It Became Necessary, Therefore, In Order To Draw It From Tyre And
To Secure Its Centering In Alexandria, To Extend The Facilities And
Advantages Of This City For This Traffic.
With this view, Ptolemy sent
travellers to penetrate into the interior of his dominions, bordering on
the Red Sea, by land, while his fleet was exploring the coast:
He began to
make a canal, 100 cubits broad and 30 deep, between Arsinoe on the Red Sea,
and the eastern branch of the Nile, in order to complete a
water-communication between India and Alexandria. This canal, however, was
never completed; probably on account of the tedious and difficult
navigation towards the northern extremity of the Red Sea. He therefore
altered his plan, and instead of Arsinoe fixed on Myos Hormos, as the port
from which the navigation to India should commence. The same reason which
induced him to form this port; led him afterwards to the establishment of
Berenice; he was farther led to this, as Berenice was lower down in the Red
Sea, and consequently ships sailing from it reached the ocean sooner and
with less difficulty. It appears, however, that till the Romans conquered
Egypt, the greatest portion of the trade between Alexandria and
[Egypt->India] was carried on through Myos Hormos. The route in the time of
Ptolemy and his successors was as follows: vessels passed up the Canopic
branch of the Nile to Memphis, and thence to Coptus; from Coptus the goods
were transported in caravans to Myos Hormos:
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