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3That so it came to pass I heard from the priests of that Hephaistos who dwells at Memphis;[2] but the Hellenes relate, besides many other idle tales, that Psammetichos cut out the tongues of certain women, and then caused the children to live with these women.
With regard then to the rearing of the children they related so much as I have said: and I heard also other things at Memphis when I had speech with the priests of Hephaistos. Moreover I visited both Thebes and Heliopolis[3] for this very cause, namely because I wished to know whether the priests at these places would agree in their accounts with those at Memphis; for the men of Heliopolis are said to be the most learned in records of the Egyptians. Those of their narrations which I heard with regard to the gods I am not earnest to relate in full, but I shall name them only,[4] because I consider that all men are equally ignorant of these matters:[5] and whatever things of them I may record, I shall record only because I am compelled by the course of the story.
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Notes
[2] {tou en Memphi}: many Editors read {en Memphi}, "I heard at Memphis from the priests of Hephaistos," but with less authority.
[3] {'Eliou polin} or {'Elioupolin}, cp. {'Elioupolitai} below.
[4] {exo e ta ounamata auton mounon}. Some understand "them" to mean "the gods"; rather perhaps the meaning is that accounts of such things will not be related in full, but only touched upon.
[5] {ison peri auton epistasthai}.