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Book IV, Chapter 5

Embra­cing all of Marmarica, Libya, and Egypt
(from the Third Map of Libya)

Marmarica with Libya and Egypt is terminated on the west by Cyrenaica along that line which as is known runs from the town of Darnis southward, and by the part of Interior Libya along that meridian,

on the north by the Egyptian sea. This seacoast is thus described:

In the provinces of Marmarica are:

In the Libyan provinces on the seacoast:

On the seacoast of Mareota province:

The seven mouths of the Nile:

Cassiotis

It is terminated on the east by a part of Judaea which runs from the city Anthedon to

and then by Arabia Petraea as far as the recess in the Arabian bay near

and by a part of the Arabian bay. The coast is thus described:

The boundary on the south extends to the indicated terminus of Interior Libya adjacent to which line is Aethiopia below Egypt.

The Basisci mountains run thru this province,

and the mountains of Libya to the west of the Nile river,

The lakes are:

The Libyarchae, the Aniritae, and the Bassachitae dwell in the north of Marmarica province, below whom are the Apotomitae; and next to these, but more toward the south,

after these are the Nasamones and the Bacatae; then the Auschitae and the Tapanitae, and next are the Sentites, the Oebillae and the Aezari.

In the Libyan province, which is near the sea, dwell the Zygritae, the Chattani and the Zygenses; toward the south are the Buzenses and the Ogdaemi, next to these the Adyrmachidae and next is

Next are the Anagombri, the Iobacchi, and the Ruaditae.

The maritime region of Mareota province is called Taenia; in the interior dwell the Goniatae and the Prosoditae, next is

The Mastitae, the Nitriotae, and the Oasitae occupy the parts toward the south

Next to these are Libyaegypti. The Arenosa and the Sitibunda regions extend along the entire south side of Marmarica and Libya. The Arabaegypti Ichthyophagi occupy the entire seacoast along the Arabian bay in which are mountain ridges:

The interior villages of Marmarica are:

and in Augilae and Nasamones:

The villages of the Libyan provinces are:

and in the region of Ammon:

The town and villages of Mareota province are:

and in the Sciathic land:

Near Lake Moeris are:

and in Oasitae are:

The provinces which are along the Nile have important towns.

That is called the Great Delta which begins where, from the Great river, the Agathodaemon is diverted and flows thru the Heracleotic mouth; the one called the Bubastis river flows thru the Pelusiac mouth,

It is called the Little Delta where the Busiris river branches from the Bubastis river, which flows thru the Pathmitic mouth.

A third delta can also be mentioned located between that which we generally call the Middle Delta where a river branches from the Bubastis, which flows thru the town Athribis and the Pineptimi mouth.

In the Great Delta two rivers are diverted toward the north from the river Agathodaemon, one of which is called the Therenuthis river, which flows thru the Sebennytic mouth;

The Buticus river [Butus river] which runs along at a nearly equal distance from the seacoast joins the Therenuthis, the Athribis, the Busiris and the Bubastis, from which others springing from adjacent marshes and lakes flow into the sea thru the remaining mouths, some of which are connected, as we have said, with the Great river.

That is commonly called a low region around these rivers, in which are provinces and important cities.

In the nome and metropolis of Alexandria:

In the nome and metropolis of Andropolis:

In the nome and metropolis of Letopolis:

Between the Great river and the river Taly (from the Great river toward the east)

Metelis nome and metropolis:

Between the Great river and the Therenuthis river are the towns:

Phthenetu nome and metropolis:

Cabasa nome and metropolis:

Sais nome and metropolis:

and on the Great river toward the east:

Prosopis nome and metropolis on the east bank of the Great river:

Between the Therenuthis and the Athribis rivers are:

Sebennytes nome in a low region and its metropolis:

Xois nome and metropolis:

Phthemphuthi nome and metropolis:

Between the Athribis and the Busiris rivers:

Onuphis nome and its metropolis:

Athribis nome and its metropolis:

Mendesius nome and its metropolis:

Upper Sebennytic nome and its metropolis:

Busiris nome and its metropolis:

Leontopolis nome and its metropolis:

Between the Busiris river and the Bubastis river is:

Nesyt nome and its metropolis:

Tanis nome and metropolis:

Pharbaethus nome and metropolis:

To the east of the Bubastis river is Sethroites nome and metropolis:

Arabia nome and metropolis:

Bubastis nome and metropolis:

Heliapolis c nome and metropolis:

and on the border of Arabia and Aphroditopolis:

thru which, as well as thru the city Babylon, flows the mountain stream Traianus.

The following nomes are toward the south from the Great Delta and the Lower region and are called the Seven Nomes, the first is the nome of Memphis and its metropolis on the east bank of the river:

And then to the east of the river in the interior, the town

In which part the river separates,

The nome of Arsinoë and its metropolis in the interior:

To the east of this island:

Next, to the west of the river is the nome of Oxyrynchus and the metropolis in the interior:

Then the nome of Cynopolis and the metropolis on the east river bank:

The nome and metropolis of Hermopolis to the west of the river inland is:

The nome toward the east of the Antinoüs river and its metropolis:

to which nome are to be added the two Oasitae.

Those which are toward the south from the Seven Nomes are called the Thebaid and the Upper Region. Then toward the west of the river are the nome of Lycopolis and its metropolis in the interior:

the nome of Hypsele and its metropolis:

the nome of Aphroditopolis and its metropolis in the interior are:

the Thinites nome and its metropolis:

then inland toward the west from the river:

The nome of Diopolis of the upper region and its metropolis:

the nome of Tentyra and its metropolis:

Here is Memnon and in the interior

The nome of Hermonthis and its metropolis:

Toward the east of the river:

the nome of Antaeopolis and its metropolis:

the nome of Panopolis and its metropolis:

The nome of Coptos and its metropolis:

The nome of Thebes and its metropolis:

then the Dodecaschoenus, from which toward the east are the Arabes Adaei; among whom on the east bank of the river

The islands near Libya and Egypt in the Egyptian sea are:

In the Arabian bay are these islands:

---

Thayer's Notes:

a My edition has this, without explanation:

It is presumably an emended lacuna in the degrees of latitude column of the original text.

b Bubastus in my edition; should be Bubastis, but it is just possible the variant spelling is Ptolemy's rather than a modern typo.

c Heliapolis is almost certainly a modern error for Heliopolis.

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