But Herodotus gives an explanation quite contrary to that of the rest of those who have discussed this subject, but agreeing with the explanation of Œnopides; for he says that the stream of the Nile is of such magnitude as always to fill the river; but that the sun, as it makes its journey through Libya in the winter, dries up the river at that time; but that as it has gone off towards the north at the time of the summer solstice, then the river becomes full again, and overflows the plains.
Now these are the mouths of the Nile:—towards Arabia, the Pelusiac mouth; towards Libya, the Canopic: and the rest are,—the Bolbitic, the Sebennytic, the Mendesian, the Saitic, and the Opuntic.
FOOTNOTES:
[62:1] We find something like this in Theoc. xxix. 1.
Οἶνος, ὦ φίλε παῖ, λέγεται καὶ ἀλάθεα.
[64:1] Ἀκρατοπότης, drinker of unmixed wine.
[64:2] Φειδίτια was the Spartan name for the συσσίτια. Vide Smith, Dict. Ant. p. 928. b.
[65:1] Iliad, xvii. 180.
[66:1] Odyss. ix. 6.