§1.36.1χωρὶς δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων θηρίων ὁ Νεῖλος ἔχει παντοῖα γένη ἰχθύων καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος ἄπιστα· τοῖς γὰρ ἐγχωρίοις οὐ μόνον ἐκ τῶν προσφάτως ἁλισκομένων παρέχεται δαψιλῆ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλῆθος εἰς ταριχείαν ἀνίησιν ἀνέκλειπτον.
Apart from the aforementioned beasts, the Nile has all kinds of species of fish, and in numbers incredible; for to the inhabitants, it provides not only a lavish enjoyment from those recently caught, but also yields an inexhaustible multitude for salting.
§1.36.2καθόλου δὲ ταῖς εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίαις ὑπερβάλλει πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ποταμούς.
And in general, in its benefits to men, it surpasses all the rivers in the inhabited world.
τῆς γὰρ πληρώσεως τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ θερινῶν τροπῶν ποιούμενος αὔξεται μὲν μέχρι τῆς ἰσημερίας τῆς μετοπωρινῆς, ἐπάγων δʼ ἀεὶ νέαν ἰλὺν βρέχει τὴν γῆν ὁμοίως τήν τε ἀργὴν καὶ σπόριμον καὶ φυτεύσιμον τοσοῦτον χρόνον ὅσον ἂν οἱ γεωργοῦντες τὴν χώραν ἐθελήσωσι.
For, making the beginning of its swelling from the summer solstice, it increases until the autumnal equinox, and, always bringing down fresh silt, it waters the land equally, both the untilled and the arable and the plantable, for as long a time as those who cultivate the country may wish.
§1.36.3τοῦ γὰρ ὕδατος πραέως φερομένου ῥᾳδίως ἀποτρέπουσιν αὐτὸν μικροῖς χώμασι, καὶ πάλιν ἐπάγουσιν εὐχερῶς ταῦτα διαιροῦντες, §1.36.4ὅταν δόξῃ συμφέρειν.
For since the water flows gently, they easily divert it with small embankments, and easily bring it back again by breaking through these, whenever it seems advantageous.
καθόλου δὲ τοσαύτην τοῖς μὲν ἔργοις εὐκοπίαν παρέχεται, τοῖς δʼ ἀνθρώποις λυσιτέλειαν, ὥστε τοὺς μὲν πλείστους τῶν γεωργῶν τοῖς ἀναξηραινομένοις τῆς γῆς τόποις ἐφισταμένους καὶ τὸ σπέρμα βάλλοντας ἐπάγειν τὰ βοσκήματα, καὶ τούτοις συμπατήσαντας μετὰ τέτταρας ἢ πέντε μῆνας ἀπαντᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν θερισμόν, ἐνίους δὲ κούφοις ἀρότροις ἐπαγαγόντας βραχέως τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς βεβρεγμένης χώρας σωροὺς ἀναιρεῖσθαι τῶν καρπῶν χωρὶς δαπάνης πολλῆς καὶ κακοπαθείας.
And in general, it provides such facility for agricultural labors and such benefit to men, that most of the farmers, standing upon the drying places of the land and sowing the seed, drive in their cattle, and having had them trample it in, they return after four or five months for the harvest; while some, having lightly run over the surface of the watered land with light plows, gather heaps of crops without much expense and hardship.
§1.36.5ὅλως γὰρ πᾶσα γεωργία παρὰ μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔθνεσι μετὰ μεγάλων ἀναλωμάτων καὶ ταλαιπωριῶν διοικεῖται, παρὰ δʼ Αἰγυπτίοις μόνοις ἐλαχίστοις δαπανήμασι καὶ πόνοις συγκομίζεται.
For indeed, while all agriculture among other nations is carried on with great expenses and sufferings, among the Egyptians alone is it harvested with the least expenses and labors.
ἥ τε ἀμπελόφυτος ὁμοίως ἀρδευομένη δαψίλειαν οἴνου τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις παρασκευάζει.
And the vineyard, being watered in like manner, provides an abundance of wine for the inhabitants.
§1.36.6οἱ δὲ χερσεύειν ἐάσαντες τὴν χώραν τὴν ἐπικεκλυσμένην καὶ τοῖς ποιμνίοις ἀνέντες μηλόβοτον διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς νομῆς δὶς τεκόντα καὶ δὶς ἀποκαρέντα τὰ πρόβατα καρποῦνται.
And some, having allowed the flooded land to lie uncultivated and having surrendered it to their flocks for pasture, derive benefit from the sheep, which, because of the abundance of pasture, give birth twice and are shorn twice.
§1.36.7τὸ δὲ γινόμενον περὶ τὴν ἀνάβασιν τοῦ Νείλου τοῖς μὲν ἰδοῦσι θαυμαστὸν φαίνεται, τοῖς δʼ ἀκούσασι παντελῶς ἄπιστον.
