̔η δὲ Συήνη καὶ Ἐλεφαντίνη ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς Αἰθιοπίας καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου πόλις, ἡ δʼ ἐν τῷ Νείλῳ προκειμένη τῆς Συήνης νῆσος ἐν ἡμισταδίῳ καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ πόλις ἔχουσα ἱερὸν Κνούφιδος καὶ νειλομέτριον, καθάπερ Μέμφις. ἔστι δὲ τὸ νειλομέτριον συννόμῳ λίθῳ κατεσκευασμένον ἐπὶ τῇ ὄχθῃ τοῦ Νείλου φρέαρ, ἐν ᾧ τὰς ἀναβάσεις τοῦ Νείλου σημειοῦνται τὰς μεγίστας τε καὶ ἐλαχίστας καὶ τὰς μέσας· συναναβαίνει γὰρ καὶ συνταπεινοῦται τῷ ποταμῷ τὸ ἐν τῷ φρέατι ὕδωρ. εἰσὶν οὖν ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ τοῦ φρέατος παραγραφαί, μέτρα τῶν τελείων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀναβάσεων· ἐπισκοποῦντες οὖν ταύτας διασημαίνουσι τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅπως εἰδεῖεν· πρὸ πολλοῦ γὰρ ἴσασιν ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων σημείων * καὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὴν ἐσομένην ἀνάβασιν καὶ προδηλοῦσι. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τοῖς γεωργοῖς χρήσιμον τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων ταμιείας χάριν καὶ παραχωμάτων καὶ διωρύγων καὶ ἄλλων τοιούτων, καὶ τοῖς ἡγεμόσι τῶν προσόδων χάριν· αἱ γὰρ μείζους ἀναβάσεις μείζους καὶ τὰς προσόδους ὑπαγορεύουσιν. ἐν δὲ τῇ Συήνῃ καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶ τὸ διασημαῖνον τὰς θερινὰς τροπάς, διότι τῷ τροπικῷ κύκλῳ ὑπόκεινται οἱ τόποι οὗτοι· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἡμετέρων τόπων, λέγω δὲ τῶν Ἑλλαδικῶν, προϊοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὴν μεσημβρίαν ἐνταῦθα πρῶτον ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῖν γίνεται καὶ ποιεῖ τοὺς γνώμονας ἀσκίους κατὰ μεσημβρίαν· ἀνάγκη δὲ κατὰ κορυφὴν ἡμῖν γινομένου καὶ εἰς τὰ φρέατα βάλλειν μέχρι τοῦ ὕδατος τὰς αὐγάς, κἂν βαθύτατα ᾖ· κατὰ κάθετον γὰρ ἡμεῖς τε ἕσταμεν καὶ τὰ ὀρύγματα τῶν φρεάτων κατεσκεύασται. εἰσὶ δʼ ἐνταῦθα τρεῖς σπεῖραι Ῥωμαίων ἱδρυμέναι φρουρᾶς χάριν.
Syene is a city situated on the borders of Ethiopia and Egypt. Elephantina is an island in the Nile, at the distance of half a stadium in front of Syene; in this island is a city with a temple of Cnuphis, and a nilometer like that at Memphis. The nilometer is a well upon the banks of the Nile, constructed of close-fitting stones, on which are marked the greatest, least, and mean risings of the Nile; for the water in the well and in the river rises and subsides simultaneously. Upon the wall of the well are lines, which indicate the complete rise of the river, and other degrees of its rising. Those who examine these marks communicate the result to the public for their information. For it is known long before, by these marks, and by the time elapsed from the commencement, what the future rise of the river will be, and notice is given of it. This information is of service to the husbandmen with reference to the distribution of the water; for the purpose also of attending to the embankments, canals, and other things of this kind. It is of use also to the governors, who fix the revenue; for the greater the rise of the river, the greater it is expected will be the revenue.
At Syene there is a well which indicates the summer solstice, because these places lie under the tropical circle, [and occasions the gnomons to cast no shadows at midday]. For on proceeding from the places in our country, in Greece I mean, towards the south, the sun is there first over our head, and occasions the gnomons to be without shadows at noon. When the sun is vertical to us, it must necessarily cast its rays down wells, however deep they may be, to the water. For we ourselves stand in a perpendicular position, and wells are dug perpendicular to the surface.
Here are stationed three Roman cohorts as a guard.
