§1.43.1βίῳ γὰρ τὸ παλαιὸν Αἰγυπτίους φασὶ χρῆσθαι τὸ μὲν ἀρχαιότατον πόαν ἐσθίοντας καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἕλεσι γινομένων τοὺς καυλοὺς καὶ τὰς ῥίζας, πεῖραν διὰ τῆς γεύσεως ἑκάστου λαμβάνοντας, πρώτην δὲ καὶ μάλιστα προσενέγκασθαι τὴν ὀνομαζομένην ἄγρωστιν διὰ τὸ καὶ τῇ γλυκύτητι διάφορον εἶναι καὶ τὴν τροφὴν ἀρκοῦσαν παρέχεσθαι τοῖς σώμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
For they say that the Egyptians of old made use of a certain lifestyle, and in the most ancient times ate grass and the stalks and roots of things growing in the marshes, taking trial of each by taste, and that they first and especially used as food the so-called "agrostis," because of its being outstanding in sweetness and providing sufficient nourishment for the bodies of men.
§1.43.2καὶ γὰρ τοῖς κτήνεσι ταύτην θεωρεῖσθαι προσηνῆ καὶ ταχὺ τοὺς ὄγκους αὐτῶν προσανατρέφειν.
For indeed, this grass is observed to be agreeable also to the beasts and quickly to build up their bodies.
διὸ καὶ τῆς εὐχρηστίας τῆς περὶ τὴν βοτάνην ταύτην μνημονεύοντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μέχρι τοῦ νῦν, ὅταν πρὸς θεοὺς βαδίζωσι, τῇ χειρὶ ταύτης λαμβάνοντας προσεύχεσθαι· οἴονται γὰρ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἕλειον καὶ λιμνῶδες εἶναι ζῷον, ἀπό τε τῆς λειότητος τεκμαιρόμενοι καὶ τῆς φυσικῆς ποιότητος, ἔτι δὲ τοῦ προσδεῖσθαι τροφῆς τῆς ὑγρᾶς μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ξηρᾶς.
Therefore, remembering the usefulness of this herb, men up to the present, whenever they approach the gods, pray taking some of it in their hand; for they think that man is a marshy and lake-dwelling creature, judging from his smoothness and his physical quality, and furthermore from his needing wet food rather than dry.
§1.43.3δευτέραν δὲ λέγουσιν ἔχειν διαγωγὴν τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους τὴν τῶν ἰχθύων βρῶσιν, πολλὴν δαψίλειαν παρεχομένου τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ μάλισθʼ ὅτε μετὰ τὴν ἀνάβασιν ταπεινούμενος ἀναξηραίνοιτο.
And they say that the Egyptians had as a second way of life the eating of fish, since the river provided great abundance, and especially when, after the inundation, it subsided and dried up.
§1.43.4ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν βοσκημάτων ἔνια σαρκοφαγεῖν, καὶ ταῖς δοραῖς τῶν κατεσθιομένων ἐσθῆσι χρῆσθαι, καὶ τὰς οἰκήσεις ἐκ τῶν καλάμων κατασκευάζεσθαι.
And likewise they also ate the flesh of some of their cattle, and used the skins of those that were eaten for clothing, and constructed their dwellings from reeds.
ἴχνη δὲ τούτων διαμένειν παρὰ τοῖς νομεῦσι τοῖς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον, οὓς ἅπαντάς φασι μέχρι τοῦ νῦν μηδεμίαν ἄλλην οἴκησιν ἢ τὴν ἐκ τῶν καλάμων ἔχειν, δοκιμάζοντας ἀρκεῖσθαι ταύτῃ.
And traces of these things remain among the shepherds in Egypt, all of whom, they say, up to the present have no other dwelling than that made of reeds, deeming it sufficient to be content with this.
§1.43.5πολλοὺς δὲ χρόνους τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ διεξαγαγόντας τὸ τελευταῖον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐδωδίμους μεταβῆναι καρπούς, ὧν εἶναι καὶ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ λωτοῦ γινόμενον ἄρτον.
And having spent much time in this way of life, at last they transitioned to edible fruits, among which is also the bread made from the lotus.
καὶ τούτων τὴν εὕρεσιν οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν Ἶσιν ἀναφέρουσιν, οἱ δʼ εἴς τινα τῶν παλαιῶν βασιλέων τὸν ὀνομαζόμενον Μηνᾶν.
And some attribute the discovery of these to Isis, and others to one of the ancient kings, the one named Menas.
§1.43.6οἱ δʼ ἱερεῖς εὑρετὴν τῶν μὲν παιδειῶν καὶ τῶν τεχνῶν μυθολογοῦσι τὸν Ἑρμῆν γεγονέναι, τῶν δʼ εἰς τὸν βίον ἀναγκαίων τοὺς βασιλεῖς· διὸ καὶ τὸ παλαιὸν παραδίδοσθαι τὰς βασιλείας μὴ τοῖς ἐκγόνοις τῶν ἀρξάντων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πλεῖστα καὶ μέγιστα τὸ πλῆθος εὐεργετοῦσιν, εἴτε προκαλουμένων τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοὺς ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν βασιλεῖς ἐπὶ τὴν κοινὴν εὐεργεσίαν, εἴτε καὶ κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἀναγραφαῖς οὕτω παρειληφότων.
But the priests tell a myth that Hermes was the discoverer of education and the arts, but the kings, of the things necessary for life; therefore, also of old, kingdoms were handed down not to the descendants of the rulers, but to those who benefited the multitude most and in the greatest ways, whether because men of that time were challenging their own kings to public beneficence, or because they had actually received it so in the sacred records.