Greek: Mycerinus Flashcards
The deeds of his father did not please Mycerinus; he opened the temples, and allowed the people, afflicted to an extreme point of suffering, back to their tasks and sacrifices. To them he gave judgements which were the most just of all kings.
But although Mycerinus was being gentle with regard to the citizens and behaving in such a way, his daughter, by dying, first began his woes, she who was his only child in the household.
After the fate of his daughter, then a second misfortune happened to this king as follows. A prophecy from the city of Buto came to him, that having lived for only 6 years, he was going to die in the 7th. He, taking it badly, sent a reproach for the god to the oracle, making the following criticisms in reply:
“My father and uncle, shutting the temples and not being mindful of the gods but rather destroying men, lived for a long time; I, although pious, am going to die quickly in this way.”
From this oracle came a second prophecy to him saying, “This is exactly why your life is hastening to an end, since you have not done what it was necessary to do. For Egypt must suffer for 150 years; the two kings who were before you understood this, but you did not.”
Hearing this, Mycerinus, since these things had already been decided for him, Mycerinus made lots of lamps and lit them whenever night came. He both drank and made merry, giving up neither day nor night, wandering int the marshes and groves and wherever in the land he discovered to be the most appropriate places of amusement. He devised these actions hoping o prove the oracle false so that he might have 12 years instead of 6 by turning nights into days.
