Ἐντεῦθέν ἐστιν ἰσθμὸς εἰς τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν κατὰ πόλιν Βερενίκην, ἀλίμενον μὲν τῇ δʼ εὐκαιρίᾳ τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ καταγωγὰς ἐπιτηδείους ἔχουσαν. λέγεται δʼ ὁ Φιλάδελφος πρῶτος στρατοπέδῳ τεμεῖν τὴν ὁδὸν ταύτην ἄνυδρον οὖσαν, καὶ κατασκευάσαι σταθμούς, τοῦτο δὲ πρᾶξαι διὰ τὸ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν δύσπλουν εἶναι καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ μυχοῦ πλοϊζομένοις. ἐφάνη δὴ τῇ πείρᾳ πολὺ τὸ χρήσιμον, καὶ νῦν ὁ Ἰνδικὸς φόρτος ἅπας καὶ ὁ Ἀράβιος καὶ τοῦ Αἰθιοπικοῦ ὁ τῷ Ἀραβίῳ κόλπῳ κατακομιζόμενος εἰς Κοπτὸν φέρεται, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἐμπόριον τῶν τοιούτων φορτίων. οὐκ ἄπωθεν δὲ τῆς Βερενίκης ἐστὶ Μυὸς ὅρμος, πόλις ἔχουσα τὸ ναύσταθμον τῶν πλοϊζομένων, καὶ τῆς Κοπτοῦ οὐ πολὺ ἀφέστηκεν ἡ καλουμένη Ἀπόλλωνος πόλις, ὥστε καὶ αἱ διορίζουσαι τὸν ἰσθμὸν δύο πόλεις ἑκατέρωθέν εἰσιν. ἀλλὰ νῦν ἡ Κοπτὸς καὶ ὁ Μυὸς ὅρμος εὐδοκιμεῖ, καὶ χρῶνται τοῖς τόποις τούτοις. πρότερον μὲν οὖν ἐνυκτοπόρουν πρὸς τὰ ἄστρα βλέποντες οἱ καμηλέμποροι καὶ καθάπερ οἱ πλέοντες ὥδευον κομίζοντες καὶ ὕδωρ, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ ὑδρεῖα κατεσκευάκασιν, ὀρύξαντες πολὺ βάθος, καὶ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων καίπερ ὄντων σπανίων ὅμως δεξαμενὰς πεποίηνται· ἡ δʼ ὁδός ἐστιν ἓξ ἢ ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν. ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἰσθμῷ τούτῳ καὶ τὰ τῆς σμαράγδου μέταλλά ἐστι, τῶν Ἀράβων ὀρυττόντων βαθεῖς τινας ὑπονόμους, καὶ ἄλλων λίθων πολυτελῶν.
Then follows the isthmus, extending to the Red Sea near Berenice, which has no harbour, but good landing-places, because the isthmus is conveniently situated. Philadelphus is said to be the first person that opened, by means of his army, this road, which had no supply of water, and to have provided stations. This he did because the navigation of the Red Sea was difficult, particularly to those who set out from the recess of the bay. Experience showed the great utility of this plan, and at present all the Indian, Arabian, and such Ethiopian merchandise as is imported by the Arabian Gulf is carried to Coptos, which is the mart for such commodities. Not far from Berenice is Myos Hormus, a city with a naval station for vessels which navigate this sea; at no great distance from Coptos is the city of Apollo, so that two cities are the boundaries of the isthmus, one on each side. But at present Coptos and Myos Hormus are in repute, and they are frequented.
Formerly, the camel-merchants travelled in the night, directing their course by observing the stars, and, like mariners, carried with them a supply of water. But now watering-places are provided: water is also obtained by digging to a great depth, and rain-water is found, although rain rarely falls, which is also collected in reservoirs. It is a journey of six or seven days.
