Histories

as to the river that ran past the city, Etearchus guessed it to be the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile; and reason proves as much. For the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile flows from Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, 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.[*](e)k tw=n i)/swn me/trwn is an obscure expression. What Hdt. appears to mean is, that as the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile (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), AfricaNile; for Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, 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, AsiaCilicia;

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), AfricaNile in its passage through Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya 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), AfricaNile. 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.