Nerd Humour
September 17, 2010 § Leave a comment
I have finally decided to read the foundational text of my discipline/profession, Herodotus’ The Histories. So far, halfway through Book 3, it is a lively and informative read. I’m reading the Penguin Classics version, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt half a century ago in 1954. This edition, published in 2003, was updated and revised by John Marincola of New York University. Anyway. At the start of Book 3, there is an account of the weather in Egypt:
In the reign of his [King Amasis of Egypt] successor Psammenitus, an unparalleled event occurred — rain fell at Thebes, a thing which the men of that city say had never happened before, or has ever happened since till my day. Normally, in upper Egypt no rain falls at all; but on this occasion it did — a light shower.
This causes Marincola to drily observe in the notes: “It does in fact rain in Upper Egypt, but not much.”
Hilarious.
Matthew Barlow 
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