But that Myos Hormos was the great point of communication with Coptus is
evident from the account which Agatharcides gives of the caravan road
between these two places. Even so late as the time of Strabo, this road was
much more frequented than the road between Coptus and Berenice: of the
latter he merely observes, that Philadelphus opened it with his army,
established ports, and sunk Wells; whereas he particularly describes the
former road, as being seven or eight days' journey, formerly performed on
camels in the night, by observation of the stars, and carrying water with
them. Latterly, he adds, deep wells had been sunk, and cisterns formed for
holding water. Every detail of the road to Berenice is Roman, and relates
to periods considerably posterior to the conquest of Egypt by the Romans--a
proof that the plan of Philadelphus, of substituting Berenice for Myos
Hormos, had not been regularly adopted by his successors, nor till the
Romans had firmly and permanently fixed themselves in Egypt.
In the extract we have already given from Agatharcides respecting Arabia,
he expressly mentions that the Gerrheans and Sabeans are the centre of all
the commerce that passes between Asia and Europe, and that these are the
nations which have enriched the Ptolemais: this statement, taken in
conjunction with the fact that his description of the coast of the Red Sea
reaches no farther than Sabaea on the one side, and Ptolemais Theron on the
other, seems decisive of the truth of the opinion, that in the time of
Philometor the Egyptians did not trade directly to India.
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