The Twitter Herodotus

2.1 Cambyses succeeded his father as king. He invaded Egypt with an army composed of his various subjects, inc. the Greeks of Asia Minor.

2.2 The Egyptians used to think they were the oldest of men, but their king Psammetichus disproved this by experimenting on newborns.

2.3 I heard this story re. Psammetichus from priests in Memphis. I also went to Thebes and Heliopolis to hear what people there had to say.

2.4 The Egyptians invented the year & 12 30-day months (+ 5 additional days). Their 1st king was Min. In his day Egypt was mostly marsh.

2.5 I believe it, because it is clear when you travel there that Egypt is a gift of the river.

2.6 The Egyptian coastline is 60 schoeni long [about 397 miles].

2.7 From the coast inland to Heliopolis [at the apex of the Nile delta] is 165 miles.

2.8 South of Heliopolis Egypt is narrow, flat land bordered by mountains to the east and west. Beyond these the land widens again.

2.9 It's 9 days by boat from Heliopolis south to Thebes (517 miles), and another 200 miles from Thebes to Elephantine.

2.10 Much of Egypt is an alluvial deposit. I think the land north of Memphis was once a gulf, now silted up. The Nile is huge with 5 mouths.