τὰ μὲν οὖν καθʼ ὅλου καὶ ἀνωτάτω περὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ταῦτα λέγομεν, τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα δὲ καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς αὐτῆς νῦν διέξιμεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ ἔργου τούτου καὶ τὸ κυριώτατον ἡ Ἀλεξάνδρειά ἐστι καὶ τὰ περὶ αὐτήν, ἐντεῦθεν ἀρκτέον. ἔστι τοίνυν ἡ ἀπὸ Πηλουσίου παραλία πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν πλέουσι μέχρι μὲν τοῦ Κανωβικοῦ στόματος χιλίων που καὶ τριακοσίων σταδίων, ὃ δὴ καὶ βάσιν τοῦ Δέλτα ἔφαμεν· ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ἐπὶ Φάρον τὴν νῆσον ἄλλοι στάδιοι πεντήκοντα πρὸς τοῖς ἑκατόν. ἡ δὲ Φάρος νησίον ἐστὶ παράμηκες, προσεχέστατον τῇ ἠπείρῳ, λιμένα πρὸς αὐτὴν ποιοῦν ἀμφίστομον. ᾐὼν γάρ ἐστι κολπώδης, ἄκρας εἰς τὸ πέλαγος προβεβλημένη δύο· τούτων δὲ μεταξὺ ἡ νῆσος ἵδρυται κλείουσα τὸν κόλπον, παραβέβληται γὰρ αὐτῷ κατὰ μῆκος· τῶν δʼ ἄκρων τῆς Φάρου τὸ μὲν ἑῷον μᾶλλόν ἐστι προσεχὲς τῇ ἠπείρῳ καὶ τῇ κατʼ αὐτὴν ἄκρᾳ (καλεῖται δʼ ἄκρα Λοχιάς), καὶ ποιεῖ τὸν λιμένα ἀρτίστομον· πρὸς δὲ τῇ στενότητι τοῦ μεταξὺ πόρου καὶ πέτραι εἰσὶν αἱ μὲν ὕφαλοι αἱ δὲ καὶ ἐξέχουσαι, τραχύνουσαι πᾶσαν ὥραν τὸ προσπῖπτον ἐκ τοῦ πελάγους κλυδώνιον. ἔστι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς νησῖδος ἄκρον πέτρα περίκλυστος, ἔχουσα πύργον θαυμαστῶς κατεσκευασμένον λευκοῦ λίθου πολυώροφον, ὁμώνυμον τῇ νήσῳ· τοῦτον δʼ ἀνέθηκε Σώστρατος Κνίδιος, φίλος τῶν βασιλέων, τῆς τῶν πλοιζομένων σωτηρίας χάριν, ὥς φησιν ἡ ἐπιγραφή. ἀλιμένου γὰρ οὔσης καὶ ταπεινῆς τῆς ἑκατέρωθεν παραλίας, ἐχούσης δὲ καὶ χοιράδας καὶ βράχη τινά, ἔδει σημείου τινὸς ὑψηλοῦ καὶ λαμπροῦ τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ πελάγους προσπλέουσιν ὥστʼ εὐστοχεῖν τῆς εἰσβολῆς τοῦ λιμένος. καὶ τὸ ἑσπέριον δὲ στόμα οὐκ εὐείσβολόν ἐστιν, οὐ μὴν τοσαύτης γε δεῖται προνοίας· ποιεῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἄλλον λιμένα τὸν τοῦ Εὐνόστου καλούμενον· πρόκειται δʼ οὗτος τοῦ ὀρυκτοῦ καὶ κλειστοῦ λιμένος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ λεχθέντος πύργου τῆς Φάρου τὸν εἴσπλουν ἔχων ὁ μέγας ἐστὶ λιμήν· οὗτοι δὲ συνεχεῖς ἐν βάθει ἐκείνῳ, τῷ ἑπτασταδίῳ καλουμένῳ χώματι διειργόμενοι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ παράκεινται· τὸ δὲ χῶμά ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἠπείρου γέφυρα ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον κατὰ τὸ ἑσπέριον αὐτῆς μέρος ἐκτεταμένη, δύο διάπλους ἀπολείπουσα μόνον εἰς τὸν Εὐνόστου λιμένα καὶ αὐτοὺς γεγεφυρωμένους· ἦν δʼ οὐ γέφυρα μόνον ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑδραγώγιον, ὅτε γε ᾠκεῖτο· νῦν δʼ ἠρήμωσεν αὐτὴν ὁ θεὸς Καῖσαρ ἐν τῷ πρὸς Ἀλεξανδρέας πολέμῳ τεταγμένην μετὰ τῶν βασιλέων· ὀλίγοι δʼ οἰκοῦσι πρὸς τῷ πύργῳ ναυτικοὶ ἄνδρες. ὁ γοῦν μέγας λιμὴν πρὸς τῷ κεκλεῖσθαι καλῶς τῷ τε χώματι καὶ τῇ φύσει ἀγχιβαθής τέ ἐστιν ὥστε τὴν μεγίστην ναῦν ἐπὶ κλίμακος ὁρμεῖν, καὶ εἰς πλείους σχίζεται λιμένας. οἱ μὲν οὖν πρότεροι τῶν Αἰγυπτίων βασιλεῖς ἀγαπῶντες οἷς εἶχον καὶ οὐ πάνυ ἐπεισάκτων δεόμενοι, διαβεβλημένοι πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς πλέοντας καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς Ἕλληνας (πορθηταὶ γὰρ ἦσαν καὶ ἐπιθυμηταὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας κατὰ σπάνιν γῆς), ἐπέστησαν φυλακὴν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ κελεύσαντες ἀπείργειν τοὺς προσιόντας· κατοικίαν δʼ αὐτοῖς ἔδοσαν τὴν προσαγορευομένην Ῥακῶτιν, ἣ νῦν μὲν τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων πόλεώς ἐστι μέρος τὸ ὑπερκείμενον τῶν νεωρίων, τότε δὲ κώμη ὑπῆρχε· τὰ δὲ κύκλῳ τῆς κώμης βουκόλοις παρέδοσαν δυναμένοις καὶ αὐτοῖς κωλύειν τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἐπιόντας. ἐπελθὼν δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἰδὼν τὴν εὐκαιρίαν ἔγνω τειχίζειν ἐπὶ τῷ λιμένι τὴν πόλιν· τῆς δʼ ὕστερον ἐπηκολουθηκυίας εὐδαιμονίας τῇ πόλει μνημονεύουσί τι σημεῖον κατὰ τὴν ὑπογραφὴν τοῦ κτίσματος συμβάν· τῶν γὰρ ἀρχιτεκτόνων γῇ λευκῇ διασημαινομένων τὴν τοῦ περιβόλου γραμμήν, ἐπιλιπούσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιόντος, οἱ διοικηταὶ τῶν ἀλφίτων μέρος τῶν παρεσκευασμένων τοῖς ἐργάταις παρέσχον, διʼ ὧν καὶ αἱ ὁδοὶ κατετμήθησαν εἰς πλείους· τοῦτʼ οὖν οἰωνίσθαι λέγονται πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ γεγονός.
