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About the time when Cambyses arrived at Memphis, Apis appeared to
the Egyptians. Now Apis is the god whom the Greeks call Epaphus.
As soon as he appeared, straightway all the Egyptians arrayed
themselves in their gayest garments, and fell to feasting and jollity:
which when Cambyses saw, making sure that these rejoicings were on
account of his own ill success, he called before him the officers who
had charge of Memphis, and demanded of them - "Why, when he was in
Memphis before, the Egyptians had done nothing of this kind, but
waited until now, when he had returned with the loss of so many of his
troops?" The officers made answer, "That one of their gods had
appeared to them, a god who at long intervals of time had been
accustomed to show himself in Egypt - and that always on his
appearance the whole of Egypt feasted and kept jubilee." When
Cambyses heard this, he told them that they lied, and as liars he
condemned them all to suffer death.
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