Cliap. 9.] ACCOTJirr OF COTJNTEIES, ETC. 407 



in number, have received their names from those who dwell 

 upon their shores, for which reason they will be mentioned 

 together. 



Egypt is the country which lies next to Africa ; in the in- 

 terior it runs in a southerly direction, as far as the territory 

 of the Ethiopians, who lie extended at the back of it. The 

 river Nile, dividing itself, forms on the right and left the 

 boundary of its lower part, which it embraces on every side'. 

 By the Canopic mouth of that river it is separated from 

 Africa, and by the Pelusiac from Asia, there being a distance 

 between the two of 170 miles. For this reason it is that 

 some persons have reckoned Egypt among the islands, the 

 Nile so dividing itself as to give a triangular form to the 

 land which it encloses: from which circumstance also 

 many persons have named Egypt the Delta^, after that of 

 the Grreek letter so called. The distance from the spot 

 where the channel of the river first divides into branches, to 

 the Canopic mouth, is 146 miles, and to the Pelusiac, 166. 



The upper part of Egypt, which borders on Ethiopia, is 

 known as Thebais. This district is divided into prefec- 

 tures of to'w^s, which are generally designated as " Nomes." 

 These are Ombites^, Apollopolites^, Hermonthites^ Thi- 

 nites®, Phaturites', Coptites^, Tentyrites^ Diopolites'", An- 



* Parisot remarks that Pliny is in error in this statement. A consi- 

 derable part of Lower Egypt lay both on the right and left of the Delta 

 or island formed by the branches of the Nile. It must be remembered, 

 however, that our author has already included a portion of what was 

 strictly Egypt, in his description of Libya Mareotis. 



2 By reason of its triangular form, A. 



2 The Ombite nome worshipped the crocodile as the emblem of Sebak. 

 Its capital was Ombos. 



* This nome destroyed the crocodile and worshipped the sun. Its 

 capital was ApollinopoUs Magna. 



* It worshipped Osiris and his son Orus. The chief town was Ther- 

 monthis. 



^ Probably the original kingdom of Menes of This, the founder of the 

 Egyptian monarchy. It worshipped Osiris. Its capital was This, after- 

 wards called Abydos. 



7 The nome of Thebes, which was its chief town. 



8 Its capital was Coptos. 



3 Its chief town was Tentyra. This nome worshipped Athor or Venus, 

 Isis, and Typhon. It destroyed the crocodile. 



*" Perhaps the same as the Panopolite or Chemmite nome, which had 



