Herodotus on Moeris
Moeris, probably Amenemhet III (1841-1796 BCE) Hephaistos - Ptah |
Herodotus on Moeris |
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As for the other kings, they could
tell me of no great works which had been produced by them, and they
said that they had no renown except only the last of them, Moiris: he
(they said) produced as a memorial of himself the gateway of the
temple of Hephaistos which is turned towards the North Wind, and dug a
lake, about which I shall set forth afterwards how many furlongs of
circuit it has, and in it built pyramids of the size which I shall
mention at the same time when I speak of the lake itself. He, they
said, produced these works, but of the rest none produced any.
Herodotus. Histories II .101
Moeris ... dug a lake of remarkable usefulness , though at the cost of incredible toil. Its circumference, they say is 3600 stades, its depth at most points fifty fathoms. Who, then, on estimating the greatness of construction, would not reasonably ask how many tens of thousands of men must have been employed, and how many years they took to finish their work? No one can adequately commend the king's design, which brings such usefulness and advantage and usefulness to all the dwellers in Egypt.
Diodorus Siculus, The Historical Library, Books I, LI and LII Stade (stadium, pl. stadia) about 185 metres Talent : 6000 silver drachmas |
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