§1.41.1Οἰνοπίδης δὲ ὁ Χῖός φησι κατὰ μὲν τὴν θερινὴν ὥραν τὰ ὕδατα κατὰ τὴν γῆν εἶναι ψυχρά, τοῦ δὲ χειμῶνος τοὐναντίον θερμά, καὶ τοῦτο εὔδηλον ἐπὶ τῶν βαθέων φρεάτων γίνεσθαι· κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀκμὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ἥκιστα τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχειν ψυχρόν, κατὰ δὲ τὰ μέγιστα καύματα ψυχρότατον ἐξ αὐτῶν §1.41.2ὑγρὸν ἀναφέρεσθαι.
Oenopides of Chios says that during the summer season the waters under the earth are cold, but on the contrary in winter they are warm, and that this is manifest in the case of deep wells; for in the height of winter the water in them is least cold, and during the greatest heat the coldest liquid is drawn up from them.
διὸ καὶ τὸν Νεῖλον εὐλόγως κατὰ μὲν τὸν χειμῶνα μικρὸν εἶναι καὶ συστέλλεσθαι, διὰ τὸ τὴν μὲν κατὰ γῆν θερμασίαν τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας ἀναλίσκειν, ὄμβρους δὲ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον μὴ γίνεσθαι· κατὰ δὲ τὸ θέρος μηκέτι τῆς κατὰ γῆν ἀπαναλώσεως γινομένης ἐν τοῖς κατὰ βάθος τόποις πληροῦσθαι τὴν κατὰ φύσιν αὐτοῦ ῥύσιν ἀνεμποδίστως.
Therefore also, it is reasonable that the Nile is small and contracts in winter, because the heat under the earth consumes the greater part of the liquid substance, and rains do not occur in Egypt; but in summer, since the consumption under the earth in deep places no longer occurs, its natural flow is filled without hindrance.
§1.41.3ῥητέον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτον ὅτι πολλοὶ ποταμοὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Λιβύην ὁμοίως μὲν κείμενοι τοῖς στόμασι, παραπλησίους δὲ τὰς ῥύσεις ποιούμενοι, τὴν ἀνάβασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνάλογον τῷ Νείλῳ· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἐν μὲν τῷ χειμῶνι πληρούμενοι, κατὰ δὲ τὸ θέρος λήγοντες ἐλέγχουσι τὸ ψεῦδος τοῦ πειρωμένου τοῖς πιθανοῖς καταμάχεσθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
But it must be said against this man also that many rivers in Libya, though situated similarly in their mouths and making resembling flows, do not have a rise analogous to the Nile; on the contrary, by being filled in winter and ceasing in summer, they refute the falsehood of him who attempts to fight against the truth with plausible arguments.
§1.41.4ἔγγιστα δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ προσελήλυθεν Ἀγαθαρχίδης ὁ Κνίδιος.
Agatharchides of Cnidus has come closest to the truth.
φησὶ γὰρ κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν ὄρεσι γίνεσθαι συνεχεῖς ὄμβρους ἀπὸ θερινῶν τροπῶν μέχρι τῆς μετοπωρινῆς ἰσημερίας· §1.41.5εὐλόγως οὖν τὸν Νεῖλον ἐν μὲν τῷ χειμῶνι συστέλλεσθαι, τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἔχοντα ῥύσιν ἀπὸ μόνων τῶν πηγῶν, κατὰ δὲ τὸ θέρος διὰ τοὺς ἐκχεομένους ὄμβρους λαμβάνειν τὴν αὔξησιν.
For he says that every year in the mountains of Ethiopia continuous rains occur from the summer solstice until the autumnal equinox; therefore it is reasonable that the Nile contracts in winter, having its natural flow from its sources alone, but in summer receives its increase because of the pouring rains.
§1.41.6εἰ δὲ τὰς αἰτίας μηδεὶς ἀποδοῦναι δύναται μέχρι τοῦ νῦν τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων γενέσεως, οὐ προσήκειν ἀθετεῖσθαι τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπόφασιν· πολλὰ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν ἐναντίως φέρειν, ὧν τὰς αἰτίας οὐκ ἐφικτὸν ἀνθρώποις ἀκριβῶς ἐξευρεῖν.
And if no one up to the present is able to render the causes of the generation of the waters, it is not fitting that his own assertion be rejected; for nature brings forth many things of an opposite character, the causes of which it is not possible for humans to discover with accuracy.
