The Structure of Lake Moeris and Its Twin Pyramids — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.149.1–2.149.5), Greek & English

§2.149.1

τοῦ δὲ λαβυρίνθου τούτου ἐόντος τοιούτου θῶμα ἔτι μέζον παρέχεται ἡ Μοίριος καλεομένη λίμνη, παρʼ ἣν ὁ λαβύρινθος οὗτος οἰκοδόμηται· τῆς τὸ περίμετρον τῆς περιόδου εἰσὶ στάδιοι ἑξακόσιοι καὶ τρισχίλιοι, σχοίνων ἑξήκοντα ἐόντων, ἴσοι¹ καὶ αὐτῆς Αἰγύπτου τὸ παρὰ θάλασσαν. κεῖται δὲ μακρὴ ἡ λίμνη πρὸς βορέην τε καὶ νότον, ἐοῦσα βάθος, τῇ βαθυτάτη αὐτὴ ἑωυτῆς,² πεντηκοντόργυιος.

While this labyrinth is such as I have said, a still greater wonder is provided by the lake called Moeris, beside which this labyrinth is built; the circumference of its circuit is three thousand six hundred stades, which is sixty schoenes, equal to the coastal line of Egypt itself. The lake lies stretched lengthwise towards the north and south, and is at its deepest point fifty fathoms deep.

§2.149.2

ὅτι δὲ χειροποίητος ἐστὶ καὶ ὀρυκτή, αὐτὴ δηλοῖ· ἐν γὰρ μέσῃ τῇ λίμνῃ μάλιστά κῃ ἑστᾶσι δύο πυραμίδες, τοῦ ὕδατος ὑπερέχουσαι πεντήκοντα ὀργυιὰς ἑκατέρη, καὶ τὸ κατʼ ὕδατος οἰκοδόμηται ἕτερον τοσοῦτον, καὶ ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρῃσι ἔπεστι κολοσσὸς λίθινος κατήμενος ἐν θρόνῳ.

That it is artificial and dug out, the lake itself shows; for in the very middle of the lake there stand two pyramids, each rising fifty fathoms above the water, and the part built under the water is just as deep, and on each of them there is a stone colossus sitting upon a throne.

§2.149.3

οὕτω αἱ μὲν πυραμίδες εἰσὶ ἑκατὸν ὀργυιέων, αἱ δʼ ἑκατὸν ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαι εἰσὶ στάδιον ἑξάπλεθρον, ἑξαπέδου τε τῆς ὀργυιῆς μετρεομένης καὶ τετραπήχεος, τῶν ποδῶν μὲν τετραπαλαίστων ἐόντων, τοῦ δὲ πήχεος ἑξαπαλαίστου.

Thus the pyramids are one hundred fathoms high, and one hundred fathoms are exactly equal to a stade of six plethra, since the fathom is measured as six feet or four cubits, the foot being four palms and the cubit six palms.

§2.149.4

τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ τὸ ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ αὐθιγενὲς μὲν οὐκ ἔστι· ἄνυδρος γὰρ δὴ δεινῶς ἐστι ἡ ταύτῃ, ἐκ τοῦ Νείλου δὲ κατὰ διώρυχα ἐσῆκται, καὶ ἓξ μὲν μῆνας ἔσω ῥέει ἐς τὴν λίμνην, ἓξ δὲ μῆνας ἔξω ἐς τὸν Νεῖλον αὖτις·

Now the water in the lake is not native to the place, for the region is indeed terribly waterless, but it has been brought from the Nile through a canal, and for six months it flows inward into the lake, and for six months outward into the Nile again;

§2.149.5

καὶ ἐπεὰν μὲν ἐκρέῃ ἔξω, ἣ δὲ³ τότε τοὺς ἓξ μῆνας ἐς τὸ βασιλήιον καταβάλλει ἐπʼ ἡμέρην ἑκάστην τάλαντον ἀργυρίου ἐκ τῶν ἰχθύων, ἐπεὰν δὲ ἐσίῃ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐς αὐτήν, εἴκοσι μνέας.

and whenever it flows out, the lake then during the six months pays a talent of silver daily into the royal treasury from the fish, but when the water enters into it, twenty minae.

Syntax notes3 items

2.149.1ἴσοι
The adjective ἴσοι is nominative plural masculine, agreeing grammatically with the subject ἑξακόσιοι καὶ τρισχίλιοι [and the implied noun στάδιοι]. While contextually it compares the perimeter (τὸ περίμετρον, neuter singular), its grammatical agreement is attracted to the masculine plural unit of measurement.
2.149.1τῇ βαθυτάτη αὐτὴ ἑωυτῆς
The superlative adjective (here in the dative feminine τῇ βαθυτάτη) accompanied by the genitive of the reflexive pronoun (ἑωυτῆς) is an idiomatic construction expressing the highest degree of a part within itself ('at its own deepest point'). The nominative pronoun αὐτή agrees with the subject of the clause, ἡ λίμνη.
2.149.5ἣ δὲ
Although taking the form of the relative pronoun, ἥ combined with the particle δέ functions here as a demonstrative/personal pronoun pointing back to 'the lake' (ἡ λίμνη) as the subject of this clause.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (2, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 2

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.149.1-2.149.5