And if formerly Greece had derived something of civilization from Egypt, she now paid back the gift by the swords of her adventurers; and the bravest and most loyal part of the Egyptian army was composed of Grecian mercenaries.

At the same time Egypt shared the fate of all nations that intrust too great a power to auxiliaries.

Greeks defended her, but Greeks conspired against her.

The adventurers from whom she derived a fatal strength were of a vain, wily, and irritable temperament.

A Greek removed from the influence of Greece usually lost all that was honest, all that was noble in the national character; and with the most refining intellect, he united a policy like that of the Italian in the middle ages, fierce, faithless, and depraved.