As Alexandreia and its neighbourhood occupy the greatest and principal portion of the description, I shall begin with it.
In sailing towards the west, the sea-coast from Pelusium to the Canobic mouth of the Nile is about 1300 stadia in extent, and constitutes, as we have said, the base of the Delta. Thence to the island Pharos are 150 stadia more.
Pharos is a small oblong island, and lies quite close to the continent, forming towards it a harbour with a double entrance. For the coast abounds with bays, and has two promontories projecting into the sea. The island is situated between these, and shuts in the bay, lying lengthways in front of it.
Of the extremities of the Pharos, the eastern is nearest to the continent and to the promontory in that direction, called Lochias, which is the cause of the entrance to the port being narrow. Besides the narrowness of the passage, there are rocks, some under water, others rising above it, which at all times increase the violence of the waves rolling in upon them from the open sea. This extremity itself of the island is a rock, washed by the sea on all sides, with a tower upon it of the same name as the island, admirably constructed of white marble, with several stories. Sostratus of Cnidus, a friend of the kings, erected it for the safety of mariners, as the inscription imports. For as the coast on each side is low and without harbours, with reefs and shallows, an elevated and conspicuous mark was required to enable navigators coming in from the open sea to direct their course exactly to the entrance of the harbour.
The western mouth does not afford an easy entrance, but it does not require the same degree of caution as the other. It forms also another port, which has the name of Eunostus, or Happy Return: it lies in front of the artificial and close harbour. That which has its entrance at the above-mentioned tower of Pharos is the great harbour. These (two) lie contiguous in the recess called Heptastadium, and are separated from it by a mound. This mound forms a bridge from the continent to the island, and extends along its western side, leaving two passages only through it to the harbour of Eunostus, which are bridged over. But this work served not only as a bridge, but as an aqueduct also, when the island was inhabited. Divus Caesar devastated the island, in his war against the people of Alexandreia, when they espoused the party of the kings. A few sailors live near the tower.
The great harbour, in addition to its being well enclosed by the mound and by nature, is of sufficient depth near the shore to allow the largest vessel to anchor near the stairs. It is also divided into several ports.
The former kings of Egypt, satisfied with what they possessed, and not desirous of foreign commerce, entertained a dislike to all mariners, especially the Greeks (who, on account of the poverty of their own country, ravaged and coveted the property of other nations), and stationed a guard here, who had orders to keep off all persons who approached. To the guard was assigned as a place of residence the spot called Rhacotis, which is now a part of the city of Alexandreia, situated above the arsenal. At that time, however, it was a village. The country about the village was given up to herdsmen, who were also able (from their numbers) to prevent strangers from entering the country.
