§3.4.1περὶ δὲ τῶν Αἰθιοπικῶν γραμμάτων τῶν παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις καλουμένων ἱερογλυφικῶν ῥητέον, ἵνα μηδὲν παραλίπωμεν τῶν ἀρχαιολογουμένων.
Now we must speak about the Ethiopian characters which are called hieroglyphics among the Egyptians, so that we may omit nothing of the antiquities.
συμβέβηκε τοίνυν τοὺς μὲν τύπους ὑπάρχειν αὐτῶν ὁμοίους ζῴοις παντοδαποῖς καὶ ἀκρωτηρίοις ἀνθρώπων, ἔτι δʼ ὀργάνοις, καὶ μάλιστα τεκτονικοῖς·
It is the case, then, that their forms are similar to all kinds of animals, to the extremities of human beings, and furthermore to tools, especially those of craftsmen.
οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς τῶν συλλαβῶν συνθέσεως ἡ γραμματικὴ παρʼ αὐτοῖς τὸν ὑποκείμενον λόγον ἀποδίδωσιν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐμφάσεως τῶν μεταγραφομένων καὶ μεταφορᾶς μνήμῃ συνηθλημένης.
For their writing does not render the underlying meaning from the synthesis of syllables, but from the suggestive significance of the things drawn and from a metaphorical usage practiced by memory.
§3.4.2γράφουσι γὰρ ἱέρακα καὶ κροκόδειλον, ἔτι δʼ ὄφιν καὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ χεῖρα καὶ πρόσωπον καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα.
For they draw a hawk, a crocodile, and furthermore a serpent, and from the body of human beings an eye, a hand, a face, and other such things.
ὁ μὲν οὖν ἱέραξ αὐτοῖς σημαίνει πάντα τὰ ὀξέως γινόμενα, διὰ τὸ τὸ ζῷον τοῦτο τῶν πτηνῶν σχεδὸν ὑπάρχειν ὀξύτατον.
Now the hawk signifies for them all things that happen swiftly, because this animal is virtually the swiftest of winged creatures.
μεταφέρεταί τε ὁ λόγος ταῖς οἰκείαις μεταφοραῖς εἰς πάντα τὰ ὀξέα καὶ τὰ τούτοις οἰκεῖα παραπλησίως τοῖς εἰρημένοις.
And the meaning is transferred by appropriate metaphors to all swift things and things related to them, in a manner similar to what has been said.
§3.4.3ὁ δὲ κροκόδειλος σημαντικός ἐστι πάσης κακίας, ὁ δὲ ὀφθαλμὸς δίκης τηρητὴς καὶ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος φύλαξ.
The crocodile is indicative of all evil, while the eye is the observer of justice and the guardian of the whole body.
τῶν δʼ ἀκρωτηρίων ἡ μὲν δεξιὰ τοὺς δακτύλους ἐκτεταμένους ἔχουσα σημαίνει βίου πορισμόν, ἡ δʼ εὐώνυμος συνηγμένη τήρησιν καὶ φυλακὴν χρημάτων.
And of the extremities, the right hand with fingers extended signifies the procuring of a livelihood, while the left hand closed tight signifies the keeping and guarding of property.
§3.4.4ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς λόγος καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων τύπων τῶν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τῶν ὀργανικῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων·
And the same principle applies also to the other forms derived from the body, and to the tools, and to all the other things.
ταῖς γὰρ ἐν ἑκάστοις ἐνούσαις ἐμφάσεσι συνακολουθοῦντες, καὶ μελέτῃ πολυχρονίῳ καὶ μνήμῃ γυμνάζοντες τὰς ψυχάς, ἑκτικῶς ἕκαστα τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀναγινώσκουσι.
For by following the suggestive significance inherent in each thing, and by training their minds through long practice and memory, they read each of the written characters with acquired facility.