Histories

The response of oracle of Ammon in fact bears witness to my opinion, that Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt is of such an extent as I have argued; I learned this by inquiry after my judgment was already formed about Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

The men of the cities of Marea and Apis, in the part of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt bordering on Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, believing themselves to be Libyans and not Egyptians, and disliking the injunction of the religious law that forbade them to eat cows' meat, sent to Ammon saying that they had no part of or lot with Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt: for they lived (they said) outside the Delta and did not consent to the ways of its people, and they wished to be allowed to eat all foods.

But the god forbade them: all the land, he said, watered by the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile in its course was Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, and all who lived lower down than the city Elephantine and drank the river's water were Egyptians. Such was the oracle given to them.

When the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile is in flood, it overflows not only the Delta but also the lands called Libyan and Arabian, as far as two days' journey from either bank in places, and sometimes more than this, sometimes less. Concerning its nature, I could not learn anything either from the priests or from any others.

Yet I was anxious to learn from them why the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile comes down with a rising flood for a hundred days from the summer solstice; and when this number of days is passed, sinks again with a diminishing stream, so that the river is low for the whole winter until the summer solstice again.

I was not able to get any information from any of the Egyptians regarding this, when I asked them what power the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile has to be contrary in nature to all other rivers. I wished to know this, and asked; also, why no breezes blew from it as from every other river[*](Not from the river itself, perhaps; but there is a regular current of air blowing up the valley.).