Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἐφοδεύοντες καὶ τοὺς κόλπους συμπεριελάβομεν τοὺς σφίγγοντας αὐτὴν καὶ ποιοῦντας χερρόνησον, τὸν Περσικὸν καὶ τὸν Ἀράβιον, τούτῳ δέ τινα συμπεριωδεύθη καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας, τὰ τῶν Τρωγλοδυτῶν καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων τῆς κινναμωμοφόρου· τὰ λειπόμενα καὶ συνεχῆ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τούτοις, ταῦτα δʼ ἐστὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Νεῖλον, ἐκθετέον· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν Λιβύην ἔπιμεν, ἥπερ ἐστὶ λοιπὴ τῆς συμπάσης γεωγραφίας. κἀνταῦθα δʼ Ἐρατοσθένους ἀποφάσεις προεκθετέον.
WHEN we were describing Arabia, we included in the description the gulfs which compress and make it a peninsula, namely the Gulfs of Arabia and of Persis. We described at the same time some parts of Egypt, and those of Ethiopia, inhabited by the Troglodytae, and by the people situated next to them, extending to the confines of the Cinnamon country.
We are now to describe the remaining parts contiguous to these nations, and situated about the Nile. We shall then give an account of Africa, which remains to complete this treatise on Geography.
φησὶ δὴ τοῦ Ἀραβίου κόλπου πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν χιλίους σταδίους διέχειν τὸν Νεῖλον, παραπλήσιον ὄντα τῷ γράμματι τῷ Ν κειμένῳ ἀνάπαλιν. ῥυεὶς γάρ, φησίν, ἀπὸ Μερόης ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρκτους ὡς δισχιλίους καὶ ἑπτακοσίους σταδίους, πάλιν ἀναστρέφει πρὸς μεσημβρίαν καὶ τὴν χειμερινὴν δύσιν ὡς τρισχιλίους καὶ ἑπτακοσίους σταδίους, καὶ σχεδόν ἀντάρας τοῖς κατὰ Μερόην τόποις καὶ εἰς τὴν Λιβύην πολὺ προπεσὼν καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν ἐπιστροφὴν ποιησάμενος πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους φέρεται πεντακισχιλίους μὲν καὶ τριακοσίους σταδίους ἐπὶ τὸν μέγαν καταράκτην μικρὸν παρεπιστρέφων πρὸς τὴν ἕω, χιλίους δὲ καὶ διακοσίους τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν ἐλάττω τὸν κατὰ Συήνην, πεντακισχιλίους δὲ ἄλλους καὶ τριακοσίους ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν. ἐμβάλλουσι δʼ εἰς αὐτὸν δύο ποταμοί, φερόμενοι μὲν ἔκ τινων λιμνῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω, περιλαμβάνοντες δὲ νῆσον εὐμεγέθη τὴν Μερόην· ὧν ὁ μὲν Ἀσταβόρας καλεῖται κατὰ τὸ πρὸς ἕω πλευρὸν ῥέων, ἅτερος δʼ Ἀστάπους· οἱ δʼ Ἀστασόβαν καλοῦσι, τὸν δʼ Ἀστάπουν ἄλλον εἶναι, ῥέοντα ἔκ τινων λιμνῶν ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας καὶ σχεδόν τὸ κατʼ εὐθεῖαν σῶμα τοῦ Νείλου τοῦτον ποιεῖν· τὴν δὲ πλήρωσιν αὐτοῦ τοὺς θερινοὺς ὄμβρους παρασκευάζειν. ὑπὲρ δὲ τὰς συμβολὰς τοῦ Ἀσταβόρα καὶ τοῦ Νείλου σταδίοις ἑπτακοσίοις Μερόην εἶναι πόλιν ὁμώνυμον τῇ νήσῳ· ἄλλην δʼ εἶναι νῆσον ὑπὲρ τῆς Μερόης, ἣν ἔχουσιν οἱ Αἰγυπτίων φυγάδες οἱ ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ Ψαμμιτίχου, καλοῦνται δὲ Σεμβρῖται, ὡς ἂν ἐπήλυδες· βασιλεύονται δὲ ὑπὸ γυναικός, ὑπακούουσι δὲ τῶν ἐν Μερόῃ. τὰ δὲ κατωτέρω ἑκατέρωθεν Μερόης παρὰ μὲν τὸν Νεῖλον πρὸς τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν Μεγάβαροι καὶ Βλέμμυες, Αἰθιόπων ὑπακούοντες, Αἰγυπτίοις δʼ ὅμοροι· παρὰ θάλατταν δὲ Τρωγλοδύται· διεστᾶσι δὲ εἰς δέκα ἢ δώδεκα ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν οἱ κατὰ τὴν Μερόην Τρωγλοδύται τοῦ Νείλου. ἐξ ἀριστερῶν δὲ τῆς ῥύσεως τοῦ Νείλου Νοῦβαι κατοικοῦσιν ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ, μέγα ἔθνος, ἀπὸ τῆς Μερόης ἀρξάμενοι μέχρι τῶν ἀγκώνων, οὐχ ὑποταττόμενοι τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν, ἀλλʼ ἰδίᾳ κατὰ πλείους βασιλείας διειλημμένοι. τῆς δʼ Αἰγύπτου τὸ παρὰ τὴν θάλαττάν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πηλουσιακοῦ στόματος πρὸς τὸ Κανωβικὸν στάδιοι χίλιοι τριακόσιοι.
