Egypt is the country which lies next to Africa; in the interior it runs in a southerly direction, as far as the territory of the Æthiopians, who lie extended at the back of it. The river Nile, dividing itself, forms on the right and left the boundary of its lower part, which it embraces on every side[3489]. By the Canopic mouth of that river it is separated from Africa, and by the Pelusiac from Asia, there being a distance between the two of 170 miles. For this reason it is that some persons have reckoned Egypt among the islands, the Nile so dividing itself as to give a triangular form to the land which it encloses: from which circumstance also many persons have named Egypt the Delta[3490], after that of the Greek letter so called. The distance from the spot where the channel of the river first divides into branches, to the Canopic mouth, is 146 miles, and to the Pelusiac, 166. The upper part of Egypt, which borders on Æthiopia, is known as Thebais. This district is divided into prefectures of towns, which are generally designated as “Nomes.” These are Ombites[3491], Apollopolites[3492], Hermonthites[3493], Thinites[3494], Phaturites[3495], Coptites[3496], Tentyrites[3497], Diopolites[3498], Antæopolites[3499], Aphroditopolites[3500], and Lycopolites[3501]. The district which lies in the vicinity of Pelusium contains the following Nomes, Pharbæthites, Bubastites[3502], Sethroites, and Tanites[3503]. The remaining Nomes are those called the Arabian; the Hammonian, which lies on the road to the oracle of Jupiter Hammon; and those known by the names of Oxyrynchites, Leontopolites, Athribites[3504], Cynopolites[3505], Hermopolites[3506], Xoites, Mendesium, Sebennytes[3507], Cabasites, Latopolites, Heliopolites, Prosopites, Panopolites, Busirites[3508], Onuphites[3509], Saïtes[3510], Ptenethu, Phthemphu[3511], Naucratites[3512], Metelites, Gynæcopolites, Menelaites,—all in the region of Alexandria, besides Mareotis in Libya.