Herodotus
 484-425 BCE | Herodotus, Clio [offsite ebook] and Euterpe [offsite ebook] in The Histories of Herodotus translated by Henry Cary (New York, 1904; Digitized by Google, 2006).
The Egyptian Priests…hold it matter of religion not to kill anything that has life, except such things as they offer in sacrifice. (Herodotus, Histories, Clio, 56 [offsite ebook])
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 are 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. (Herodotus, The Histories, Euterpe, 108 [offsite ebook])
 Transcriber's Notes
Animal Rights History
These pages are part of an ongoing effort to provide free online access to historical literature on animal rights, animal welfare and the humane movement against animal cruelty.
Quotes briefly introduce animal rights activists, animal welfare advocates and authors; the history of animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection; and the literature of the humane movement against cruelty to animals.
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Links to primary source historical literature document the authenticity of quotations while providing more in-depth insight into the ideologies of the humane movement against cruelty to animals and additional historical perspective on the continuing struggle for animal rights, animal welfare and the protection of animals.
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