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weapons. After Hephaestus, Helios his son, and he too * of Egypt, who, observing the legislation of his father, found an adulterous woman, and made a public example of her; which Homer turned into a myth. Sesostris, king of Egypt from the tribe of Ham, conquered all of Asia, and settled (dwelt?) in the land of the Assyrians. 6 Cod. Paris. 1630: But after Ninus, Thouras reigned over the Assyrians, whom his father Zames, the brother of Hera, renamed Ares, after the name of the wandering star. He became a bitter warrior. To this Ares the Assyrians were the first to erect pillars and they worshipped him as a god; whom even to this day they call in Persian the god Baal, which is interpreted Ares the god of wars. 2. After the death of Ares, Lames reigned, and after Lames, Sardanapalus the great; whom Perseus, the son of Danae, killed and took away the kingdom of the Assyrians, and having become king, he called them Persians after his own name. 3. And Picus, who is also Zeus, lived for 120 years, holding the west and reigning over it. And he had many sons and daughters from comely women; for he begot them illegitimately; for he was also a mystic and performed certain apparitions and astonished them. These women, having been corrupted by him, also held him as a god. 4. And the same Picus, who is also Zeus, had with Maia of Italy a son named Faunus, whom he also called Hermes, after the name of the wandering star. And when he was about to die, he ordered his remains to be placed on the island of Crete. And his children, having built a temple for him, placed him there in Crete in a tomb. Which tomb exists to the present day in Crete. On the tomb is inscribed: “Here lies dead Picus, who is also Zeus, whom they also call Dia.” 5. But after the death of Zeus, his son Faunus, who is also Hermes, reigned over Italy for 35 years; who was a cunning man and a mathematician. Who first discovered a mine of gold in the west, and how to smelt it. And knowing that his brothers, being about 70 in number (for Zeus mingled with many women and begot children), were envious of him, he departed with a great deal of gold, and went away to Egypt to the tribe of Ham. And being received with honor, he stayed there boasting and wearing a golden robe, and uttering oracles. For he was very learned. And they worshipped him, saying that he was a god, because he foretold the future; and he provided them with riches, for this reason they also called him the giver of wealth. Therefore, when Mestrem, king of Egypt from the tribe of Ham, died, the Egyptians made Hermes king; and he reigned for 39 years. 6. And Zeus also begot another son named Heracles with Alcmene of Thebes, who was called Triesperos. This Heracles was the first to demonstrate philosophy in the western parts, that is, the occidental. Having deified him after his death, those of his race called a celestial star by his name, Heracles of the starry tunic; whom they depict wearing a lion's skin and holding three apples; which three apples they mythologized that he took by killing the dragon with his club, that is, having conquered the manifold reasoning of evil desire through the club of philosophy, having a covering of prudence like a lion's skin; and thus he took the three apples, which are the three virtues: not to be angry, not to be a lover of money, not to be a lover of pleasure. For through the club of a steadfast soul and the skin of a most courageous and sound mind, he conquered the son of vile desire by philosophizing until death, as Herodotus (read Herodoros), the most wise, wrote, who also records that seven other Heracleses existed. 7. After Hermes, Hephaestus reigned over the Egyptians, whom they also called a god; for he was a warrior and a mystic, who, when a horse fell on him in the war, was struck and remained lame. And from mystic prayers he received the tongs from the air in order to make weapons out of iron; whence he also was found to be victorious in wars; for before him they fought with clubs and stones. And he also legislated for the Egyptian

