Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

As far as +India [77,20] (nation), Asia India, Asia (continent)Asia is an inhabited land; but thereafter, all to the east is desolation, nor can anyone say what kind of land is there.

Such is Asia (continent)Asia, and such its extent. But Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya is on this second peninsula; for Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya comes next after Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt. The Egyptian part of this peninsula is narrow; for from our sea to the +Red Sea [42,15] (sea) Red Sea it is a distance of a hundred and twenty-five miles; that is, a thousand stades; but after this narrow part, the peninsula which is called Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya is very broad.

I wonder, then, at those who have mapped out and divided the world into Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, Asia (continent)Asia, and Europe (continent)Europe; for the difference between them is great, seeing that in length Europe (continent)Europe stretches along both the others together, and it appears to me to be wider beyond all comparison.

For Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya shows clearly that it is bounded by the sea, except where it borders on Asia (continent)Asia. Necos king of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt first discovered this and made it known. When he had finished digging the canal which leads from the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile to the Persian Gulf [53.83,25.583] (gulf), AsiaArabian Gulf, he sent Phoenicians in ships, instructing them to sail on their return voyage past the Pillars of Heracles until they came into the northern sea and so to Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.