And here we must previously adduce the opinions of Eratosthenes. He says, that the Nile is distant from the Arabian Gulf towards the west 1000 stadia, and that it resembles (in its course) the letter N reversed. For after flowing, he says, about 2700 stadia from Meroë towards the north, it turns again to the south, and to the winter sunset, continuing its course for about 3700 stadia, when it is almost in the latitude of the places about Meroë. Then entering far into Africa, and having made another bend, it flows towards the north, a distance of 5300 stadia, to the great cataract; and inclining a little to the east, traverses a distance of 1200 stadia to the smaller cataract at Syene, and 5300 stadia more to the sea.
Two rivers empty themselves into it, which issue out of some lakes towards the east, and encircle Meroë, a considerable island. One of these rivers is called Astaboras, flowing along the eastern side of the island. The other is the Astapus, or, as some call it, Astasobas. But the Astapus is said to be another river, which issues out of some lakes on the south, and that this river forms nearly the body of the (stream of the) Nile, which flows in a straight line, and that it is filled by the summer rains; that above the confluence of the Astaboras and the Nile, at the distance of 700 stadia, is Meroë, a city having the same name as the island; and that there is another island above Meroë, occupied by the fugitive Egyptians, who revolted in the time of Psammitichus, and are called Sembritae, or foreigners. Their sovereign is a queen, but they obey the king of Meroë.
The lower parts of the country on each side Meroë, along the Nile towards the Red Sea, are occupied by Megabari and Blemmyes, who are subject to the Ethiopians, and border upon the Egyptians; about the sea are Troglodytae. The Troglodytae, in the latitude of Meroë, are distant ten or twelve days’ journey from the Nile. On the left of the course of the Nile live Nubae in Libya, a populous nation. They begin from Meroë, and extend as far as the bends (of the river). They are not subject to the Ethiopians, but live independently, being distributed into several sovereignties.
The extent of Egypt along the sea, from the Pelusiac to the Canobic mouth, is 1300 stadia.
Such is the account of Eratosthenes.
Ἐρατοσθένης μὲν οὖν οὕτως. δεῖ δὲ ἐπὶ πλέον εἰπεῖν καὶ πρῶτον τὰ περὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ὅπως ἀπὸ τῶν γνωριμωτέρων ἐπὶ τὰ ἑξῆς προΐωμεν. κοινὰ μὲν γάρ τινα καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ τῇ συνεχεῖ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν τῇ τῶν Αἰθιόπων ὁ Νεῖλος παρασκευάζει, ποτίζων τε αὐτὰς κατὰ τὰς ἀναβάσεις καὶ τοῦτʼ οἰκήσιμον αὐτῶν τὸ μέρος ἀπολείπων μόνον τὸ καλυπτόμενον ἐν ταῖς πλημμυρίσι, τὸ δʼ ὑπερδέξιον καὶ μετεωρότερον τοῦ ῥεύματος πᾶν ἀοίκητον διεξιὼν ἑκατέρωθεν καὶ ἔρημον διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνυδρίαν. ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν Αἰθιοπίαν οὔτε πᾶσαν διέξεισιν ὁ Νεῖλος οὔτε μόνος οὔτʼ ἐπʼ εὐθείας οὔτʼ οἰκουμένην καλῶς· τὴν δὲ Αἴγυπτον καὶ μόνος καὶ πᾶσαν καὶ ἐπʼ εὐθείας ἀπὸ τοῦ μικροῦ καταράκτου ὑπὲρ Συήνης καὶ Ἐλεφαντίνης ἀρξάμενος, οἵπερ εἰσὶν ὅροι τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας, ἕως τῶν ἐπὶ θάλατταν ἐκβολῶν. καὶ μὴν οἵ γε Αἰθίοπες τὸ πλέον νομαδικῶς ζῶσι καὶ ἀπόρως διά τε τὴν λυπρότητα τῆς χώρας καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀέρων ἀσυμμετρίαν καὶ τὸν ἀφʼ ἡμῶν ἐκτοπισμόν, τοῖς δʼ Αἰγυπτίοις ἅπαντα τἀναντία συμβέβηκε· καὶ γὰρ πολιτικῶς καὶ ἡμέρως ἐξ ἀρχῆς ζῶσι καὶ ἐν γνωρίμοις ἵδρυνται τόποις, ὥστε καὶ αἱ διατάξεις αὐτῶν μνημονεύονται· καὶ ἐπαινοῦνταί γε δοκοῦντες ἀξίως χρήσασθαι τῇ τῆς χώρας εὐδαιμονίᾳ, μερίσαντές τε εὖ καὶ ἐπιμεληθέντες. βασιλέα γὰρ ἀποδείξαντες τριχῆ τὸ πλῆθος διεῖλον καὶ τοὺς μὲν στρατιώτας ἐκάλεσαν τοὺς δὲ γεωργοὺς τοὺς δὲ ἱερέας· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῶν ἱερῶν ἐπιμελητὰς τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους τῶν περὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τοὺς δʼ ὅσα ἐν εἰρήνῃ, γῆν τε καὶ τέχνας ἐργαζομένων· ἀφʼ ὧνπερ καὶ αἱ πρόσοδοι συνήγοντο τῷ βασιλεῖ. οἱ δʼ ἱερεῖς καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἤσκουν καὶ ἀστρονομίαν, ὁμιληταί τε τῶν βασιλέων ἦσαν. ἡ δὲ χώρα τὴν μὲν πρώτην διαίρεσιν εἰς νομοὺς ἔσχε, δέκα μὲν ἡ Θηβαΐς, δέκα δʼ ἡ ἐν τῷ Δέλτα, ἑκκαίδεκα δʼ ἡ μεταξύ· ὡς δέ τινες, τοσοῦτοι ἦσαν οἱ σύμπαντες νομοὶ ὅσαι αἱ ἐν τῷ λαβυρίνθῳ αὐλαί· αὗται δʼ ἐλάττους τῶν τριάκοντα · πάλιν δʼ οἱ νομοὶ τομὰς ἄλλας ἔσχον· εἰς γὰρ τοπαρχίας οἱ πλεῖστοι διῄρηντο, καὶ αὗται δʼ εἰς ἄλλας τομάς· ἐλάχισται δʼ αἱ ἄρουραι μερίδες. ἐδέησε δὲ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀκριβὲς καὶ κατὰ λεπτὸν διαιρέσεως διὰ τὰς συνεχεῖς τῶν ὅρων συγχύσεις ἃς ὁ Νεῖλος ἀπεργάζεται κατὰ τὰς αὐξήσεις, ἀφαιρῶν καὶ προστιθεὶς καὶ ἐναλλάττων τὰ σχήματα καὶ τἆλλα σημεῖα ἀποκρύπτων οἷς διακρίνεται τό τε ἀλλότριον καὶ τὸ ἴδιον· ἀνάγκη δὴ ἀναμετρεῖσθαι πάλιν καὶ πάλιν. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ τὴν γεωμετρίαν συστῆναί φασιν, ὡς τὴν λογιστικὴν καὶ ἀριθμητικὴν παρὰ Φοινίκων διὰ τὰς ἐμπορίας. τριχῆ δὲ διῄρητο ὥσπερ τὸ σύμπαν καὶ τὸ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῷ νομῷ πλῆθος, εἰς τρία ἴσα μερισθείσης τῆς χώρας. ἡ δὲ περὶ τὸν ποταμὸν πραγματεία διαφέρει τοσοῦτον ὅσον τῇ ἐπιμελείᾳ νικᾶν τὴν φύσιν. φύσει γὰρ πλείονα φέρει καρπὸν καὶ ποτισθεῖσα μᾶλλον φύσει δὲ καὶ ἡ μείζων ἀνάβασις τοῦ ποταμοῦ πλείω ποτίζει γῆν, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἐπιμέλεια πολλάκις καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἐξίσχυσεν ἐπιλιπούσης, ὥστε καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἐλάττους ἀναβάσεις τοσαύτην ποτισθῆναι γῆν ὅσην ἐν ταῖς μείζοσι, διά τε τῶν διωρύγων καὶ τῶν παραχωμάτων· ἐπὶ γοῦν τῶν πρὸ Πετρωνίου χρόνων ἡ μεγίστη μὲν ἦν φορὰ καὶ ἀνάβασις, ἡνίκα ἐπὶ τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα πήχεις ἀνέβαινεν ὁ Νεῖλος, ἡνίκα δʼ ἐπʼ ὀκτώ, συνέβαινε λιμός· ἐπʼ ἐκείνου δὲ ἄρξαντος τῆς χώρας καὶ δώδεκα μόνον πληρώσαντος πήχεις τοῦ Νείλου μέτρου, μεγίστη ἦν ἡ φορά, καὶ ὀκτώ ποτε μόνον πληρώσαντος λιμοῦ οὐδεὶς ᾔσθετο. τοιαύτη μὲν ἡ διάταξις· τὰ δʼ ἑξῆς λέγωμεν νυνί.
