Book 2
I was unable to learn anything from anyone else, but this much further I did learn by the most extensive investigation that I could make, going as far as the city of Elephantine to look myself, and beyond that by question and hearsay.
Beyond Elephantine, as one travels inland, the land rises. Here one must pass with the boat roped on both sides as men harness an ox; and if the rope breaks, the boat will be carried away by the strength of the current.
This part of the river is a four days' journey by boat, and the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile here is twisty just as the Buyukmenderes Nehri [27.183,37.466] (river), Turkey, Asia Maeander ; a distance of twelve schoeni must be passed in the foregoing manner. After that, you come to a level plain, where there is an island in the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile , called Takhompso.
The country above Elephantine now begins to be inhabited by Ethiopians: half the people of the island are Ethiopians, and half Egyptians. Near the island is a great lake, on whose shores live nomadic Ethiopians. After crossing this, you come to the stream of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile , which empties into this lake.
Then you disembark and journey along the river bank for forty days; for there are sharp projecting rocks in the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile and many reefs, through which no boat can pass.
Having traversed this part in forty days as I have said, you take boat again and so travel for twelve days until you come to a great city called Meroe [33.716,16.933] (deserted settlement), Nile, Ash-Shamaliyah, Sudan, Africa Meroe , which is said to be the capital of all Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia .
The people of the place worship no other gods but Zeus and Dionysus;The Greek equivalents for Amun and Osiris. these they greatly honor, and they have a place of divination sacred to Zeus; they send out armies whenever and wherever this god through his oracle commands them Herodotus' account of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile in this chapter is for the most part vague and untrustworthy. He is right as to the current above Elephantine, as those who have made the passage between the As-Sadd al- Ali [32.866,23.966] (dam), Aswan, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Assuan Dam and Aswan [32.666,23.83] (governorate), Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Assuan will realize. But the conditions have of course been entirely altered by the construction of the dam..
From this city you make a journey by water equal in distance to that by which you came from Elephantine to the capital city of Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia , and you come to the land of the Deserters. These Deserters are called Asmakh, which translates, in Greek, as “those who stand on the left hand of the king”.
These once revolted and joined themselves to the Ethiopians, two hundred and forty thousand Egyptians of fighting age. The reason was as follows. In the reign of Psammetichus, there were watchposts at Elephantine facing Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia , at Daphnae [32.183,30.866] (deserted settlement), Ash Sharqiyah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Daphnae of Pelusium (deserted settlement), Shamal Sina', Desert, Egypt, Africa Pelusium facing Arabian Peninsula [45,25] (region (general)), Asia Arabia and Assyria, and at Marea facing Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya .
And still in my time the Persians hold these posts as they were held in the days of Psammetichus; there are Persian guards at Elephantine and at Daphnae [32.183,30.866] (deserted settlement), Ash Sharqiyah, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa Daphnae . Now the Egyptians had been on guard for three years, and no one came to relieve them; so, organizing and making common cause, they revolted from Psammetichus and went to Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia .
Psammetichus heard of it and pursued them; and when he overtook them, he asked them in a long speech not to desert their children and wives and the gods of their fathers. Then one of them, the story goes, pointed to his genitals and said that wherever that was, they would have wives and children.
So they came to Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), Africa Ethiopia , and gave themselves up to the king of the country; who, to make them a gift in return, told them to dispossess certain Ethiopians with whom he was feuding, and occupy their land. These Ethiopians then learned Egyptian customs and have become milder-mannered by intermixture with the Egyptians.
To a distance of four months' travel by land and water, then, there is knowledge of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile , besides the part of it that is in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt . So many months, as reckoning shows, are found to be spent by one going from Elephantine to the country of the Deserters. The river flows from the west and the sun's setting. Beyond this, no one has clear information to declare; for all that country is desolate because of the heat.
But I heard this from some men of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene , who told me that they had gone to the oracle of Ammon, and conversed there with Etearchus king of the Ammonians, and that from other subjects the conversation turned to the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile , how no one knows the source of it. Then Etearchus told them that once he had been visited by some Nasamonians.
These are a Libyan people, inhabiting the country of the Golfe de Gabes [10.417,34.000] (gulf), Tunis, Africa Syrtis and a little way to the east of the Golfe de Gabes [10.417,34.000] (gulf), Tunis, Africa Syrtis .
When these Nasamonians were asked on their arrival if they brought any news concerning the Libyan desert, they told Etearchus that some sons of their leading men, proud and violent youths, when they came to manhood, besides planning other wild adventures, had chosen by lot five of their company to visit the deserts of Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya and see whether they could see any farther than those who had seen the farthest.
It must be known that the whole northern seacoast of Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya , from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt as far as the promontory of +Soloeis [13.5167,38.0833] (Perseus) Soloeis , which is the end of Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya , is inhabited throughout its length by Libyans, many tribes of them, except the part held by Greeks and Phoenicians; the region of Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya that is above the sea and the inhabitants of the coast is infested by wild beasts; and farther inland than the wild-beast country everything is sand, waterless and desolate.
When the young men left their companions, being well supplied with water and provisions, they journeyed first through the inhabited country, and after passing this they came to the region of wild beasts.
After this, they travelled over the desert, towards the west, and crossed a wide sandy region, until after many days they saw trees growing in a plain; when they came to these and were picking the fruit of the trees, they were met by little men of less than common stature, who took them and led them away. The Nasamonians did not know these men's language nor did the escort know the language of the Nasamonians.
