Anthony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Suggesting that Herodotus could not tell the
> difference between a temple wall and the pyramid
> wall is a pretty serious accusation.
De Sélincourt didn't say that Herodotus couldn't tell the difference between the two. He suggested that Herodotus might have
forgotten, and been misinformed.
>
> Also, there was a fairly common practice in the
> tombs of the nobles to describe how they
> adequately compensated the workers who built their
> tombs. Herodotus would not have known about this
> custom. There are also many offering lists in
> tombs in the Old Kingdom. It is possible that the
> two sections got crossed up by the priest, but it
> is more likely that this was actually a text
> included on the outer wall of a pyramid built for
> a king. Since we have no surviving outer wall
> texts of any significance, we really should
> refrain from dismissing what we do have reported
> simply because we do not understand it fully at
> this point in time (or, more accurately, at the
> time de Selincourt wrote his book).
Well, I suppose he wasn't an Egyptologist as such ...
> After all, there are other things reported by
> travelers that were thought to be ludicrous at the
> time, but are now known to be culturally accurate
> and most significant.
De Sélincourt in fact goes on to say:
Quote
"His mis-statements on details in Egypt are too many to note here ... But the progress of Egyptology has, on the whole, contributed to a favourable view of his efforts. Experts say that the gives a reasonably accurate account of embalming, for instance (II, 86 ff); and ... E. Erman reckoned his to be a reasonably good tourist's account of the country generally. No one would go to him for an account of Egyptian history; what we many demand of him - and reasonably criticize him when he fails to give it - is a picture of Egypt in Greek time, and a glimpse of what Egyptians said about their past ... "
Hermione
Director/Moderator - The Hall of Ma'at
Rules and Guidelines
hallofmaatforum@proton.me