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Animal Rights History Timeline » [BCE-CE] Antiquity » Herodotus

Herodotus

The Histories

[5th c. BCE ] Herodotus, Clio and Euterpe in The Histories of Herodotus translated by Henry Cary (New York, 1904; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks).

Clio

The Egyptian Priests…hold it matter of religion not to kill anything that has life, except such things as they offer in sacrifice. (56)

Euterpe

Egypt, though bordering on Libya, does not abound in wild beasts; but all that they have are accounted sacred, as well those that are domesticated as those that ar not.…Should any one kill one of these beasts, if wilfully, death is the punishment; if by accident, he pays a fine as the priest choose to impose. But whoever kills an ibis or a hawk, whether wilfully or by accident, must necessarily be put to death. (108)