https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110583557-005 Ioannis M. Konstantakos Time, Thy Pyramids: The Novella of Mycerinus (Herodotus 2.129–134) � The tale in context The story of Pharaoh Mycerinus forms part of Herodotus’ broader account of the Egyptian kings who built the three famous pyramids on the plateau of Giza (2.124–134). This entire section has been conceived as a unit within Herodotus’ overall narration of pre-Saitic Pharaonic history (see below, section 3). The se- quence of the three monarchs begins with Cheops, presented as a tyrannical and megalomaniac despot. During the fifty years of his reign Cheops closed all the temples, oppressed the Egyptian people, and forced them to labour hard for dec- ades in order to construct his great pyramid (2.124–126). Cheops’ successor Chephren, who remained in power for fifty-six years, followed the same policy towards his subjects and left behind another impressive pyramid (2.127). These two pharaohs are intensely hated in Egypt because of the sufferings they inflicted on the people. The Egyptians even refrain from pronouncing the names of Cheops and Chephren and attribute their pyramids to a shepherd called Philitis, who once pastured his flocks in the area (2.128). Mycerinus’ biography (2.129–134) represents the narrative culmination of the foregoing sequence. Herodotus clearly has more stories to tell about the pharaoh of the third and smallest pyramid. The greater part of the chapters referring to Cheops and Chephren is devoted to the description of their buildings, while the purely narrative portions are limited. The only samples of true storytelling are the anecdote about the prostitution of Cheops’ daughter (2.126) and the briefly sum- marised tradition concerning the herdsman Philitis. By contrast, the sections about Mycerinus unfold a longer chain of extraordinary tales, weird adventures, and popular narrative motifs. In contrast to his two predecessors, Mycerinus behaved piously, re-opened the temples, and showed indulgence towards his overstrained people. For these reasons, the Egyptians praised him more than any other ruler of their land (2.129.1–2). In spite of his virtues, however, Mycerinus was afflicted with a series of misfortunes, beginning with the death of his daughter, his only child. The pharaoh’s grief was excessive, and he wished to give his beloved daughter an impressive and unique kind of burial. He enclosed her corpse inside a life-size wooden effigy of a cow, all gilded on the outside, which he kept in a chamber of Bereitgestellt von | Freie Universität Berlin Angemeldet Heruntergeladen am | 22.03.18 20:55