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God commanded the waters to be gathered into one collection. But to say "one collection" does not mean that they were gathered into one place; -for behold, after this it says: "And the gatherings of the waters He called seas,"- but the word indicated that the waters were made to be together by themselves, separated from the land. Therefore, the waters were gathered "into their collections, and the dry land appeared." From this the two seas which surround Egypt (for it lies between the two seas) were formed, having different seas and mountains and islands and bays and harbors and containing various gulfs, and both shores and coasts -for a shore is called that which is sandy, but a coast is that which is rocky and deep near the shore, that is, which has depth immediately at its beginning- , likewise also the one in the east, which is called the Indian, and the northern one, which is called the Caspian; and the lakes were also gathered from this. The Ocean, then, is like a river encircling the whole earth, concerning which, as it seems to me, Scripture has said that "a river goes out of paradise" having drinkable and sweet water. This supplies water to the seas, which, remaining for a time in the seas and standing motionless, becomes bitter, as the sun always draws up the finer part, and from the water spouts, whence also the clouds are formed and the rains come to be, as the water is sweetened through filtration. This is also divided into four heads, that is, into four rivers. "The name of the one is Pishon," that is, the Indian Ganges. "And the name of the other is Gihon"; this is the Nile which comes down from Ethiopia into Egypt. And the name of the third is Tigris. And the name of the fourth is Euphrates. There are also many other very great rivers, some of which empty into the sea, while others are used up in the land. Yet the whole earth is also porous and cavernous, having as it were certain veins, through which, receiving the waters from the sea, it sends forth springs. The water of the springs, then, becomes according to the quality of the earth. For the seawater is filtered through the earth and thus is sweetened. But if the place from which the spring issues should happen to be bitter or salty, the water is also brought forth according to the earth. And often the water, being confined and bursting forth with force, is heated, and from this naturally hot waters are brought forth. By the divine command, therefore, hollows were made in the earth, and thus the waters were gathered into their collections; from this also the mountains were made. Therefore God commanded the water first to bring forth a living soul, since He was about to renew man through water and the Holy Spirit which in the beginning was borne over the waters; for the divine Basil said this. And it brought forth animals both small and great, sea monsters, dragons, fish creeping in the waters, and winged birds. Through the birds, therefore, water and earth and air are joined together; for they came from the waters, but they live on the land and fly in the air. Water is a most beautiful element, and very useful, and a purification of filth, not only of the body, but also of the soul, if it should receive the grace of the Spirit. Concerning the seas The Hellespont succeeds the Aegean Sea, ending at Abydos and Sestos; then the Propontis, ending at Chalcedon and Byzantium; where the straits are, from which the Pontus begins; then the Maeotian Lake. Again, from the beginning of Europe and Libya, the Iberian from the Pillars to the Pyrenees mountain; the Ligurian to the borders of Tyrrhenia; the Sardinian above Sardinia, extending down towards Libya; the Tyrrhenian ending at Sicily, beginning from the borders of Liguria; then the Libyan; then the Cretan and Sicilian and Ionian and Adriatic, and that which is poured out from the Sicilian sea, which they call the Corinthian Gulf, or the Alcyonian Sea. The sea contained by Sunium and Scyllaeum is the Saronic; then the Myrtoan and Icarian, in which are the Cyclades; then the Carpathian and Pamphylian. and Egyptian. Above the Icarian next is poured out the Aegean. The coastal voyage of Europe from the mouths of the Tanais river to the Pillars of Hercules is stadia ϛ&, θψθʹ; and of Libya

