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Herodotus · Histories §2.179.1

Rules on Naucratis as Egypt's Sole Trading Port

Passage 401 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Describes the regulation during the period when Naucratis was Egypt's sole trading port, requiring any ship arriving at other mouths of the Nile to take an oath and proceed to the Canopic mouth, or transport cargo around the Delta if sailing was impossible.

§2.179.1ἦν δὲ τὸ παλαιὸν μούνη Ναύκρατις ἐμπόριον καὶ ἄλλο οὐδὲν Αἰγύπτου·
In ancient times, Naucratis was the only trading port in Egypt, and there was no other.
εἰ δέ τις ἐς τῶν τι ἄλλο στομάτων τοῦ Νείλου ἀπίκοιτο, χρῆν ὀμόσαι μὴ μὲν ἑκόντα ἐλθεῖν, ἀπομόσαντα δὲ τῇ νηὶ αὐτῇ πλέειν ἐς τὸ Κανωβικόν·
If anyone arrived at any other of the mouths of the Nile, he had to swear that he had not come of his own free will, and having so sworn, he had to sail in that very ship to the Canopic mouth.
ἢ εἰ μή γε οἷά τε εἴη πρὸς ἀνέμους ἀντίους πλέειν, τὰ φορτία ἔδεε περιάγειν ἐν βάρισι περὶ τὸ Δέλτα, μέχρι οὗ ἀπίκοιτο ἐς Ναύκρατιν.
Or, if it were not possible to sail against contrary winds, he had to carry the cargo around the Delta in baris-boats until he reached Naucratis.
οὕτω μὲν δὴ Ναύκρατις ἐτετίμητο.
Thus indeed was Naucratis privileged.

Notes

  1. 2.179.1μὴ μὲν ἑκόντα ἐλθεῖν — A negative infinitive clause depending on ὀμόσαι (to swear). ἑκόντα is an accusative singular masculine agreeing with the implied subject of the infinitive (referring back to the indefinite tis). μὴ μὲν is an idiomatic formula used in oaths to introduce a strong negative assertion ('that he had not indeed').
  2. 2.179.1τῇ νηὶ αὐτῇ — Dative of instrument or accompaniment meaning 'with/in the very same ship.' It emphasizes the strictness of the regulation, requiring the merchants to sail to Canobus in the selfsame vessel they arrived in without transferring cargo.
  3. 2.179.1μέχρι οὗ ἀπίκοιτο — The past optative (ἀπίκοιτο) in a temporal clause introduced by μέχρι οὗ (until), representing a past iterative action or conditional limit depending on the past impersonal main verb ἔδεε (optative of indirect discourse or past repetition).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.179.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.179.1

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