Ptolemies, his successors, down to the reign of Cleopatra, (b. C. 30,) at whose death it became a Roman province. Thenceforward Egypt remained an appendage of the Roman empire till it was invaded by the Saracens, who took Alexandria, (A. D. 642.) It was subject to the Caliphs of Bagdad till the end of the tenth century, and after five centuries of barbarism, misgovernment, and unhappy independence, it fell at last under the dominion of the Turks, (A. D. 1517); and, for the last three centuries, Egypt has been oppressed alternately by them and by the Mamelukes. Antiquities.-The Thebaid and the Islands of Philæe and Elephantine, abound with curious temples, statues, and other remains of ancient art and science, supposed to be of very high antiquity; and these may become more interesting to the classical student, if the hieroglyphics they are inscribed with shall ever be fully deciphered. South-west from Memphis are the largest of the Pyramids; one of which is 480 feet in perpendicular height, and covers eleven acres of ground; it would barely stand in the square of Lincoln's Inn Fields. The gigantic figure with Negro features, carved in the solid rock, called the Sphinx, is near the Pyramid of Gizeh. In the neighbourhood of Alexandria is what is called Pompey's pillar, though late researches assign it, with more probability, to Severus; it is 96 feet high: Also two obelisks of granite, the base of each a single block, covered with hieroglyphics: one of these, called Cleopatra's Needle, 68 feet high, is still standing. Books of Travels in Egypt.-Herodotus (Book 2.), Volney, Sonnini, Savary, Banks, Leigh, the Great French Work of Denon, executed under the direction of Napoleon, &c. X. NORTHERN COAST OF AFRICA, Extending Westward from the frontiers of Egypt to the Pillars of Hercules, about 2000 miles, from Long. 80° East, to 6° West ;-bounded on the North by the Mediterranean; on the South by the Deserts of Libya and of Sahara, and by the mountain range of Atlas. PROCEEDING from Egypt westward, we enter in succession the following divisions or provinces:-MARMARICA; CYRENAICA; REGIO SYRTICA; AFRICA PROPRIA ; NuMIDIA; MAURITANIA.1 3 1. IN MARMARICA, on the coast, the town of Paretonium; and the great declivity Katabathmos, which some ancient geographers reckoned the western limit both of Egypt and of Asia. In the Desert of Barca, south of Parætonium, the Oasis of Ammon, now Siwah, 1 Africa quot segetes, quot Tmolia terra racemos, 4 Quot Sicyon baccas, quot parit Hybla favos.-OV. PONT. IV. 15, 9. 2 Isi, Parætonium genialiaque arva Canopi 3 Quæ colis, et Memphin, palmiferamque Pharon, Quaque celer Nilus, lato dilapsus ab alveo, Per septem portus in maris exit aquas.—Ov. Aм. II. 13, 7. qui locus Ægyptum ab Africâ dividit.-SALL. JUG. 10. Africa fines habet ab occidente, fretum nostri maris et oceani : ab ortu solis, declivem latitudinem ; quem locum Catabathmon incolæ appellant.-Sall. Jug. 20. Esse apud Ammonis fanum fons luce diurna Frigidus, et calidus nocturno tempore fertur.—LUCR. VI. 848. anciently the site of the Oracle of Jupiter, and of the Fountain of the Sun. 2. In CYRENAICA, Cyrene3 v. Cyrena; Barce; Hespěrus v. Berenice, near which were the Gardens of the Hesperides; (Virgil, however, places them in Mauritania, Æn. iv. 481.) 9 3. REGIO SYRTICA was the country around and between the Syrtes," major and minor, extending from Philanôn Ara (v. Sall. Jugurth. 19.) to the river Triton and the Lake Tritōnis. On the coast, the mouth of the river Cinyps v. Cinyphus; the town of Leptis Magna; Meninx, the island of the Lotophagi: In the interior, the tribes of the Nasamones, and of the Garamantes, Fezzan. (For all of these, reference may be made to Sil. It. m. 222 to 324, in ANTHOLOGIA.) Ventum erat ad templum, Libycis quod gentibus unum Jupiter, ut memorant, sed non aut fulmina vibrans, Aut similis nostro, sed tortis cornibus Ammon.-Lucan. ix. 511. 5 Quo non Munychiæ quidquam præstantius arces, Doctaque Cyrene, Sparteve animosa creavit.-ST. SIL. v. 3, 107. magnus numerus Libyssæ arenæ 6 Laserpiciferis jacet Cyrenis, Oraclum Jovis inter æstuosi, Et Batti veteris sacrum sepulcrum.-CATULL, VII. 3. Barce sitientibus arida venis.-SIL. IT. 111. 251. 7 Barbaras Syrtes, ubi Maura semper Estuat unda.-HOR. OD. II. 3. 8 Quæ celebre invicti nomen posuêre Philæni.-SIL. IT. IV. 701. Et se dilecta Tritonida dixit ab unda.-LUCAN. IX. 350. |