But what happens concerning the rising of the Nile seems wonderful to those who see it, but to those who hear of it, completely incredible.
τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων ποταμῶν ἁπάντων περὶ τὰς θερινὰς τροπὰς ἐλαττουμένων καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἑξῆς χρόνον τοῦ θέρους ἀεὶ μᾶλλον ταπεινουμένων, οὗτος μόνος τότε τὴν ἀρχὴν λαβὼν τῆς πληρώσεως ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον αὔξεται καθʼ ἡμέραν ὥστε τὸ τελευταῖον πᾶσαν σχεδὸν ἐπικλύζειν τὴν Αἴγυπτον.
For while all other rivers decrease about the summer solstice, and during the following period of summer become always lower, this one alone, then taking the beginning of its swelling, increases daily to such an extent that at last it floods almost the whole of Egypt.
§1.36.8ὡσαύτως δὲ πάλιν εἰς τοὐναντίον μεταβαλὼν τὸν ἴσον χρόνον καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐκ τοῦ κατʼ ὀλίγον ταπεινοῦται, μέχρι ἂν εἰς τὴν προϋπάρξασαν ἀφίκηται τάξιν.
And likewise, turning in the opposite direction, it decreases daily little by little for an equal period, until it returns to its former state.
καὶ τῆς μὲν χώρας οὔσης πεδιάδος, τῶν δὲ πόλεων καὶ τῶν κωμῶν, ἔτι δὲ τῶν ἀγροικιῶν κειμένων ἐπὶ χειροποιήτων χωμάτων, ἡ πρόσοψις ὁμοία γίνεται ταῖς Κυκλάσι νήσοις.
And since the country is a plain, and the cities and villages, and also the farmsteads, lie upon man-made embankments, the spectacle becomes similar to the Cyclades islands.
§1.36.9τῶν δὲ χερσαίων θηρίων τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ περιληφθέντα διαφθείρεται βαπτιζόμενα, τινὰ δʼ εἰς τοὺς μετεωροτέρους ἐκφεύγοντα τόπους διασώζεται, τὰ δὲ βοσκήματα κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀναβάσεως χρόνον ἐν ταῖς κώμαις καὶ ταῖς ἀγροικίαις διατρέφεται, προπαρασκευαζομένης αὐτοῖς τῆς τροφῆς.
And of the land animals, many, being surrounded by the river, perish by being submerged, but some escape to the higher places and are saved; and the cattle are fed during the time of the rising in the villages and the farmsteads, food having been prepared for them beforehand.
§1.36.10οἱ δʼ ὄχλοι πάντα τὸν τῆς πληρώσεως χρόνον ἀπολελυμένοι τῶν ἔργων εἰς ἄνεσιν τρέπονται, συνεχῶς ἑστιώμενοι καὶ πάντων τῶν πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἀνηκόντων ἀνεμποδίστως ἀπολαύοντες.
And the multitudes, being released from labor during the entire time of the swelling, turn to leisure, continually feasting and enjoying without hindrance all things that contribute to pleasure.
§1.36.11διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀγωνίαν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀναβάσεως τοῦ ποταμοῦ γινομένην κατεσκεύασται Νειλοσκοπεῖον ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων ἐν τῇ Μέμφει· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τὴν ἀνάβασιν ἀκριβῶς ἐκμετροῦντες οἱ τὴν τούτου διοίκησιν ἔχοντες ἐξαποστέλλουσιν εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἐπιστολάς, διασαφοῦντες πόσους πήχεις ἢ δακτύλους ἀναβέβηκεν ὁ ποταμὸς καὶ πότε τὴν ἀρχὴν πεποίηται τῆς ἐλαττώσεως.
And because of the anxiety arising from the rising of the river, a Nilometer has been constructed by the kings in Memphis; and in this, those who have the administration of it, accurately measuring the rising, send out letters to the cities, declaring how many cubits or fingers the river has risen and when it made the beginning of its decrease.
§1.36.12διὰ δὲ τοῦ τοιούτου τρόπου τῆς μὲν ἀγωνίας ἀπολύεται πᾶς ὁ λαός, πυθόμενος τὴν τῆς αὐξήσεως εἰς τοὐναντίον μεταβολήν, τὸ δὲ πλῆθος τῶν ἐσομένων καρπῶν εὐθὺς ἅπαντες προεπεγνώκασιν, ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων τῆς παρατηρήσεως ταύτης παρὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἀκριβῶς ἀναγεγραμμένης.
And by such means all the people are released from anxiety, having learned of the change of the swelling to the opposite, and everyone immediately foreknows the abundance of the future crops, since this observation has been accurately recorded among the Egyptians for many years.