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The Egyptians are averse to adopt Greek customs, or, in a word,
those of any other nation. This feeling is almost universal among
them. At Chemmis, however, which is a large city in the Thebaic
canton, near Neapolis, there is a square enclosure sacred to
Perseus, son of Danae. Palm trees grow all round the place, which
has a stone gateway of an unusual size, surmounted by two colossal
statues, also in stone. Inside this precinct is a temple, and in the
temple an image of Perseus. The people of Chemmis say that Perseus
often appears to them, sometimes within the sacred enclosure,
sometimes in the open country: one of the sandals which he has worn is
frequently found - two cubits in length, as they affirm - and then
all Egypt flourishes greatly. In the worship of Perseus Greek
ceremonies are used; gymnastic games are celebrated in his honour,
comprising every kind of contest, with prizes of cattle, cloaks, and
skins. I made inquiries of the Chemmites why it was that Perseus
appeared to them and not elsewhere in Egypt, and how they came to
celebrate gymnastic contests unlike the rest of the Egyptians: to
which they answered, "that Perseus belonged to their city by
descent. Danans and Lynceus were Chemmites before they set sail for
Greece, and from them Perseus was descended," they said, tracing
the genealogy; "and he, when he came to Egypt for the purpose"
(which the Greeks also assign) "of bringing away from Libya the
Gorgon's head, paid them a visit, and acknowledged them for his
kinsmen - he had heard the name of their city from his mother before he
left Greece - he bade them institute a gymnastic contest in his
honour, and that was the reason why they observed the practice."
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