§1.41.7μαρτυρεῖν δὲ τοῖς ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ λεγομένοις καὶ τὸ γινόμενον περί τινας τόπους τῆς Ἀσίας· πρὸς μὲν γὰρ τοῖς ὅροις τῆς Σκυθίας τοῖς πρὸς τὸ Καυκάσιον ὄρος συνάπτουσι, παρεληλυθότος ἤδη τοῦ χειμῶνος, καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος νιφετοὺς ἐξαισίους γίνεσθαι συνεχῶς ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πρὸς βορρᾶν ἐστραμμένοις μέρεσι τῆς Ἰνδικῆς ὡρισμένοις καιροῖς καὶ χάλαζαν ἄπιστον τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ πλῆθος καταράττειν, καὶ περὶ μὲν τὸν Ὑδάσπην ποταμὸν ἀρχομένου θέρους συνεχεῖς ὄμβρους γίνεσθαι, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν μεθʼ ἡμέρας τινὰς ταὐτὸ συμβαίνειν, καὶ ταύτην τὴν περίστασιν κυκλουμένην ἀεὶ τοὺς συνεχεῖς τόπους χειμάζειν.
And he says that what happens in certain regions of Asia also bears witness to what is said by him; for near the boundaries of Scythia which border on the Caucasus mountain, when winter has already passed, extraordinary snowfalls occur continuously for many days every year, and in the parts of India turned towards the north, at certain seasons, hail of unbelievable size and quantity pours down, and around the Hydaspes river at the beginning of summer continuous rains occur, and in Ethiopia after some days the same thing happens, and this state of weather, circulating, always brings winter to the adjacent regions.
§1.41.8οὐδὲν οὖν εἶναι παράδοξον εἰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν τὴν κειμένην ὑπὲρ Αἰγύπτου συνεχεῖς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ὄμβροι καταράττοντες ἐν τῷ θέρει πληροῦσι τὸν ποταμόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς ἐναργείας αὐτῆς μαρτυρουμένης ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ τοὺς τόπους οἰκούντων βαρβάρων.
Therefore, it is not at all paradoxical if in Ethiopia also, which lies above Egypt, continuous rains pouring down in the mountains during the summer fill the river, especially since this manifest fact itself is witnessed by the barbarians who inhabit those regions.
§1.41.9εἰ δὲ τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν γινομένοις ἐναντίαν ἔχει τὰ λεγόμενα φύσιν, οὐ διὰ τοῦτʼ ἀπιστητέον· καὶ γὰρ τὸν νότον παρʼ ἡμῖν μὲν εἶναι χειμέριον, περὶ δὲ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν αἴθριον ὑπάρχειν, καὶ τὰς βορείους πνοὰς περὶ μὲν τὴν Εὐρώπην εὐτόνους εἶναι, κατʼ ἐκείνην δὲ τὴν χώραν βληχρὰς καὶ ἀτόνους.
And if the things said have a nature contrary to what happens among us, we must not disbelieve because of this; for the south wind is stormy among us, but around Ethiopia it is clear, and the northern blasts are vigorous around Europe, but in that country they are weak and listless.
§1.41.10καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς πληρώσεως τοῦ Νείλου, δυνάμενοι ποικιλώτερον ἀντειπεῖν πρὸς ἅπαντας, ἀρκεσθησόμεθα τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἵνα μὴ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡμῖν προκειμένην συντομίαν ὑπερβαίνωμεν.
Now, concerning the filling of the Nile, although we are able to reply in a more varied manner against everyone, we shall be satisfied with what has been said, so that we may not exceed the brevity proposed by us from the beginning.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν βίβλον ταύτην διὰ τὸ μέγεθος εἰς δύο μέρη διῃρήκαμεν, στοχαζόμενοι τῆς συμμετρίας, τὴν πρώτην μερίδα τῶν ἱστορουμένων αὐτοῦ περιγράψομεν, τὰ δὲ συνεχῆ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἱστορουμένων ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ κατατάξομεν, ἀρχὴν ποιησάμενοι τὴν ἀπαγγελίαν τῶν γενομένων βασιλέων τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τοῦ παλαιοτάτου βίου παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις.
And since we have divided this book into two parts because of its size, aiming at symmetry, we shall bring to a close the first portion of the history related in it, and we shall arrange the continuous part of the history concerning Egypt in the second part, making our beginning with the account of the kings who arose in Egypt and of the most ancient way of life among the Egyptians.