This inscription was scrawled by two Greek mercenaries on one of the legs of the great statues of Abu Simbel, in Egypt about 700 miles up the Nile River from the Mediterranean. I t is one of many such graffiti that the Greek soldiers left while on an expedition for the Egyptian king around 591 B.C.E.

When King Psammetichos had come to Elephantine, this was written by those who sailed with Psammetichos, son of Theokles, who went as far upstream as they could—above Kerkis. Potasimto led the foreigners and Amasis the Egyptians. This was written by Archon son of Amoibichos and Pelekos son of Eudamos.

One of the earliest Greek poets whose writing survives, Archilochus of Paros (circa 650-600 B.C.E.) composed this pithy poem describing his life as a mercenary:

Idepend on my spear for...