title: Snakes with Wings and Gold-digging Ants
author:  Herodotus 
description: Herodotus (c.490 BC - c.420 BC) was an Ionian traveller and storyteller. He was exiled from Helicarnassus after his involvement in an unsuccessful coup d'etat against the ruling dynasty and undertook some of the many journeys described in his Histories. He is often still known by the title, first given to him by Cicero, of the 'Father of History'.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ancient Egypt, _c_. 415 BC
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  HERODOTUS
  
  
  Snakes with Wings and Gold-digging Ants
  
  
  _Translated by_ AUBREY DE SELINCOURT
  
  
  _Translation revised by_ JOHN MARINCOLA
  
  
  ![image](../images/00005.gif)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  PENGUIN BOOKS
  
  
  Published by the Penguin Group
  
  
  Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
  
  
  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
  
  
  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario,
  Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
  
  
  Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of
  Penguin Books Ltd)
  
  
  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
  Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
  
  
  Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi –
  110 017, India
  
  
  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 1310, New Zealand
  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)
  
  
  P