Histories, 5.4

Herodotus  translated by G. C. Macaulay

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4Of these the practices of the Getai, who believe themselves to be immortal, have been spoken of by me already:[3] and the Trausians perform everything else in the same manner as the other Thracians, but in regard to those who are born and die among them they do as follows:—when a child has been born, the nearest of kin sit round it and make lamentation for all the evils of which he must fulfil the measure, now that he is born,[3a] enumerating the whole number of human ills; but when a man is dead, they cover him up in the earth with sport and rejoicing, saying at the same time from what great evils he has escaped and is now in perfect bliss.

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Notes

  • [3] iv. 93.

  • [3a] Or "from the time that he was born."