An Egyptian Princess | Page 8

brown curls,
or his carefully curled beard.
[The chlanis was a light summer-mantle, worn especially by the more
elegant Athenians, and generally made of expensive materials. The
simpler cloak, the himation, was worn by the Doric Greeks, and
principally by the Spartans.]
The boat had left Naukratis, at that time the only Hellenic port in Egypt,
about half an hour before.
[This town, which will form the scene of a part of our tale, lies in the
northwest of the Nile Delta, in the Saitic Nomos or district, on the left
bank of the Canopic mouth of the river. According to Strabo and
Eusebius it was founded by Milesians, and Bunsen reckons 749 B. C. It
seems that in the earliest times Greek ships were only allowed to enter
this mouth of the Nile in case of necessity. The entire intercourse of the
Egyptians with the hated strangers was, at that time, restricted to the
little island of Pharos lying opposite to the town of Thonis.]
During their journey, the grey-haired, moody man had not spoken one
word, and the other had left him to his meditations. But now, as the

boat neared the shore, the restless traveller, rising from his couch,
called to his companion: "We are just at our destination, Aristomachus!
That pleasant house to the left yonder, in the garden of palms which
you can see rising above the waters, is the dwelling of my friend
Rhodopis. It was built by her husband Charaxus, and all her friends, not
excepting the king himself, vie with one another in adding new beauties
to it year by year. A useless effort! Let them adorn that house with all
the treasures in the world, the woman who lives within will still remain
its best ornament!"
[We are writing of the month of October, when the Nile begins to sink.
The inundations can now be accurately accounted for, especially since
the important and laborious synoptical work of H. Barth and S. Baker.
They are occasioned by the tropical rains, and the melting of the snows
on the high mountain-ranges at the Equator. In the beginning of June a
gradual rising of the Nile waters can be perceived; between the 15th
and 20th June, this changes to a rapid increase; in the beginning of
October the waters reach their highest elevation, a point, which, even
after having begun their retreat, they once more attempt to attain; then,
at first gradually, and afterwards with ever increasing rapidity, they
continue to sink. In January, February and March, the Nile is still
drying up; and in May is at its lowest point, when the volume of its
waters is only one- twentieth of that in October.]
The old man sat up, threw a passing glance at the building, smoothed
the thick grey beard which clothed his cheeks and chin, but left the lips
free,--[The Spartans were not in the habit of wearing a beard on the
upper lip.]--and asked abruptly: "Why so much enthusiasm, Phanes, for
this Rhodopis? How long have the Athenians been wont to extol old
women?" At this remark the other smiled, and answered in a self-
satisfied tone, "My knowledge of the world, and particularly of women,
is, I flatter myself, an extended one, and yet I repeat, that in all Egypt I
know of no nobler creature than this grey-haired woman. When you
have seen her and her lovely grandchild, and heard your favorite
melodies sung by her well-practised choir of slave-girls, I think you
will thank me for having brought you hither."--"Yet," answered the
Spartan gravely, "I should not have accompanied you, if I had not

hoped to meet Phryxus, the Delphian, here."
"You will find him here; and besides, I cannot but hope that the songs
will cheer you, and dispel your gloomy thoughts." Aristomachus shook
his head in denial, and answered: "To you, sanguine Athenians, the
melodies of your country may be cheering: but not so to me; as in many
a sleepless night of dreams, my longings will be doubled, not stilled by
the songs of Alkman."
[Alkman (Attic, Alkmaeon) flourished in Sparta about 650 B. C. His
mother was a Lydian slave in Sardes, and he came into the possession
of Agesides, who gave him his freedom. His beautiful songs soon
procured him the rights of a Lacedaemonian citizen. He was appointed
to the head-directorship in the entire department of music in
Lacedaemon and succeeded in naturalizing the soft Lydian music. His
language was the Doric-Laconian. After a life devoted to song, the
pleasures of the table and of love, he is said to have died of a fearful
disease. From the frequent chorusses of virgins (Parthenien) said to
have been originally introduced by him, his frequent songs in praise of
women, and the friendly relations in