μικρὸν δʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐλεφαντίνης ἐστὶν ὁ μικρὸς καταράκτης, ἐφʼ ᾧ καὶ θέαν τινὰ οἱ σκαφῖται τοῖς ἡγεμόσιν ἐπιδείκνυνται· ὁ μὲν γὰρ καταράκτης ἐστὶ κατὰ μέσον τὸν ποταμόν, πετρώδης τις ὀφρύς, ἐπίπεδος μὲν ἄνωθεν ὥστε δέχεσθαι τὸν ποταμόν, τελευτῶσα δʼ εἰς κρημνόν, καθʼ οὗ καταρρήγνυται τὸ ὕδωρ, ἑκατέρωθεν δὲ πρὸς τῇ γῇ ῥεῖθρον, ὃ μάλιστα καὶ ἀνάπλουν ἔχει· ἀναπλεύσαντες οὖν ταύτῃ καταρρέουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν καταράκτην καὶ ὠθοῦνται μετὰ τῆς σκάφης ἐπὶ τὸν κρημνὸν καὶ σώζονται σὺν αὐτῇ ἀπαθεῖς. τοῦ δὲ καταράκτου μικρὸν ἐπάνω τὰς Φιλὰς εἶναι συμβαίνει, κοινὴν κατοικίαν Αἰθιόπων τε καὶ Αἰγυπτίων, κατεσκευασμένην ὥσπερ καὶ τὴν Ἐλεφαντίνην καὶ τὸ μέγεθος ἴσην, ἱερὰ ἔχουσαν Αἰγύπτια· ὅπου καὶ ὄρνεον τιμᾶται ὃ καλοῦσι μὲν ἱέρακα, οὐδὲν δὲ ὅμοιον ἔμοιγε ἐφαίνετο ἔχειν τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἱέραξιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ μεγέθει μεῖζον ἦν καὶ τῇ ποικιλίᾳ πολὺ ἐξηλλαγμένον· Αἰθιοπικὸν δʼ ἔφασαν εἶναι, κἀκεῖθεν κομίζεσθαι, ὅταν ἐκλίπῃ καὶ πρότερον· καὶ δὴ καὶ τότε ἐδείχθη ἡμῖν πρὸς ἐκλείψει ὂν διὰ νόσον.
A little above Elephantine is the lesser cataract, where the boatmen exhibit a sort of spectacle to the governors.
The cataract is in the middle of the river, and is formed by a ridge of rock, the upper part [or commencement] of which is level, and thus capable of receiving the river, but terminating in a precipice, where the water dashes down. On each side towards the land there is a stream, up which is the chief ascent for vessels. The boatmen sail up by this stream, and, dropping down to the cataract, are impelled with the boat to the precipice, the crew and the boats escaping unhurt.
A little above the cataract is Philae, a common settlement, like Elephantina, of Ethiopians and Egyptians, and equal in size, containing Egyptian temples, where a bird, which they call hierax, (the hawk,) is worshipped; but it did not appear to me to resemble in the least the hawks of our country nor of Egypt, for it was larger, and very different in the marks of its plumage. They said that the bird was Ethiopian, and is brought from Ethiopia when its predecessor dies, or before its death. The one shown to us when we were there was sick and nearly dead.
ἤλθομεν δʼ εἰς Φιλὰς ἐκ Συήνης ἀπήνῃ διʼ ὁμαλοῦ σφόδρα πεδίου σταδίους ὁμοῦ τι ἑκατόν. παρʼ ὅλην δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν ἦν ἰδεῖν ἑκατέρωθεν πολλαχοῦ ὥσπερ ἑρμαῖα πέτρον ἠλίβατον στρογγύλον, λεῖον ἱκανῶς, ἐγγὺς σφαιροειδοῦς, τοῦ μέλανος καὶ σκληροῦ λίθου, ἐξ οὗ αἱ θυῗαι γίνονται, ἐπὶ πέτρῳ κείμενον μείζονι καὶ ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ πάλιν ἄλλον· ἔστι δʼ ὅτε αὐτοὶ καθʼ αὑτοὺς ἔκειντο οἱ πέτροι· ἦν δʼ ὁ μὲν μέγιστος τὴν διάμετρον ποδῶν οὐκ ἐλαττόνων ἢ δώδεκα, ἅπαντες δὲ μείζους ἢ ἡμίσεις τούτων. διέβημεν δὲ εἰς τὴν νῆσον ἐπὶ πάκτωνος· ὁ δὲ πάκτων διὰ σκυταλίδων πεπηγός ἐστι σκάφιον ὥστʼ ἐοικέναι διαπλοκίνῳ· ἑστῶτες δʼ ἐν ὕδατι ἢ καὶ σανιδίοις τισὶ προσκαθήμενοι ῥᾳδίως ἐπεραιώθημεν δεδιότες μάτην· ἀκίνδυνα γάρ ἐστιν, ἂν μή τις ὑπέργομον ποιήσῃ τὸ πορθμεῖον.
