Herodotus · Histories §4.41.1

Geography of the Libyan Peninsula and the Isthmus

Passage 605 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After concluding the description of Asia, the author describes the geography of Libya (Africa), highlighting the narrowness of the isthmus near Egypt and its vast expansion beyond that point.

§4.41.1τοιαύτη μὲν καὶ τοσαύτη ἡ Ἀσίη ἐστί, ἡ δὲ Λιβύη ἐν τῇ ἀκτῇ τῇ ἑτέρῃ ἐστί· ἀπὸ γὰρ Αἰγύπτου Λιβύη ἤδη ἐκδέκεται.

Such and so great is Asia; but Libya is on the other peninsula, for Libya succeeds immediately to Egypt.

κατὰ μέν νυν Αἴγυπτον ἡ ἀκτὴ αὕτη στεινή ἐστι· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆσδε τῆς θαλάσσης ἐς τὴν Ἐρυθρὴν θάλασσαν δέκα μυριάδες εἰσὶ ὀργυιέων, αὗται δʼ ἂν εἶεν χίλιοι στάδιοι· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ στεινοῦ τούτου κάρτα πλατέα τυγχάνει ἐοῦσα ἡ ἀκτὴ ἥτις Λιβύη κέκληται.

Now, along Egypt this peninsula is narrow; for from this sea to the Red Sea it is a hundred thousand orguiai, which would be one thousand stadia; but from this narrow neck onward, the peninsula which is called Libya happens to be very wide.

Notes

4.41.1ἀκτῇ — A specialized geographical term in Herodotus. Instead of the usual 'coast' or 'shore', it refers to a vast 'peninsula' or tract of land projecting into the sea, here denoting the second of the two great peninsulas (including Egypt and Libya).
4.41.1ἐκδέκεται — The Ionic form of the verb ἐκδέχομαι, used here intransitively in the sense of 'succeeds', 'follows immediately', or 'takes up from'.
4.41.1πλατέα — The Ionic female nominative singular form of the adjective πλατύς (corresponding to Attic πλατεῖα). It agrees in gender, number, and case with the subject ἡ ἀκτὴ, rather than being a neuter plural.
4.41.1τυγχάνει ἐοῦσα — The combination of the verb τυγχάνω with the participle ἐοῦσα (Ionic for οὖσα, from εἰμί). Rather than denoting mere coincidence ('happens to be'), it emphasizes an actual state of affairs ('is in fact', 'proves to be').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.41.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.41.1

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