Cliap. 9.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, 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 JN'ile, 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. Eor 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 towns, which are generally designated as " IN'omes." 
These are Ombites^, Apollopolites^, Hermonthites^, Thi- 
nites^, Phaturites'', Coptites*, Tentyrites^, Diopolites^^, An- 
^ Parisot remarks that Pliiiy 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 triangidar 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 ApoUinopolis 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. 
9 Its chief town was Tentyra. This nome worshipped Athor or Yenus, 
Isis, and Typhon. It destroyed the crocodile. 
Perhaps the same as the PanopoHte or Chemmite nome, which had 