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ὅπλα. Μετὰ Ἥφαιστον Ἥλιος ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ οὗτος * Αἰγύπτου, ὃς τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς φυλάττων νομοθεσίαν, εὑρὼν μοιχευομένην γυναῖκα, ἐθριάμβευσεν αὐτήν· ὃ Ὅμηρος εἰς μῦθον μετέβαλε. Σέσωστρις βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου ἐκ φυλῆς Χὰμ ἐκράτησε πάσης Ἀσίας, καὶ κατῴκισεν (κατῴκησεν?) ἐν τῇ Ἀσσυρίων χώρᾳ. 6 Cod. Paris. 1630: Μετὰ δὲ Νῖνον ἐβασίλευσε Ἀσσυρίων Θούρας, ὅντινα μετεκαλέσατο ὁ τούτου πατὴρ Ζάμης, ὁ τῆς Ἥρας ἀδελφὸς, εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πλανήτου ἀστέρος Ἄρεα. Οὗτος ἐγένετο πικρὸς πολεμιστής. Ὥτινι Ἄρεϊ ἀνέστησαν πρῶτοι στήλας Ἀσσύριοι καὶ ὡςθεὸν προσεκύνουν αὐτόν· ὃν καὶ ἕως τοῦ νῦν καλοῦσι Περσιστὶ Βάαλ θεόν, ὅ ἐστι ἑρμηνευόμενον Ἄρης ὁ πολέμων θεός. 2. Μετὰ τελευτὴν Ἄρεος ἐβασίλευσε Λάμης, μετὰ Λάμην Σαρδανάπαλλος ὁ μέγας· ὅντινα Περσεὺς ὁ ∆ανάης ἐφόνευσε καὶ ἀφείλετο τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ βασιλεύσας εἰς τὸ ἴδιον ὄνομα ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς Πέρσας. 3. Ἔζησε δὲ Πῖκος ὁ καὶ Ζεὺς ἔτη ρκʹ, κρατῶν τὴν δύσιν καὶ βασιλεύων αὐτῆς. Καὶ ἔσχε υἱοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας ἀπὸ τῶν εὐπρεπῶν γυναικῶν· ὑπενόθευε γὰρ αὐτάς· ἦν γὰρ καὶ μυστικὸς καὶ φαντασίας τινὰς ποιῶν καὶ ἐκπλήττων αὐτάς. Αἵτινες γυναῖκες καὶ ὡς θεὸν εἶχον αὐτὸν φθειράμεναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. 4. Ἔσχε δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς Πῖκος ὁ καὶ Ζεὺς μετὰ Μαιάδος τῆς Ἰταλικῆς υἱὸν ὄνομα Φαῦνον, ὃν καὶ Ἑρμῆν ἐκάλεσεν εἰς ὄνομα τοῦ πλανήτου ἀστέρος. Μέλλων δὲ τελευτᾶν, ἐκέλευσε τὸ λείψανον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ νήσῳ τεθῆναι. Καὶ κτίσαντες αὐτῷ ναὸν οἱ αὐτοῦ παῖδες ἔθηκαν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ ἐν μνήματι. Ὅπερ μνῆμα ἔστιν ἕως τοῦ παρόντος ἐν Κρήτῃ. Ἐν τῷ μνήματι ἐπιγέγραπται· «Ἔνθα κεῖται θανὼν Πῖκος ὁ καὶ Ζεὺς, ὃν καὶ ∆ία καλοῦσι.» 5. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ ∆ιὸς τελευτὴν ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ τούτου υἱὸς Φαῦνος ὁ καὶ Ἑρμῆς τῆς Ἰταλίας ἔτη λεʹ· ὃς ἦν ἀνὴρ πανοῦργος καὶ μαθηματικός. Ὅστις ἐφεῦρε μέταλλον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ δύσει πρῶτος, καὶ τὸ χωνεύειν. Γνοὺς δὲ ὅτι διαφθονοῦνται αὐτῷ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ὄντες περί που οʹ (μετὰ πολλῶν γὰρ μιγνύμενος ὁ Ζεὺς ἐτεκνοποίει), ἀνεχώρησε μετὰ πολλοῦ χρυσοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον πρὸς τὴν φυλὴν τοῦ Χάμ. Καὶ δεχθεὶς ἐν τιμῇ διέτριβεν ἐκεῖ μεγαλαυχῶν καὶ φορῶν χρυσῆν στολὴν, λέγων καὶ μαντείας. Ἦν γὰρ σφόδρα λόγιος. Καὶ προσεκύνουν αὐτῷ, λέγοντες εἶναι θεὸν, ὅτι προὔλεγε τὰ μέλλοντα· καὶ παρεῖχεν αὐτοῖς χρήματα διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ πλουτοδότην ἐκάλουν. Τελευτήσαντος οὖν Μεστρὲμ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου ἐκ φυλῆς Χὰμ, ἐποίησαν Αἰγύπτιοι Ἑρμῆν βασιλέα· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη λθʹ. 6. Ἐγέννησε δὲ Ζεὺς καὶ ἕτερον υἱὸν ὀνόματι Ἡρακλέα μετὰ Ἀλκμήνης τῆς Θηβαίας, ὃς ἐκλήθη Τριέσπερος. Οὗτος Ἡρακλῆς κατέδειξε πρῶτος τὸ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐν τοῖς ἑσπερίοις μέρεσιν, ἤτοι τοῖς δυτικοῖς. Τοῦτον ἀποθεώσαντες οἱ τοῦ γένους αὐτοῦ μετὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τελευτὴν, ἐκάλεσαν ἀστέρα οὐράνιον ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστροχίτωνα Ἡρακλέα· ὃν γράφουσι δορὰν λέοντος φοροῦντα καὶ τρία μῆλα κρατοῦντα· ἅπερ τρία μῆλα ἀφελέσθαι αὐτὸν ἐμυθολόγησαν τῷ ῥοπάλῳ φονεύσαντα τὸν δράκοντα, τουτέστι νικήσαντα τὸν πολυποίκιλον τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας λογισμὸν διὰ τοῦ ῥοπάλου τῆς φιλοσοφίας, ἔχοντα περιβόλαιον φρόνημα ὡς δορὰν λέοντος· καὶ οὕτως ἀφείλετο τὰ τρία μῆλα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀρετὰς, τὸ μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, τὸ μὴ φιλαργυρεῖν, τὸ μὴ φιληδονεῖν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ ῥοπάλου τῆς κρατερικῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς δορᾶς τοῦ θρασυτάτου καὶ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ ἐνίκησε τὸν υἱὸν τῆς φαυλῆς ἐπιθυμίας φιλοσοφήσας μέχρι θανάτου, καθὼς Ἡρόδοτος (λ. Ἡρόδωρος) ὁ σοφώτατος συνεγράψατο, ὃς καὶ ἄλλους Ἡρακλεῖς ἱστορεῖ γεγενῆσθαι ἑπτά. 7. Μετὰ Ἑρμῆν ἐβασίλευσεν Αἰγυπτίων Ἥφαιστος, ὃν καὶ θεὸν ἐκάλουν· ἦν γὰρ πολεμιστὴς καὶ μυστικὸς, ὃς συμπεσόντος αὐτῷ ἵππου ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πληγεὶς ἔμεινε χωλεύων. Ἀπὸ δὲ μυστικῶν εὐχῶν τὴν ὀξυλάβην ἐδέξατο ἐκ τοῦ ἀέρος εἰς τὸ κατασκευάζειν ἐκ σιδήρου ὅπλα· ὅθεν καὶ ἐπικρατὴς εὑρέθη εἰς τοὺς πολέμους· πρὸ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ῥοπάλοις καὶ λίθοις ἐπολέμουν. Ἐνομοθέτησε δὲ καὶ ταῖς Αἰγυπτίων