Chapter
VI.—Fire-Worship.
“Thus, in this fashion, there ensued many
partitions of the one original kingdom. The Persians, first
taking coals from the lightning which fell from heaven, preserved them
by ordinary fuel, and honouring the heavenly fire as a god, were
honoured by the fire itself with the first kingdom, as its first
worshippers. After them the Babylonians, stealing coals from the
fire that was there, and conveying it safely to their own home, and
worshipping it, they themselves also reigned in order. And the
Egyptians, acting in like manner, and calling the fire in their own
dialect Phthaë, which is translated
Hephaistus or Osiris, he who first reigned amongst them is called by its name. Those also who reigned in different places, acting in this fashion, and making an image, and kindling altars in honour of fire, most of them were excluded from the kingdom.