HEROO´POLIS
HEROO´POLIS (
Ἠοώων πόλις or
Ἡρώ, Strab.
[p. 1.1062]16.759, 768, 17.803, 804; Arrian, Exp. Alex. 3.5, 7.20; Joseph. Ant. Jud. 2.7.5;
Plin. Nat. 5.9.11,
6.32.33; Mela, 3.8; Steph. B: s. v.;
Ptol. 2.1.6,
4.15.54), a city east of the Delta, situated near the mouth of the Royal Canal which connected the Nile with the Red Sea. Although not immediately upon the coast, but nearly due N. of the Bitter Lakes, Heroöpolis was of sufficient importance, as a trading station, to confer its name upon the arm of the Red Sea (
Ἡρωοπολίτης κόλπος, Ptol. 5.17.1) which runs up the Egyptian mainland as far as Arsinoë (
Suez) (
κόλπος Ἡρώων). (Theophrast.
Hist. Plant. 3.8.)
It was the capital of the Nomos Heroöpolites or Arsinoites. (Orelli,
Inscr. Lat. no. 516.)
The ruins of Heroöpolis are still visible at
Abu-Keyscheid. (Champollion,
L'Egypte, vol. ii. p. 88.)
[
W.B.D]
