|
After Chephren, Mycerinus (they said), son of Cheops, ascended
the throne. This prince disapproved the conduct of his father,
re-opened the temples, and allowed the people, who were ground down
to the lowest point of misery, to return to their occupations, and to
resume the practice of sacrifice. His justice in the decision of
causes was beyond that of all the former kings. The Egyptians praise
him in this respect more highly than any of their other monarchs,
declaring that he not only gave his judgments with fairness, but also,
when any one was dissatisfied with his sentence, made compensation to
him out of his own purse, and thus pacified his anger. Mycerinus had
established his character for mildness, and was acting as I have
described, when the stroke of calamity fell on him. First of all his
daughter died, the only child that he possessed. Experiencing a
bitter grief at this visitation, in his sorrow he conceived the wish to
entomb his child in some unusual way. He therefore caused a cow to be
made of wood, and after the interior had been hollowed out, he had the
whole surface coated with gold; and in this novel tomb laid the dead
body of his daughter.
|
|