Book 17
1.20
Contiguous to the Busirite Nome are the Athribite Nome and the city Athribis; next the Prosopite Nome, in which latter is Aphroditopolis (the city of Venus). Above the Mendesian and the Tanitic mouths are a large lake, and the Mendesian and Leontopolite Nomes, and a city of Aphrodite (or Venus) and the Pharbetite Nome. Then follows the Tanitic, which some call the Saitic mouth, and the Tanite Nome,In this nome tradition affirmed that the Hebrew legislator was born and educated. and in it Tanis a large city.
1.21
Between the Tanitic and the Pelusiac mouths are lakes and large and continuous marshes, among which are numerous villages. Pelusium itself has many marshes lying around it, which some call Barathra (or water holes), and swamps. It is situated at a distance of more than 20 stadia from the sea. The circumference of the wall is 20 stadia. It has its name from the mud (πηλοῦ) of the swamps.καὶ is omitted in the translation, as Groskurd proposes. On this quarter Egypt is difficult of access, i. e. from the eastern side towards Phoenicia and Judaea, and on the side of Arabia Nabataea, which is contiguous; through which countries the road to Egypt lies.
