When the Egyptians speak about the Greeks, they say nothing that is untrue. The Greeks depend entirely on rain from the sky for their crops, and if the rain were to fail, they would face hunger. In this, the Egyptians are correct. However, it is also fair to explain to the Egyptians the danger that lies before them.
If the land below Memphis continues to rise, just as it has done in the past, the people living there may one day face serious trouble. This land is formed by the river’s deposits and keeps growing higher year after year. If this process continues, the Nile will no longer be able to overflow the fields. Since Egypt receives very little rain, the people would then have no water to feed their crops, and hunger would surely follow Why the Account of Egypt Can Be Trusted.
Easy Farming Along the Nile
At present, the Egyptians enjoy an easier life than almost any other people in the world when it comes to farming. Even compared to other Egyptians, those who live in the low lands benefit greatly from the Nile. They do not need to plough the land, break up the soil, or work with hoes and tools as other farmers do.
Instead, they wait patiently for the river to flood the fields on its own. When the waters rise, they spread rich mud over the land. After the river returns to its bed, the farmer simply sows his seeds. Then he drives his pigs into the fields. The animals walk over the ground and press the seeds into the soft earth. After this, the farmer only needs to wait for the crops to grow.
When harvest time comes, the pigs are again useful. They help in treading the grain, which is then gathered and stored in barns. In this way, the Nile does most of the work, and the people gain their food with very little effort Walking Tours Sofia.
The Ionian View of Egypt
If we accept the opinion of the Ionians, however, a very different picture appears. The Ionians claim that only the Delta should truly be called Egypt. According to them, Egypt stretches along the coast from the Watchtower of Perseus to the Pelusiac Salt Pans, a distance of forty schoenes. Inland, it reaches only as far as the city of Cercasorus, where the Nile divides into two branches, one flowing to Pelusium and the other to Canobus.
By this view, all the land beyond the Delta belongs not to Egypt but to Arabia or Libya. The Delta, they say, is the only true Egypt.
The Delta and the Age of the Egyptians
The Egyptians strongly disagree with this idea, and I find their argument convincing. The Delta is made from the mud brought down by the Nile and has only appeared above the water in relatively recent times. If this is true, and if Egypt were only the Delta, then the Egyptians would once have had no land at all.
If that were the case, how could they believe themselves to be the most ancient people in the world? There would have been no need for King Psammetichus to test which language came first by raising children in silence.
Egypt Before the Delta
In truth, I do not believe that the Egyptians came into existence at the same time as the Delta. I believe they have existed ever since the beginning of the human race. As the land slowly grew and expanded, some of the people moved into the newly formed regions, while others remained in their older homes.
In ancient times, the land known as Egypt was the region called Thebais. This area alone once carried the name of Egypt, and its total boundary measured about 6,120 furlongs.
