A lot of our knowledge on ancient Egypt came
from the work of Herodotus, a Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus in
the Persian Empire (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey) and lived in the fifth century
BC (c. 484–c. 425 BC). Renowned as the “Father of History”, he was the first
historian known to have broken from Homeric tradition to treat historical
subjects as a method of investigation by collecting his materials
systematically and critically and arranging them into a historiographic
narrative. In Book Two of The Histories, his masterpiece work, he
related the stories of Khufu (“Cheops”) and Khafra (“Chephren”) and Menkaura
(“Mycerinus”). These accounts are allegedly told to him by Egyptian priests
during his visit to the pyramids in the mid-fifth century BC. Surprisingly,
Herodotus described both Cheops and Chephren as tyrants, while Mycerinus was
portrayed as a good king.
Account of Khufu’s Reign
Khugfu was portrayed as a Pharaoh who brought
Egypt into all sorts of misery. Not only did he close all the temples thereby
excluding his subjects from practicing their religion, he also compelled the,
to labour as his slaves for his own end (obviously to build his lavish tomb).
Details were given of how slaves were forced to bring blocks of stone from the
quarries in the Arabian hills to the Nile, where they were further ferried
across by others. Herodotus described how the work went in three-monthly
shifts, 100,000 men working in each shift. After 10 years, the track along
which the blocks were hauled was finally completed. The building of the pyramid
itself took 20 years, and, according to Herodotus’ account, it is 5 furlongs (1
km) in length, 60 feet wide and 48 feet high. The pyramid is square at the
base, its height equal to the length of each side, and is of polished stone
blocks. Interestingly, Herodotus also told us the method the Egyptians employed
to construct the pyramid i.e. to build it in steps or as tiers or terraces.
When the base was complete, the blocks for the first tier above it were lifted
from the ground by contrivances made of short timbers. In this first tier there
was another, which raised the blocks on a stage higher, then yet another which
raised them higher still. He also recounted how the interpreter helped him
decipher the Egyptian inscription so as to ascertain the amount spent on food
for the labourers.
“And I remember distinctly that the
interpreter who read me the inscription said that the sum was 1,600 talents of
silver…”
The account’s climax came when Herodotus
alleged that at the end of his money, Cheops sent his daughter to a bawdy house
to earn some money! Ironically the sum earned from such shameful transactions
was then expended in the construction of the middle pyramid of the three
standing in front of the great pyramid. Now whether this story is to be
believed is extremely doubtful indeed!
Account of Khafra’s Reign
Cheops ruled for 50 years (according to
Herodotus) and was succeeded on his death by his son Khafra (Herodotus said
Khafra was Khufu’s brother!). Like Khufu, Khafra was oppressive. His pyramid is
of smaller size (40 feet lower than Khufu’s). Herodotus proudly stated that he
measured both pyramids himself. Khafra ruled for 56 years. This, said
Herodotus, combined with his father’s reign made up a total of 106 years during
which temples were never opened for worship and the country reduced to the
greatest possible misery. Surely there must be an element of exaggeration in
Herodotus’ account as it was usually agreed that Khufu and Khafra’s reigns were
among the most prosperous and peaceful of those of the Old Kingdom.
Account of Menkaura’s Reign
The next king of Egypt to rule after Chephren
was Mycerinus, the son of Cheops. Mycerinus, reversing his father’s policy of
which he did not approve, reopened all the temples and allowed his subjects,
who had been brought into such abject slavery, to resume the practice of their
religion and their normal work. Herodotus further commended the king for his
reputation for justice in the decision of legal causes, and it was said how
Mycerinus used to compensate out of his own property any man who was
dissatisfied with the results of his suit. On his only daughter’s death, in his
grief he built her a wooden cow, hollow inside and plated on the outside with
gold, to receive her body. Herodotus then described how the cow was not buried,
but could still be seen by him in Sais, with offering and incense offered
before it every day. Another version of the story is that Mycerinus conceived a
lust for his daughter and violated her, driving her to hang herself. However,
this version seems improbable.
After his daughter’s death, a second calamity
fell on Mycerinus. He received an oracle from Buto to the effect he was
destined to live for only six more years and to die within the seventh. Mycerinus
in retaliation sent an angry message reproaching the god with the injustice of
allowing a man so pious as himself to die so soon, whereas the last two kings who
had closed the temples, forgotten the gods and afflicted their fellow men,
lived to a ripe old age. Convinced his doom was drawing near, he had
innumerable lamps made, by the light of which he set himself every evening to
drink and be merry, and never ceased by day or ight from the pursuit of
pleasure, travelling from place to place amongst the pools and woodlands. His
object in this was by turning night into day to extend the six remaining years
of his life into twelve, and so convict the oracle of falsehood.
Despite his claim of having visited Egypt, the
accuracy of Herodotus’ account remains controversial as clearly it was evident
he was working from inadequate sources. Many even accused his account defective
and mostly untrue. Indeed, this appears to be the case looking at the above
extracts and the exaggeration contained therein on the tyranny of Khufu and
Khafra.
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