32 DISCOVERIES OF THE ANCIENTS. 
are the two expeditions of Cambyses to the south 
and west of Egypt. * Although conquest was 
doubtless their primary object, yet a considerable 
share of wild curiosity seems to have mingled in 
these desperate undertakings. Cambyses divided 
his army into two parts, one of which he led in 
person against the southern Ethiopians, w T hile he 
sent' the other against the Ammonians (inhabitants 
of the modern oasis of Siwah). He himself, taking 
the command of the former, set out from Thebes, and 
proceeded for some time in full confidence of success. 
The army had not gone far, however, when their 
whole stock of provisions was exhausted. Support 
was afforded, first by killing all the cattle that be- 
longed to the expedition, then by feeding on the 
scanty herbage which the ground afforded. Still 
the proud obstinacy of Cambyses, who conceived 
that all nature ought to be subservient to him, re- 
pelled the mortifying idea of renouncing his pro- 
ject. At length they came to the region of pure 
sand, when all food whatever failed, and the troops 
had recourse to the desperate extremity of devour- 
ing each other. Cambyses, struck at length with 
just horror, desisted, and returned to Thebes, but 
not till he had lost a large proportion of his army. 
Of the other expedition, which had gone against 
the Ammonians, the fate remained for ever buried 
* Herod. III. 
