DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.619#0100
OX THE GEOOIiAPHIA OF PTOLEMY.
91
Next Taona, Xois, and Pakhneumonnis, being
in a straight line, were probably taken on one
road.
Next Hermoupolis, the Mastitai, Bakkhis, and
Moiris (lake) are apparently on one road; as also
are Alexandreia, Mareia (lake), and Phamoutliis,
thus Phamoutliis lay on the opposite side of Lake
Mareotis to Alexandreia.
109. Having now struck out all these data as
being connected, and therefore to be treated in
separate groups, and not to be compared and con-
joined from one group to another, we have but a
small residuum of towns, which contain all the
most erratic and irreconcilable points, and which
therefore show that they in some way stand on a
different footing to the other lines which we have
separated already. The most striking group in
the line is Memphis, Babylon, Heliou, Boubastos,
and Phakoussa, all of which, except the last, are
indubitably known. They form a line only just
sufficiently curved to avoid touching the river;
the places really lie on a natural- line of road, and
their relative distances are not far out. But the
absolute quantities are about double of the true
distances; thus the whole would be 85, instead
of 47 geographical miles, as it really is; if we
then reduce the spaces in this proportion, we find
14, 9, and 24, as against the actual distances of 10,
9, and 28 geographical miles. The explanation
seems therefore to be, that for all these places
Ptolemy had a line of road, along which the dis-
tances were reported in schoeni, which he mistook
for days' journeys. This would give about this
proportion of undue lengthening, the schoenus
being about 6J miles, and therefore the day's
journey about eleven or twelve miles, by the mis-
proportion found here. We can also see the
separate schoeni lengths showing themselves in the
proportion between the stages, which are in the
ratio of 3, 2, 5 exactly; and the spaces being
closely this number of schoeni in length, allowing
for winding of the roads. The schoenus was pro-
bably a length of 10,000 double Egyptian cubits.
or exactly 6| miles, as this would be 57 stadia, a
sufficiently close result to the approximation of
60 stadia assigned by Herodotos.
We now have to apply this system of reduction
on this line of road to the position of Phakoussa.
For the position assigned by Ptolemy will not
agree with Fakus, or any other supposed site, if
taken as it stands, and in connection with other
known places, as Tanis or Thmuis. The distance
beyond Boubastos, however, reduced, like the rest
of this line of road, would give a distance of one
schoenus further, within 3' of position (Ptolemy's
smallest unit of place being 5'), and this would
place it, therefore, 6J miles beyond Boubastos;
or perhaps seven miles, if the distances are merely
taken as proportionately in error throughout the
line, and disregarding the probability of their
having been stated in round schoeni originally.
Now the town of Saft el Henneh, identified by M.
Naville with Phakoussa, on monumental grounds,
is six miles from Tell Basta, or exactly in accord-
ance with the only rational explanation of the
Ptolemaic positions of this line of places.
110. Sebennutos is another very erratic position,
for which, however, no reasonable account can be
given. It appears to have been displaced along
with Bousiris, since no town of Abusir is known on
the river where Bousiris appears, but there is an
Abusir close to Semennud. Sebennutos ought to
appear on the Athribic arm, about midway between
Athribis and the coast. It is most likely that
Ptolemy would have a reckoning along the river
from Athribis to Sebennutos, and the distance
from Athribis is fairly in agreement. But why
the position should be put S.W. instead of N. of
Athribis is inexplicable; we can only guess that
there may have been a road to Tanis from
Sebennutos, and Ptolemy may therefore have
been led to place it in a straight line between
Memphis and Tanis.
Pharbaethos is evidently fixed on the river at
about the right distance from Memphis and from
Tanis.
n 2
91
Next Taona, Xois, and Pakhneumonnis, being
in a straight line, were probably taken on one
road.
Next Hermoupolis, the Mastitai, Bakkhis, and
Moiris (lake) are apparently on one road; as also
are Alexandreia, Mareia (lake), and Phamoutliis,
thus Phamoutliis lay on the opposite side of Lake
Mareotis to Alexandreia.
109. Having now struck out all these data as
being connected, and therefore to be treated in
separate groups, and not to be compared and con-
joined from one group to another, we have but a
small residuum of towns, which contain all the
most erratic and irreconcilable points, and which
therefore show that they in some way stand on a
different footing to the other lines which we have
separated already. The most striking group in
the line is Memphis, Babylon, Heliou, Boubastos,
and Phakoussa, all of which, except the last, are
indubitably known. They form a line only just
sufficiently curved to avoid touching the river;
the places really lie on a natural- line of road, and
their relative distances are not far out. But the
absolute quantities are about double of the true
distances; thus the whole would be 85, instead
of 47 geographical miles, as it really is; if we
then reduce the spaces in this proportion, we find
14, 9, and 24, as against the actual distances of 10,
9, and 28 geographical miles. The explanation
seems therefore to be, that for all these places
Ptolemy had a line of road, along which the dis-
tances were reported in schoeni, which he mistook
for days' journeys. This would give about this
proportion of undue lengthening, the schoenus
being about 6J miles, and therefore the day's
journey about eleven or twelve miles, by the mis-
proportion found here. We can also see the
separate schoeni lengths showing themselves in the
proportion between the stages, which are in the
ratio of 3, 2, 5 exactly; and the spaces being
closely this number of schoeni in length, allowing
for winding of the roads. The schoenus was pro-
bably a length of 10,000 double Egyptian cubits.
or exactly 6| miles, as this would be 57 stadia, a
sufficiently close result to the approximation of
60 stadia assigned by Herodotos.
We now have to apply this system of reduction
on this line of road to the position of Phakoussa.
For the position assigned by Ptolemy will not
agree with Fakus, or any other supposed site, if
taken as it stands, and in connection with other
known places, as Tanis or Thmuis. The distance
beyond Boubastos, however, reduced, like the rest
of this line of road, would give a distance of one
schoenus further, within 3' of position (Ptolemy's
smallest unit of place being 5'), and this would
place it, therefore, 6J miles beyond Boubastos;
or perhaps seven miles, if the distances are merely
taken as proportionately in error throughout the
line, and disregarding the probability of their
having been stated in round schoeni originally.
Now the town of Saft el Henneh, identified by M.
Naville with Phakoussa, on monumental grounds,
is six miles from Tell Basta, or exactly in accord-
ance with the only rational explanation of the
Ptolemaic positions of this line of places.
110. Sebennutos is another very erratic position,
for which, however, no reasonable account can be
given. It appears to have been displaced along
with Bousiris, since no town of Abusir is known on
the river where Bousiris appears, but there is an
Abusir close to Semennud. Sebennutos ought to
appear on the Athribic arm, about midway between
Athribis and the coast. It is most likely that
Ptolemy would have a reckoning along the river
from Athribis to Sebennutos, and the distance
from Athribis is fairly in agreement. But why
the position should be put S.W. instead of N. of
Athribis is inexplicable; we can only guess that
there may have been a road to Tanis from
Sebennutos, and Ptolemy may therefore have
been led to place it in a straight line between
Memphis and Tanis.
Pharbaethos is evidently fixed on the river at
about the right distance from Memphis and from
Tanis.
n 2