Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/474

 458 OASES. Khargeh) and the Lesser {El-Dakkel) were both accounted nomas of Aegypt, we may fairly infer that the ten days' journey to Ammonium is com- puted from one of them, i. e. 4i'om a point con- sidered as proper Aesryptian ground. Now, not only does the road from Tliebes to Ammonium lie through or beside the Greater and Lesser Oasis, but their re- spective distances from the extremities of the journey will give nearly the number of days required. Fur El-Khargeh, the Great Oasis, is seven days' journey from Thebes; and thirty hours, or (1.5 x 2) nearly two days more, are required for reaching the Lesser Oasis; from whence to Ammonium is a journey of eight days, which, allowing two days for passing through the Oases themselves, give just the twenty days re- quisite for performing the distance. There were two roads which led from Thebes to Oasis Magna. The shorter one bearing N. by Abydus, the other bear- ing S. by Latopolis. For the firmer forty-two hours, for the latter fifty-two, were required, to reach the Great Oasis. (Cailliaud, Voyage a VOasis de Thebes, 1813.) The Oasis of Ammonium is about six miles in length, and three in broiidth. The soil is strongly impregnated with salt of a fine quality, whicii was anciently in great request, both for religious purposes and the tables of the Persian kings. (Arrian, ylwai. iii. 41.) But notwithstand- ingits saline ingredients, the ground is abundantly irrigated by water-springs, one of which, " the Fountain of the Sun," attracted the wonder of Hero- dotus, and ancient travellers generally (iv. 181 ; comp. Wilkinson, Mod. Egypt and Thebes, vol. ii. p. 358). It rises in a grove of dates, S. of the Temple of Amnion, and was probably one of those tepid springs, found in other Oases also, the high temperature of which is not observed during the heat of the day, but which, by night, are perceptibly warmer than the surrounding atmosphere. A small brook running from this fountain flows soon into another spring, also arising in the date-grove ; and their united waters run towards the temple, and, probably be- cause their ancient outlets are blocked up, end in a swamp. The vicinity of these brooks confirms the statement of Herodotus, that in Ammonium are many wells of fresh water (iv. 181). The early and high cultivation of this Oasis is still attested by the abundance of its dates, pome- granates, and other fruits. The dates are obtained in vast quantities, and are of very fine flavour. In favourable seasons the whole area of Ammonium is eoveied with this fruit, and the annual produce amounts to from 5000 to 9000 camel-loads of 300 pounds each. Oxen and sheep are bred in con- siderable numbers; but the camel does not thrive in Ammonium, probably because of the dampness of the soil. The inhabitants accordingly do not export their own harvests, but await the caravans which convey them to Aegypt and the Mediterranean ports. {MinutoU, pp. 89, 90, 91, 174, 175, &c.) The pre- sent population of this Oasis is about 8000; but an- ciently, when it was at once the seat of an oracle, the centre of attraction to innumerable pilgrims, and one of the principal stations of the Libyan land- trade, the permanent as well as the casual population must have been much more considerable. The ruins of the Temple of Ammon are found at Ummebeda, sometimes called Birbe, — the Ummesogeir of Horne- mann {Travels, vol. i. p. 106), about 2 miles from the principal village and castle. Its style and arrange- ment bespeak its Aegyptian origin and its ajipropria- tion to the worship of Amfin, the ramheadcd god of OASES. Thebes; yet the buildings (the oracle itself was much older) are probably not earlier than the Persian era of Aegypt. The remains of the Ammonium consist of two parts — a pronaos and a sekos, or sanctuary proper. The walls are entirely composed of hewn stones, obtained from quarries about 2 miles off. The surface of the temple, both within and without, was covered with hieroglyphics emblematic of the story and transfigurations of Zeus-Ammon. The plain surface of the walls was highly coloured : and though many of the sculptures are much defaced, the blue and green colours are still bright. The temple itself was of moderate size, and the cur- tilage or enclosure of the whole is not more than 70 paces in length and 66 in breadth. The population of this Oasis was, in the time of Herodotus (ii. 32), partly Aegyptian and partly Aethiopian, — both nations agreeing in their devotion to Zeus-Ammon. The Greeks, indeed, who must have become acquainted with Ammonium soon after their colonisation of Cyrene in the seventh century B. c put in their claims to a share, at least, in its foundation. According to one tradition, Danaus led a colony thither (Diodor. svii. 50); according to another, its oracle was established contemporaneously with that at Dodona, the most ancient oracle of Greece. (Herod, ii. 54.) The name of the king, Etearchus, mentioned by Herodotus in his story of the Nasamones, if the form be correctly given, has also a Greek aspect. (Herod, ii. 32.) There can be no doubt, however, that Ammonium was peopled from the East, and not by colonists from Europe and the North. At the present day El-Siwah contains four or five towns, of which the principal is Kebir ; and about 2 miles from Kebir is an ancient fortress named Shargieh, old enough to have been occupied by a Roman garrison. (Minutoli, pp. 1 65 — 167). It is governed by its own chiefs or shieks, who pay a small annual tribute to the viceroy of Aegypt. This Oasis, though known to Arabian writers of the thir- teenth century a. d., was first reopened to Europeans by the travels of Browne and Hornemanu in the last century. 2. Proceeding in a SW. direction, and approaching nearer to Aegypt, we come to the Oasis now called El-Farafreh, but of which the ancient name is not recorded. It lay nearly N. of Oasis Minor, at a dis- tance of about 80 miles, and served as an interme- diate station both to Ammonium and Oasis Magna. 3. Oasis Minor ("GaiTir jui/cpa, Ptol. iv. 5. § 37 ; •^ SevTepa, Strab. xvii. p. 813; 0. Minor, A'b^. Imp. Or. c. 143: the modern El-DalckeV), was situated SE. of Ammonium, and nearly due W. of the ciiy of Oxyrynchus and the Arsinoite nome {El-Fyouni), hit. 29° 10' N. Like El-Shvah. the Lesser Oasis contains warm springs, and is well irrigated. Under the Romans it was celebrated for its wheat; but now its chief productions are dates, olives, pomegra- nates, and other fruits. It has a temple and tombs of the Ptolemaic era. The Lesser Oasis is separated from the Greater by a high calcareous ridge, and the station between them was probably at the little temple oi Ain Amour. (Cailliaud, Minutoli, &c.) Oasis Minor seems to be the same with that entitled by some Christian writers (e. g. Palladius, Vit. Chrysost. p. 195) ^ yiiroiv twu MaQKcev, and " Oasa, ubi gens est Mazicorum" (Joann. in Vit. Patru7n. c. 12), the Mazyci of the Regio Marmarica being the people indicated. 4. Oasis Trinytheos. or the Oasis of El-Ba-