- Source
- Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.97.1-2.97.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
The author describes how the cities of Egypt appear like islands in the Aegean Sea when the Nile floods, and explains the unusual shipping routes used across the plains during this season.
ἐπεὰν δὲ ἐπέλθῃ ὁ Νεῖλος τὴν χώρην, αἱ πόλιες μοῦναι φαίνονται ὑπερέχουσαι,1 μάλιστά κῃ ἐμφερέες τῇσι ἐν τῷ Αἰγαίῳ πόντῳ νήσοισι· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα τῆς Αἰγύπτου πέλαγος γίνεται, αἱ δὲ πόλιες μοῦναι ὑπερέχουσι. πορθμεύονται ὦν, ἐπεὰν τοῦτο γένηται, οὐκέτι κατὰ τὰ ῥέεθρα τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀλλὰ διὰ μέσου τοῦ πεδίου.
When the Nile floods the land, only the cities appear rising above the water, being very like the islands in the Aegean Sea; for the other parts of Egypt become a sea, and only the cities rise above it. Therefore, when this happens, they no longer journey along the channels of the river, but through the middle of the plain.
ἐς μέν γε Μέμφιν ἐκ Ναυκράτιος ἀναπλώοντι2 παρʼ αὐτὰς τὰς πυραμίδας γίνεται ὁ πλόος· ἔστι δὲ οὐδʼ οὗτος, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ ὀξὺ τοῦ Δέλτα καὶ παρὰ Κερκάσωρον πόλιν· ἐς δὲ Ναύκρατιν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης καὶ Κανώβου διὰ πεδίου πλέων ἥξεις κατʼ Ἄνθυλλάν τε πόλιν καὶ τὴν Ἀρχάνδρου καλευμένην.3
Indeed, for one sailing up from Naucratis to Memphis, the voyage is made past the very pyramids; yet this is not the usual route, which is rather past the apex of the Delta and past the city of Cercasorus. But if you sail from the sea and Canobus to Naucratis through the plain, you will arrive past the city of Anthylla and that which is called the city of Archandros.
- 2.97.1φαίνονται ὑπερέχουσαι
The construction of the verb φαίνομαι with a participle (φαίνομαι + participle) indicates an actual, observable fact, meaning 'they are clearly seen to be rising above'. This contrasts with the construction with an infinitive (φαίνομαι + infinitive), which implies a mere appearance, 'they seem to be' (but might not actually be). Here it describes the physical reality of the cities standing out above the floodwaters.
- 2.97.2ἀναπλώοντι
The dative singular of the present participle ἀναπλώων (sailing up). This is a 'dative of reference' (or dative of person judging), meaning 'for one sailing up' or 'in the view of one sailing up'. It is a common Greek idiom used in geographical descriptions to define a perspective.
- 2.97.2τὴν Ἀρχάνδρου καλευμένην
A construction where the genitive Ἀρχάνδρου (of Archandros) is embedded between the feminine article τὴν and the passive participle καλευμένην. The feminine noun πόλιν (city) is omitted, to be understood from the preceding phrase Ἄνθυλλάν τε πόλιν. It means 'the city called that of Archandros'.