We came from Syene to Philae in a waggon, through a very flat country, a distance of about 100 stadia. Along the whole road on each side we could see, in many places, very high rocks, round, very smooth, and nearly spherical, of black hard stone, of which mortars are made: each rested upon a greater stone, and upon this another: they were like hermaea. Sometimes these stones consisted of one mass. The largest was not less than twelve feet in diameter, and all of them exceeded this size by one half. We crossed over to the island in a pacton, which is a small boat made of rods, whence it resembles woven-work. Standing then in the water, (at the bottom of the boat,) or sitting upon some little planks, we easily crossed over, with some alarm indeed, but without good cause for it, as there is no danger if the boat is not overloaded.
καθʼ ὅλην δὲ τὴν Αἴγυπτον τοῦ φοίνικος ἀγεννοῦς ὄντος καὶ ἐκφέροντος καρπὸν οὐκ εὔβρωτον ἐν τοῖς περὶ τὸ Δέλτα τόποις καὶ περὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ὁ ἐν τῇ Θηβαΐδι φοῖνιξ ἄριστος τῶν ἄλλων φύεται. θαυμάζειν οὖν ἄξιον πῶς ταὐτὸ κλίμα οἰκοῦντες τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ὅμοροι οἱ περὶ τὸ Δέλτα καὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν τοσοῦτον διαλλάττουσιν, ἐκείνης πρὸς ἄλλῳ φοίνικι καὶ τὸν καρυωτὸν γεννώσης, * οὐ πολὺ κρείττονα τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου. διττὸς δʼ ἐστὶν ὅ τε ἐν τῇ Θηβαΐδι καὶ ὁ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὅ τε ἄλλος καὶ ὁ καρυωτός· σκληρότερος δʼ ὁ Θηβαϊκός, ἀλλὰ τῇ γεύσει εὐστομώτερος. ἔστι δὲ καὶ νῆσος ἡ μάλιστα ἐκφέρουσα τὸν ἄριστον, μεγίστην τελοῦσα πρόσοδον τοῖς ἡγεμόσι· βασιλικὴ γὰρ ἦν, ἰδιώτῃ δʼ οὐ μετῆν, καὶ νῦν τῶν ἡγεμόνων ἐστί.
Throughout the whole of Egypt, the palm tree is of a bad species, and produces no good edible fruit in the places about the Delta and Alexandreia; yet the best kind is found in the Thebais. It is a subject of surprise how countries in the same latitude as Judaea, and bordering upon the Delta and Alexandreia, should be so different; for Judaea, in addition to other kinds of date-palms, produces the caryotic, which is not inferior to the Babylonian. There are, however, two kinds of dates in the Thebaïs and in Judaea, the caryotic and another. The Thebaic is firmer, but the flavour is more agreeable. There is an island remarkable for producing the best dates, and it also furnishes the largest revenue to the governors. It was appropriated to the kings, and no private person had any share in the produce; at present it belongs to the governors.
πολλὰ δʼ Ἡρόδοτός τε καὶ ἄλλοι φλυαροῦσιν, ὥσπερ μέλος ἢ ῥυθμὸν ἢ ἥδυσμά τι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν τερατείαν προσφέροντες· οἷον καὶ τὸ φάσκειν περὶ τὰς νήσους τὰς πρὸς τῇ Συήνῃ καὶ τῇ Ἐλεφαντίνῃ (πλείους δʼ εἰσὶ) τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ Νείλου εἶναι, καὶ βάθος ἄβυσσον ἔχειν τὸν πόρον κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τόπον. νήσους δʼ ὁ Νεῖλος κατεσπαρμένας ἔχει παμπόλλας, τὰς μὲν καλυπτομένας ὅλας ἐν ταῖς ἀναβάσεσι, τὰς δʼ ἐκ μέρους, ἐποχετεύεται δὲ τοῖς κοχλίαις τὰ λίαν ἔξαλα.
Herodotus and other writers trifle very much when they introduce into their histories the marvellous, like (an interlude of) music and song, or some melody; for example, in asserting that the sources of the Nile are near the numerous islands, at Syene and Elephantina, and that at this spot the river has an unfathomable depth. In the Nile there are many islands scattered about, some of which are entirely covered, others in part only, at the time of the rise of the waters. The very elevated parts are irrigated by means of screw-pumps.
Cite This Text