The men led them across great marshes, after crossing which they came to a city where all the people were of a stature like that of the guides, and black. A great river ran past this city, from the west towards the rising sun; crocodiles could be seen in it.
This is enough of the story told by Etearchus the Ammonian; except he said that the Nasamonians returned, as the men of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, Africa Cyrene told me, and that the people to whose country they came were all wizards;
as to the river that ran past the city, Etearchus guessed it to be the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile ; and reason proves as much. For the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile flows from Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya , right through the middle of it; and as I guess, reasoning about things unknown from visible signs, it rises proportionally as far away as does the Ister. ἐκ τῶν ἴσων μέτρων is an obscure expression. What Hdt. appears to mean is, that as the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile (according to him) flows first from W. to E. and then turns northward, so the Danube (river), Europe Danube flows first from W. to E. and then (as he says) from N. to S.; and so the rivers in a manner correspond: one crosses Africa (continent) Africa , the other Europe (continent) Europe .
For the Ister flows from the land of the Celts and the city of Pyrene through the very middle of Europe (continent) Europe ; now the Celts live beyond the Pillars of Heracles, being neighbors of the Cynesii, who are the westernmost of all the peoples inhabiting Europe (continent) Europe .
The Ister, then, flows clean across Europe (continent) Europe and ends its course in the Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Euxine sea , at +Istra [14,45.25] (region (general)), Croatia, Europe Istria , which is inhabited by Milesian colonists.
The Ister, since it flows through inhabited country, is known from many reports; but no one can speak of the source of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile ; for Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya , though which it runs, is uninhabited and desert. Regarding its course, I have related everything that I could learn by inquiry; and it issues into Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt . Now Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt lies about opposite to the mountainous part of Cilicia [34.333,36.666] (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Cilicia ;
from there, it is a straight five days' journey for an unencumbered man to +Sinope [35.15,42.0167] (Perseus) Sinope on the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Euxine ; and +Sinope [35.15,42.0167] (Perseus) Sinope lies opposite the place where the Ister falls into the sea. Thus I suppose the course of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile in its passage through Libya [17,25] (nation), Africa Libya to be like the course of the Ister.
It is sufficient to say this much concerning the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), Africa Nile . But concerning Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt , I am going to speak at length, because it has the most wonders, and everywhere presents works beyond description; therefore, I shall say the more concerning Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt .
Just as the Egyptians have a climate peculiar to themselves, and their river is different in its nature from all other rivers, so, too, have they instituted customs and laws contrary for the most part to those of the rest of mankind. Among them, the women buy and sell, the men stay at home and weave; and whereas in weaving all others push the woof upwards, the Egyptians push it downwards.
Men carry burdens on their heads, women on their shoulders. Women pass water standing, men sitting. They ease their bowels indoors, and eat out of doors in the streets, explaining that things unseemly but necessary should be done alone in private, things not unseemly should be done openly.
No woman is dedicated to the service of any god or goddess; men are dedicated to all deities male or female. Sons are not compelled against their will to support their parents, but daughters must do so though they be unwilling.
Everywhere else, priests of the gods wear their hair long; in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt , they are shaven. For all other men, the rule in mourning for the dead is that those most nearly concerned have their heads shaven; Egyptians are shaven at other times, but after a death they let their hair and beard grow.
The Egyptians are the only people who keep their animals with them in the house. Whereas all others live on wheat and barley, it is the greatest disgrace for an Egyptian to live so; they make food from a coarse grain which some call spelt.
They knead dough with their feet, and gather mud and dung with their hands. The Egyptians and those who have learned it from them are the only people who practise circumcision. Every man has two garments, every woman only one.
The rings and sheets of sails are made fast outside the boat elsewhere, but inside it in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt . The Greeks write and calculate from left to right; the Egyptians do the opposite; yet they say that their way of writing is towards the right, and the Greek way towards the left. They employ two kinds of writing; one is called sacred, the other demoticThree kinds, really: hieroglyphic, hieratic (derived from hieroglyphic), and demotic, a simplified form of hieratic. See Rawlinson's essay, ch. 5, in Appendix to Book II..
They are religious beyond measure, more than any other people; and the following are among their customs. They drink from cups of bronze, which they clean out daily; this is done not by some but by all.
They are especially careful always to wear newly-washed linen. They practise circumcision for cleanliness' sake; for they would rather be clean than more becoming. Their priests shave the whole body every other day, so that no lice or anything else foul may infest them as they attend upon the gods.
The priests wear a single linen garment and sandals of papyrus:On this plant, see Hdt. 2.92. they may have no other kind of clothing or footwear. Twice a day and twice every night they wash in cold water. Their religious observances are, one may say, innumerable.
But also they receive many benefits: they do not consume or spend anything of their own; sacred food is cooked for them, beef and goose are brought in great abundance to each man every day, and wine of grapes is given to them, too. They may not eat fish.
The Egyptians sow no beans in their country; if any grow, they will not eat them either raw or cooked; the priests cannot endure even to see them, considering beans an unclean kind of legume. Many (not only one) are dedicated to the service of each god. One of these is the high priest; and when a high priest dies, his son succeeds to his office.
They believe that bulls belong to Epaphus, Epaphus is the Greek form of Apis or Hapi, the bull-god of Mit Rahina [31.25,29.85] (inhabited place), Giza, Upper Egypt, Egypt, Africa Memphis ; for bulls cf. Mair's Oppian (L.C.L.) Cyn. II. 86, note. and for this reason scrutinize them as follows; if they see even one black hair on them, the bull is considered impure.