were kept, and there numbers of priests were occupied in their office of
blessing the warriors, offering sacrifices, and singing hymns and
litanies. But these pious sounds were frequently overpowered by the loud
voices of the gamblers and revellers, by the blows of the hammers, the
hoarse braying of the asses, and the neighing of the horses. From time
to time also the deep roar of the king's war-lions

[See Diodorus, 1. 47. Also the pictures of the king rushing to the
fight.]

might be heard; these beasts followed him into the fight, and were now
howling for food, as they had been kept fasting to excite their fury.

In the midst of the camp stood the king's tent, surrounded by foot and
chariot-guards. The auxiliary troops were encamped in divisions
according to their nationality, and between them the Egyptian legions of
heavy-armed soldiers and archers. Here might be seen the black Ethiopian
with wooly matted hair, in which a few feathers were stuck--the handsome,
well proportioned "Son of the desert" from the sandy Arabian shore of the
Red Sea, who performed his wild war-dance flourishing his lance, with a
peculiar wriggle of his--hips pale Sardinians, with metal helmets and
heavy swords--light colored Libyans, with tattooed arms and ostrich-
feathers on their heads-brown, bearded Arabs, worshippers of the stars,
inseparable from their horses, and armed, some with lances, and some with
bows and arrows. And not less various than their aspect were the tongues
of the allied troops--but all obedient to the king's word of command.

In the midst of the royal tents was a lightly constructed temple with the
statues of the Gods of Thebes, and of the king's forefathers; clouds of
incense rose in front of it, for the priests were engaged from the eve of