"What does that mean?"
Menes looked around and lowered his voice,
"Of course it is known to thee that the earth is not flat like a table, but is an immense ball on the surface of which seas, countries, and cities are situated?"
"That is known," said Pentuer.
"Not to all," answered Menes. "And it was not known to any one how great that globe might be."
"But dost Thou know?" inquired Pentuer, almost frightened.
"I know. Our infantry marches about thirteen Egyptian miles [Three geographical miles] daily. The globe of the earth is so great that our armies would require five whole years to march around it."
"O gods!" exclaimed Pentuer. "Does it not frighten thee, father, to think of such subjects?"
Menes shrugged his shoulders.
"To measure size, what is there terrible in that? To measure the size of a pyramid, or the earth is the same kind of problem. I did a more difficult thing. I measured the distance of our temple from the palace of the pharaoh without crossing the river."