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θεὸς συναχθῆναι τὰ ὕδατα εἰς συναγωγὴν μίαν. Τὸ δὲ «μίαν συναγωγὴν» λέγειν οὐ δηλοῖ τὸ ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ συναχθῆναι αὐτά· -ἰδοὺ γὰρ μετὰ ταῦτά φησι· «Καὶ τὰ συστήματα τῶν ὑδάτων ἐκάλεσε θαλάσσας», -ἀλλὰ τὸ ὁμοῦ καθ' ἑαυτὰ κεχωρισμένα τῆς γῆς γενέσθαι τὰ ὕδατα ὁ λόγος ἐδήλωσε. Συνήχθησαν τοίνυν τὰ ὕδατα «εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὤφθη ἡ ξηρά». Ἐντεῦθεν αἱ δύο θάλασσαι αἱ τὴν Αἴγυπτον περιέχουσαι (μέση γὰρ αὕτη τῶν δύο κεῖται θαλασσῶν) συνέστησαν, διάφορα πελάγη καὶ ὄρη καὶ νήσους καὶ ἀγκῶνας καὶ λιμένας ἔχουσαι καὶ κόλπους διαφόρους περιέχουσαι αἰγιαλούς τε καὶ ἀκτάς-αἰγιαλὸς μὲν γὰρ ὁ ψαμμώδης λέγεται, ἀκτὴ δὲ ἡ πετρώδης καὶ ἀγχιβαθὴς ἤτοι ἡ εὐθέως ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ βάθος ἔχουσα- , ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολήν, ἥτις λέγεται Ἰνδική, καὶ ἡ βορεινή, ἥτις λέγεται Κασπία· καὶ αἱ λίμναι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν συνήχθησαν. Ἔστιν οὖν ὁ μὲν Ὠκεανὸς οἷόν τις ποταμὸς κυκλῶν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, περὶ οὗ εἴρηκεν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, ἡ γραφή, ὅτι «ποταμὸς ἐκπορεύεται ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου» πότιμον καὶ γλυκὺ ὕδωρ ἔχων. Οὗτος χορηγεῖ τὸ ὕδωρ ταῖς θαλάσσαις, ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς θαλάσσαις χρονίζον καὶ ἑστὼς ἀκίνητον πικρὸν γίνεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀεὶ τὸ λεπτότερον ἀνιμωμένου καὶ τῶν σιφώνων, ὅθεν καὶ τὰ νέφη συνίστανται καὶ οἱ ὄμβροι γίνονται διὰ τῆς διηθήσεως γλυκαινομένου τοῦ ὕδατος. Οὗτος καὶ εἰς τέσσαρας ἀρχὰς ἤτοι εἰς τέσσαρας ποταμοὺς διαιρεῖται. «Ὄνομα τῷ ἑνὶ Φεισών», τουτέστι Γάγγης ὁ Ἰνδικός. «Καὶ ὄνομα τῷ ἄλλῳ Γηών»· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Νεῖλος ὁ ἀπὸ Αἰθιοπίας εἰς Αἴγυπτον κατερχόμενος. Καὶ ὄνομα τῷ τρίτῳ Τίγρις. Καὶ ὄνομα τῷ τετάρτῳ Εὐφράτης. Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι καὶ μέγιστοι ποταμοί, ὧν οἱ μὲν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν κενοῦνται, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἀναλίσκονται. Ὅμως καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ διάτρητός ἐστι καὶ ὑπόνομος ὥσπερ τινὰς φλέβας ἔχουσα, δι' ὧν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης δεχομένη τὰ ὕδατα τὰς πηγὰς ἀνίησι. Πρὸς οὖν τὴν ποιότητα τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸ τῶν πηγῶν ὕδωρ γίνεται. ∆ιηθεῖται μὲν γὰρ διὰ τῆς γῆς τὸ θαλάττιον ὕδωρ καὶ οὕτω γλυκαίνεται. Εἰ δὲ ὁ τόπος, ὅθεν ἡ πηγὴ ἀναδίδοται, τύχοι πικρὸς ἢ ἁλμυρός, πρὸς τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀνάγεται. Στενούμενον δὲ πολλάκις τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ βίᾳ ῥηγνύμενον θερμαίνεται, κἀντεῦθεν τὰ αὐτοφυῆ θερμὰ ἀνάγονται ὕδατα. Τῷ οὖν θείῳ προστάγματι κοιλώματα ἐν τῇ γῇ γεγόνασι, καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν συνήχθη τὰ ὕδατα· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τὰ ὄρη γεγόνασι. Πρώτῳ τοίνυν τῷ ὕδατι προσέταξεν ὁ θεὸς ἐξαγαγεῖν ψυχὴν ζῶσαν, ἐπειδὴ ἤμελλε δι' ὕδατος καὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐπιφερομένου τοῖς ὕδασιν ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀνακαινίζειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ θεῖος ἔφη Βασίλειος. Ἐξήγαγε δὲ ζῷα μικρά τε καὶ μεγάλα, κήτη, δράκοντας, ἰχθύας ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν ἕρποντας καὶ πετεινὰ πτερωτά. ∆ιὰ τῶν πετεινῶν οὖν συνάπτεται τό τε ὕδωρ καὶ ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ ἀήρ· ἐξ ὑδάτων μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα γέγονεν, ἐν τῇ γῇ δὲ διατρίβει καὶ ἐν ἀέρι ἵπταται. Κάλλιστον δὲ στοιχεῖον τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πολύχρηστον καὶ ῥύπου καθάρσιον, μόνον μὲν σωματικοῦ, καὶ ψυχικοῦ δέ, εἰ προσλάβοι τὴν χάριν τοῦ πνεύματος. Περὶ πελαγῶν ∆ιαδέχεται τὸ Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος Ἑλλήσποντος λῆγον εἰς Ἄβυδον καὶ Σηστόν· εἶτα ἡ Προποντὶς λήγουσα εἰς Χαλκηδόνα καὶ Βυζάντιον· ἔνθα τὰ στενά, ἀφ' ὧν ὁ Πόντος ἄρχεται· εἶτα ἡ Μαιῶτις λίμνη. Πάλιν δὲ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς Εὐρώπης καὶ Λιβύης Ἰβηρικὸν τὸ ἀπὸ Στηλῶν εἰς Πυρήνην τὸ ὄρος· Λιγυστικὸν δὲ τὸ ἕως τῶν τῆς Τυρρηνίας περάτων· Σαρδώνιον δὲ τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν Σαρδὼ νεῦον πρὸς τὴν Λιβύην κάτω· Τυρρηνικὸν δὲ τὸ μέχρι Σικελίας λῆγον, ἀρχόμενον ἀπὸ Λιγυστικῆς ἄκρων· εἶτα Λιβυκόν· εἶτα Κρητικὸν καὶ Σικελικὸν καὶ Ἰώνιον καὶ Ἄδριον, τὸ δὲ ἀνακεχυμένον ἐκ τοῦ Σικελικοῦ πελάγους, ὃν καλοῦσιν Κορινθιακὸν κόλπον ἤτοι Ἀλκυονίδα θάλασσαν. Τῷ δὲ Σουνίῳ καὶ Σκυλλαίῳ περιεχόμενον πέλαγος Σαρωνικόν· εἶτα Μυρτῷον καὶ Ἰκάριον, ἐν ᾧ αἱ Κυκλάδες· εἶτα Καρπάθιον καὶ Παμφύλιον. καὶ Αἰγύπτιον. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τὸ Ἰκάριον ἑξῆς ἀναχεῖται τὸ Αἰγαῖον. Ἔστι δὲ ὁ τῆς Εὐρώπης παράπλους ἀπὸ Τανάιδος ποταμοῦ ἐκβολῶν ἕως Ἡρακλέους στηλῶν στάδια ϛ&, θψθʹ· τῆς δὲ Λιβύης