Histories

The second opinion is less grounded on knowledge than the previous, though it is more marvellous to the ear: according to it, the river effects what it does because it flows from Ocean, which flows around the whole world.

The third opinion is by far the most plausible, yet the most erroneous of all. It has no more truth in it than the others. According to this, the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile flows from where snows melt; but it flows from Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya through the midst of Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), AfricaEthiopia, and comes out into Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.

How can it flow from snow, then, seeing that it comes from the hottest places to lands that are for the most part cooler? In fact, for a man who can reason about such things, the principal and strongest evidence that the river is unlikely to flow from snows is that the winds blowing from Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya and Ethiopia [39,8] (nation), AfricaEthiopia are hot.

In the second place, the country is rainless and frostless; but after snow has fallen, it has to rain within five days[*](It does not seem to be known what authority there is for this assertion.) ; so that if it snowed, it would rain in these lands. And thirdly, the men of the country are black because of the heat.

Moreover, kites and swallows live there all year round, and cranes come every year to these places to winter there, flying from the wintry weather of Scythia (region (general)), AsiaScythia. Now, were there but the least fall of snow in this country through which the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile flows and where it rises, none of these things would happen, as necessity proves.

The opinion about Ocean is grounded in obscurity and needs no disproof; for I know of no Ocean river; and I suppose that Homer or some older poet invented this name and brought it into his poetry.

If, after having condemned the opinions proposed, I must indicate what I myself think about these obscure matters, I shall say why I think the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile floods in the summer. During the winter, the sun is driven by storms from his customary course and passes over the inland parts of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya.