπέρματος, δωρησαμένης τῆς Δήμητρος. §1.29.3ὁμολογεῖν δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ὅτι βασιλεύοντος Ἐρεχθέως καὶ τῶν καρπῶν διὰ τὴν ἀνομβρίαν προηφανισμένων ἡ τῆς Δήμητρος ἐγένετο παρουσία πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ σίτου.
And they say that the arrival of the goddess in Attica, which occurred during these times, is handed down with good reason, inasmuch as the crops named after her were then brought to Athens, and because of this it seemed that the discovery of the seed had occurred all over again from the beginning, Demeter having bestowed it as a gift. And the Athenians also agree that, while Erechtheus was king and the crops had disappeared beforehand because of the lack of rain, the arrival of Demeter to them and her gift of grain took place.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις αἱ τελεταὶ καὶ τὰ μυστήρια ταύτης τῆς θεοῦ τότε κατεδείχθησαν ἐν Ἐλευσῖνι. §1.29.4τά τε περὶ τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰς ἀρχαιότητας ὡσαύτως ἔχειν Ἀθηναίους καὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ Εὐμολπίδας ἀπὸ τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον ἱερέων μετενηνέχθαι, τοὺς δὲ Κήρυκας ἀπὸ τῶν παστοφόρων.
And in addition to these, the initiatory rites and the mysteries of this goddess were then established in Eleusis. And they say that the matters concerning the sacrifices and the ancient institutions are likewise for the Athenians and the Egyptians; for the Eumolpidae were transferred from the priests in Egypt, and the Kerykes from the pastophoroi.
τήν τε Ἶσιν μόνους τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὀμνύειν, καὶ ταῖς ἰδέαις καὶ τοῖς ἤθεσιν ὁμοιοτάτους εἶναι τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις. §1.29.5πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις παραπλήσια λέγοντες φιλοτιμότερον ἤπερ ἀληθινώτερον, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ φαίνεται, τῆς ἀποικίας ταύτης ἀμφισβητοῦσι διὰ τὴν δόξαν τῆς πόλεως.
And they alone of the Greeks swear by Isis, and in their appearance and habits they are most similar to the Egyptians. Saying many other things similar to these, more out of vanity than truth, as it seems to me at least, they dispute about this colony because of the reputation of the city.
καθόλου δὲ πλείστας ἀποικίας Αἰγύπτιοί φασιν ἐκπέμψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν προγόνους ἐπὶ πολλὰ μέρη τῆς οἰκουμένης διά τε τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῶν βασιλευσάντων παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς πολυανθρωπίας· §1.29.6ὑπὲρ ὧν μήτε ἀποδείξεως φερομένης μηδεμιᾶς ἀκριβοῦς μήτε συγγραφέως ἀξιοπίστου μαρτυροῦντος, οὐκ ἐκρίναμεν ὑπάρχειν τὰ λεγόμενα γραφῆς ἄξια.
And in general, the Egyptians say that their ancestors sent out very many colonies to many parts of the inhabited world, both because of the preeminence of those who ruled among them and because of the extreme abundance of their population. Since no accurate proof is brought forward concerning these things, and no trustworthy historian bears witness, we did not judge the things said to be worthy of record.
καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν θεολογουμένων παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις τοσαῦθʼ ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω, στοχαζομένοις τῆς συμμετρίας· περὶ δὲ τῆς χώρας καὶ τοῦ Νείλου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀκοῆς ἀξίων ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἕκαστα διεξιέναι πειρασόμεθα.
And let so much have been said by us concerning the mythological accounts among the Egyptians, aiming at due proportion; and concerning the land, the Nile, and the other things worthy of hearing, we shall endeavor to go through each in detail in summary.