On this isthmus are mines, in which the emeralds and other precious stones are found by the Arabians, who dig deep subterraneous passages.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀπόλλωνος πόλιν αἱ Θῆβαι (καλεῖται δὲ νῦν Διὸς πόλις) αἵθʼ ἑκατόμπυλοί εἰσι, διηκόσιοι δʼ ἀνʼ ἑκάστην ἀνέρες ἐξοιχνεῦσι σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ ὄχεσφιν. Ὅμηρος μὲν οὕτω· λέγει δὲ καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον οὐδʼ ὅσα Θήβας Αἰγυπτίας, ὅθι πλεῖστα δόμοις ἐνὶ κτήματα κεῖται. καὶ ἄλλοι δὲ τοιαῦτα λέγουσι, μητρόπολιν τιθέντες τῆς Αἰγύπτου ταύτην· καὶ νῦν δʼ ἴχνη δείκνυται τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτῆς ἐπὶ ὀγδοήκοντα σταδίους τὸ μῆκος· ἔστι δʼ ἱερὰ πλείω. καὶ τούτων δὲ τὰ πολλὰ ἠκρωτηρίασε Καμβύσης· νυνὶ δὲ κωμηδὸν συνοικεῖται, μέρος μέν τι ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ ἐν ᾗπερ ἡ πόλις, μέρος δέ τι καὶ ἐν τῇ περαίᾳ ὅπου τὸ Μεμνόνιον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ δυεῖν κολοσσῶν ὄντων μονολίθων ἀλλήλων πλησίον, ὁ μὲν σώζεται, τοῦ δʼ ἑτέρου τὰ ἄνω μέρη τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς καθέδρας πέπτωκε σεισμοῦ γενηθέντος, ὥς φασι. πεπίστευται δʼ ὅτι ἅπαξ καθʼ ἡμέραν ἑκάστην ψόφος ὡς ἂν πληγῆς οὐ μεγάλης ἀποτελεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ μένοντος ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ καὶ τῇ βάσει μέρους· κἀγὼ δὲ παρὼν ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων μετὰ Γάλλου Αἰλίου καὶ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ φίλων τε καὶ στρατιωτῶν περὶ ὥραν πρώτην ἤκουσα τοῦ ψόφου· εἴτε δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς βάσεως εἴτε ἀπὸ τοῦ κολοσσοῦ εἴτʼ ἐπίτηδες τῶν κύκλῳ καὶ περὶ τὴν βάσιν ἱδρυμένων τινὸς ποιήσαντος τὸν ψόφον, οὐκ ἔχω διισχυρίσασθαι· διὰ γὰρ τὸ ἄδηλον τῆς αἰτίας πᾶν μᾶλλον ἐπέρχεται πιστεύειν ἢ τὸ ἐκ τῶν λίθων οὕτω τεταγμένων ἐκπέμπεσθαι τὸν ἦχον. ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ Μεμνονίου θῆκαι βασιλέων ἐν σπηλαίοις λατομηταὶ περὶ τετταράκοντα, θαυμαστῶς κατεσκευασμέναι καὶ θέας ἄξιαι· ἐν δὲ ταῖς Θήβαις ἐπί τινων ὀβελίσκων ἀναγραφαὶ δηλοῦσαι τὸν πλοῦτον τῶν τότε βασιλέων καὶ τὴν ἐπικράτειαν, ὡς μέχρι Σκυθῶν καὶ Βακτρίων καὶ Ἰνδῶν καὶ τῆς νῦν Ἰωνίας διατείνασαν, καὶ φόρων πλῆθος καὶ στρατιᾶς περὶ ἑκατὸν μυριάδας. λέγονται δὲ καὶ ἀστρονόμοι καὶ φιλόσοφοι μάλιστα οἱ ἐνταῦθα ἱερεῖς· τούτων δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ τὰς ἡμέρας μὴ κατὰ σελήνην ἄγειν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἥλιον, τοῖς τριακονθημέροις δώδεκα μησὶν ἐπαγόντων πέντε ἡμέρας κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἕκαστον· εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τοῦ ὅλου ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἐπιτρέχοντος μορίου τινὸς τῆς ἡμέρας, περίοδόν τινα συντιθέασιν ἐξ ὅλων ἡμερῶν καὶ ὅλων ἐνιαυτῶν τοσούτων ὅσα μόρια τὰ ἐπιτρέχοντα συνελθόντα ποιεῖ ἡμέραν. ἀνατιθέασι δὲ τῷ Ἑρμῇ πᾶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην μάλιστα σοφίαν· τῷ δὲ Διὶ ὃν μάλιστα τιμῶσιν, εὐειδεστάτη καὶ γένους λαμπροτάτου παρθένος ἱερᾶται, ἃς καλοῦσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες παλλάδας· αὕτη δὲ καὶ παλλακεύει καὶ σύνεστιν οἷς βούλεται μέχρι ἂν ἡ φυσικὴ γένηται κάθαρσις τοῦ σώματος· μετὰ δὲ τὴν κάθαρσιν δίδοται πρὸς ἄνδρα, πρὶν δὲ δοθῆναι πένθος αὐτῆς ἄγεται μετὰ τὸν τῆς παλλακείας καιρόν.
