herodotus

distinction. The god however did not permit them to do so, but saidthat that land which was Egypt which the Nile came over and watered,and that those were Egyptians who dwelling below the city ofElephantine drank of that river. Thus it was answered to them by theOracle about this: 19, and the Nile, when it is in flood, goes overnot only the Delta but also of the land which is called Libyan and ofthat which is called Arabian sometimes as much as two days' journey oneach side, and at times even more than this or at times less.As regards the nature of the river, neither from the priests nor yetfrom any other man was I able to obtain any knowledge: and I wasdesirous especially to learn from them about these matters, namely whythe Nile comes down increasing in volume from the summer solsticeonwards for a hundred days, and then, when it has reached the numberof these days, turns and goes back, failing in its stream, so thatthrough the whole winter season it continues to be low, and until thesummer solstice returns. Of none of these things was I able to receiveany account from the Egyptians, when I inquired of them what power theNile has whereby it is of a nature opposite to that of other rivers.And I made inquiry, desiring to know both this which I say and alsowhy, unlike all other rivers, it does not give rise to any breezesblowing from it. 20. However some of the Hellenes who desired to gaindistinction for cleverness have given an account of this water inthree different ways: two of these I do not think it worth while evento speak of except only to indicate their nature; of which the onesays that the Etesian Winds are the cause that makes the river rise,by preventing the Nile from flowing out into the sea. But often theEtesian Winds fail and yet the Nile does the same work as it is wontto do; and moreover, if these were the cause, all the other riversalso which flow in a direction opposed to the Etesian Winds ought tohave been affected in the same way as the Nile, and even more, in asmuch as they are smaller and present to them a feebler flow of stream:but there are many of these rivers in Syria and many also in Libya,and they are affected in no such manner as the Nile. 21. The secondway shows more ignorance than that which has been mentioned, and it ismore marvellous to tell;[28] for it says that the river produces theseeffects because it flows from the Ocean, and that the Ocean flowsround the whole earth. 22. The third of the ways is much the mostspecious, but nevertheless it is the most mistaken of all: for indeedthis way has no more truth in it than the rest, alleging as it doesthat the Nile flows from melting snow; whereas it flows out of Libyathrough the midst of the Ethiopians, and so comes out into Egypt. Howthen should it flow from snow, when it flows from the hottest parts tothose which are cooler? And indeed most of the facts are such as toconvince a man (one at least who is capable of reasoning about suchmatters), that it is not at all likely that it flows from snow.[29]