When Alexander arrived, and perceived the advantages of the situation, he determined to build the city on the (natural) harbour. The prosperity of the place, which ensued, was intimated, it is said, by a presage which occurred while the plan of the city was tracing. The architects were engaged in marking out the line of the wall with chalk, and had consumed it all, when the king arrived; upon which the dispensers of flour supplied the workmen with a part of the flour, which was provided for their own use; and this substance was used in tracing the greater part of the divisions of the streets. This, they said, was a good omen for the city.
̔η δʼ εὐκαιρία πολύτροπος· ἀμφίκλυστόν τε γάρ ἐστι τὸ χωρίον δυσὶ πελάγεσι, τῷ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρκτων τῷ Αἰγυπτίῳ λεγομένῳ τῷ δʼ ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας τῷ τῆς λίμνης τῆς Μαρείας ἣ καὶ Μαρεῶτις λέγεται· πληροῖ δὲ ταύτην πολλαῖς διώρυξιν ὁ Νεῖλος ἄνωθέν τε καὶ ἐκ πλαγίων, διʼ ὧν τὰ εἰσκομιζόμενα πολλῷ πλείω τῶν ἀπὸ θαλάττης ἐστὶν ὥσθʼ ὁ λιμὴν ὁ λιμναῖος ὑπῆρχε πλουσιώτερος τοῦ θαλαττίου· ταύτῃ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐκκομιζόμενα ἐξ Ἀλεξανδρείας πλείω τῶν εἰσκομιζομένων ἐστί· γνοίη δʼ ἄν τις ἔν τε τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ καὶ τῇ Δικαιαρχείᾳ γενόμενος, ὁρῶν τὰς ὁλκάδας ἔν τε τῷ κατάπλῳ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀναγωγαῖς ὅσον βαρύτεραί τε καὶ κουφότεραι δεῦρο κἀκεῖσε πλέοιεν. πρὸς δὲ τῷ πλούτῳ τῶν καταγομένων ἑκατέρωσε εἴς τε τὸν κατὰ θάλατταν λιμένα καὶ εἰς τὸν λιμναῖον καὶ τὸ εὐάερον ἄξιον σημειώσεώς ἐστιν, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ συμβαίνει διὰ τὸ ἀμφίκλυστον καὶ τὸ εὔκαιρον τῆς ἀναβάσεως τοῦ Νείλου. αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλαι πόλεις αἱ ἐπὶ λιμνῶν ἱδρυμέναι βαρεῖς καὶ πνιγώδεις ἔχουσι τοὺς ἀέρας ἐν τοῖς καύμασι τοῦ θέρους· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς χείλεσιν αἱ λίμναι τελματοῦνται διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἡλίων ἀναθυμίασιν· βορβορώδους οὖν ἀναφερομένης τοσαύτης ἰκμάδος, νοσώδης ὁ ἀὴρ ἕλκεται καὶ λοιμικῶν κατάρχει παθῶν. ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ δὲ τοῦ θέρους ἀρχομένου πληρούμενος ὁ Νεῖλος πληροῖ καὶ τὴν λίμνην καὶ οὐδὲν ἐᾷ τελματῶδες τὸ τὴν ἀναφορὰν ποιῆσον μοχθηράν· τότε δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐτησίαι πνέουσιν ἐκ τῶν βορείων καὶ τοῦ τοσούτου πελάγους, ὥστε κάλλιστα τοῦ θέρους Ἀλεξανδρεῖς διάγουσιν.
The advantages of the city are of various kinds. The site is washed by two seas; on the north, by what is called the Egyptian Sea, and on the south, by the sea of the lake Mareia, which is also called Mareotis. This lake is filled by many canals from the Nile, both by those above and those at the sides, through which a greater quantity of merchandise is imported than by those communicating with the sea. Hence the harbour on the lake is richer than the maritime harbour. The exports by sea from Alexandreia exceed the imports. This any person may ascertain, either at Alexandreia or Dicaearchia, by watching the arrival and departure of the merchant vessels, and observing how much heavier or lighter their cargoes are when they depart or when they return.
In addition to the wealth derived from merchandise landed at the harbours on each side, on the sea and on the lake, its fine air is worthy of remark: this results from the city being on two sides surrounded by water, and from the favourable effects of the rise of the Nile. For other cities, situated near lakes, have, during the heats of summer, a heavy and suffocating atmosphere, and lakes at their margins become swampy by the evaporation occasioned by the sun’s heat. When a large quantity of moisture is exhaled from swamps, a noxious vapour rises, and is the cause of pestilential disorders. But at Alexandreia, at the beginning of summer, the Nile, being full, fills the lake also, and leaves no marshy matter which is likely to occasion malignant exhalations. At the same period, the Etesian winds blow from the north, over a large expanse of sea, and the Alexandrines in consequence pass their summer very pleasantly.
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