We must, however, enter into a further detail of particulars. And first, we must speak of the parts about Egypt, proceeding from those that are better known to those which follow next in order.
The Nile produces some common effects in this and the contiguous tract of country, namely, that of the Ethiopians above it, in watering them at the time of its rise, and leaving those parts only habitable which have been covered by the inundation; it intersects the higher lands, and all the tract elevated above its current on both sides, which however are uninhabited and a desert, from an absolute want of water. But the Nile does not traverse the whole of Ethiopia, nor alone, nor in a straight line, nor a country which is well inhabited. But Egypt it traverses both alone and entirely, and in a straight line, from the lesser cataract above Syene and Elephantina, (which are the boundaries of Egypt and Ethiopia,) to the mouths by which it discharges itself into the sea. The Ethiopians at present lead for the most part a wandering life, and are destitute of the means of subsistence, on account of the barrenness of the soil, the disadvantages of climate, and their great distance from us.
Now the contrary is the case with the Egyptians in all these respects. For they have lived from the first under a regular form of government, they were a people of civilized manners, and were settled in a well-known country; their institutions have been recorded and mentioned in terms of praise, for they seemed to have availed themselves of the fertility of their country in the best possible manner by the partition of it (and by the classification of persons) which they adopted, and by their general care.
When they had appointed a king, they divided the people into three classes, into soldiers, husbandmen, and priests. The latter had the care of everything relating to sacred things (of the gods), the others of what related to man; some had the management of warlike affairs, others attended to the concerns of peace, the cultivation of the ground, and the practice of the arts, from which the king derived his revenue.
The priests devoted themselves to the study of philosophy and astronomy, and were companions of the kings.
The country was at first divided into nomes. The Thebaïs contained ten, the Delta ten, and the intermediate tract sixteen. But according to some writers, all the nomes together amounted to the number of chambers in the Labyrinth. Now these were less than thirty [six]. The nomes were again divided into other sections. The greater number of the nomes were distributed into toparchies, and these again into other sections ; the smallest portions were the arourae.
An exact and minute division of the country was required by the frequent confusion of boundaries occasioned at the time of the rise of the Nile, which takes away, adds, and alters the various shapes of the bounds, and obliterates other marks by which the property of one person is distinguished from that of another. It was consequently necessary to measure the land repeatedly. Hence it is said geometry originated here, as the art of keeping accounts and arithmetic originated with the Phoenicians, in consequence of their commerce.
As the whole population of the country, so the separate population in each nome, was divided into three classes ; the territory also was divided into three equal portions.
The attention and care bestowed upon the Nile is so great as to cause industry to triumph over nature. The ground by nature, and still more by being supplied with water, produces a great abundance of fruits. By nature also a greater rise of the river irrigates a larger tract of land; but industry has completely succeeded in rectifying the deficiency of nature, so that in seasons when the rise of the river has been less than usual, as large a portion of the country is irrigated by means of canals and embankments, as in seasons when the rise of the river has been greater.
Before the times of Petronius there was the greatest plenty, and the rise of the river was the greatest when it rose to the height of fourteen cubits; but when it rose to eight only, a famine ensued. During the government of Petronius, however, when the Nile rose twelve cubits only, there was a most abundant crop; and once when it mounted to eight only, no famine followed. Such then is the nature of this provision for the physical state of the country. We shall now proceed to the next particulars.
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