Next to the city of Apollo is Thebes, now called Diospolis, with her hundred gates, through each of which issue two hundred men, with horses and chariots, according to Homer, who mentions also its wealth; not all the wealth the palaces of Egyptian Thebes contain.
Other writers use the same language, and consider Thebes as the metropolis of Egypt. Vestiges of its magnitude still exist, which extend 80 stadia in length. There are a great number of temples, many of which Cambyses mutilated. The spot is at present occupied by villages. One part of it, in which is the city, lies in Arabia; another is in the country on the other side of the river, where is the Memnonium. Here are two colossal figures near one another, each consisting of a single stone. One is entire; the upper parts of the other, from the chair, are fallen down, the effect, it is said, of an earthquake. It is believed, that once a day a noise as of a slight blow issues from the part of the statue which remains in the seat and on its base. When I was at those places with Aelius Gallus, and numerous friends and soldiers about him, I heard a noise at the first hour (of the day), but whether proceeding from the base or from the colossus, or produced on purpose by some of those standing around the base, I cannot confidently assert. For from the uncertainty of the cause, I am disposed to believe anything rather than that stones disposed in that manner could send forth sound.
Above the Memnonium are tombs of kings in caves, and hewn out of the stone, about forty in number; they are executed with singular skill, and are worthy of notice. Among the tombs are obelisks with inscriptions, denoting the wealth of the kings of that time, and the extent of their empire, as reaching to the Scythians, Bactrians, Indians, and the present Ionia; the amount of tribute also, and the number of soldiers, which composed an army of about a million of men.
The priests there are said to be, for the most part, astronomers and philosophers. The former compute the days, not by the moon, but by the sun, introducing into the twelve months of thirty days each five days every year. But in order to complete the whole year, because there is (annually) an excess of a part of a day, they form a period from out of whole days and whole years, the supernumerary portions of which in that period, when collected together, amount to a day. They ascribe to Mercury all knowledge of this kind. To Jupiter, whom they worship above all other deities, a virgin of the greatest beauty and of the most illustrious family (such persons the Greeks call pallades) is dedicated. She prostitutes herself with whom she pleases, until the time occurs for the natural purification of the body; she is afterwards married; but before her marriage, and after the period of prostitution, they mourn for her as for one dead.
μετὰ δὲ Θήβας Ἑρμωνθὶς πόλις, ἐν ᾗ ὅ τε Ἀπόλλων τιμᾶται καὶ ὁ Ζεύς· τρέφεται δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα βοῦς· ἔπειτα Κροκοδείλων πόλις τιμῶσα τὸ θηρίον· εἶτα Ἀφροδίτης πόλις καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Λατόπολις τιμῶσα Ἀθηνᾶν καὶ τὸν λάτον· εἶτα Εἰλειθυίας πόλις καὶ ἱερόν· ἐν δὲ τῇ περαίᾳ Ἱεράκων πόλις τὸν ἱέρακα τιμῶσα· εἶτʼ Ἀπόλλωνος πόλις καὶ αὕτη πολεμοῦσα τοῖς κροκοδείλοις.
Next after Thebes is the city Hermonthis, in which both Apollo and Jupiter are worshipped. They also keep an ox there (for worship).
Next is the city of Crocodiles, the inhabitants of which worship this animal; then Aphroditopolis (the city of Venus), and next to it, Latopolis, where Minerva is worshipped, and the (fish) Latus; next, the city of Eileithyia, and a temple. In the country on the other side of the river is Hieraconpolis (the city of hawks), where a hawk is worshipped; then Apollonopolis, the inhabitants of which are at war with crocodiles.
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