Contents

Nome (Egypt)

Each nome was ruled by a nomarch (Ancient Egyptian: ḥrj tp ꜥꜣ, "Great Chief").^[3] The number of nomes changed through the various periods of the history of ancient Egypt.^[4]

Etymology[edit]

The term nome comes from Ancient Greek νομός, nomós, meaning "district"; the Ancient Egyptian term was sepatorspAt.^[5] Today's use of the Ancient Greek rather than the Ancient Egyptian term came about during the Ptolemaic period, when the use of Greek was widespread in Egypt.^[6] The availability of Greek records on Egypt influenced the adoption of Greek terms by later historians.

History[edit]

Dynastic Egypt[edit]

The division of ancient Egypt into nomes can be traced back to prehistoric Egypt (before 3100 BC). These nomes originally existed as autonomous city-states^{[citation needed]}, but later began to unify. According to ancient tradition, the ruler Menes completed the final unification.^[7]

Not only did the division into nomes remain in place for more than three millennia, the areas of the individual nomes and their ordering remained remarkably stable. Some, like Xois in the Nile DeltaorKhentinUpper Egypt, were first mentioned on the Palermo Stone, which was inscribed in the Fifth Dynasty. The names of a few, like the nome of Bubastis, appeared no earlier than the New Kingdom. Under the system that prevailed for most of pharaonic Egypt's history, the country was divided into 42 nomes.

Lower Egypt nomes[edit]

Lower Egypt (Egyptian: "Ā-meḥty"), from the Old Kingdom capital Memphis to the Mediterranean Sea, comprised 20 nomes. The first was based around Memphis, Saqqara, and Giza, in the area occupied by modern-day Cairo. The nomes were numbered in a more or less orderly fashion south to north through the Nile Delta, first covering the territory on the west before continuing with the higher numbers to the east. Thus, Alexandria was in the Third Nome; Bubastis was in the Eighteenth.

1. White Walls Nome
2. Travellers land
3. Cattle land
4. Southern shield land
5. Northern shield land
6. Mountain bull land
7. West harpoon land
8. East harpoon land
9. Andjety god land
10. Black bull land
11. Heseb bull land
12. Calf and Cow land
13. Prospering Sceptre land
14. Eastmost land
15. Ibis-Tehut land
16. Fish land
17. The throne land
18. Prince of the South land
19. Prince of the North land
20. Sopdu-Plumed Falcon land

Upper Egypt nomes[edit]

Upper Egypt was divided into 22 nomes. The first of these was centered on Elephantine close to Egypt's border with Nubia at the First Cataract – the area of modern-day Aswan. From there the numbering progressed downriver in an orderly fashion along the narrow fertile strip of land that was the Nile valley. Waset (ancient Thebes or contemporary Luxor) was in the Fourth Nome, Amarna in the Fourteenth, and Meidum in the Twenty-first.

1. Bows land
2. Throne of Horus land
3. Shrine land
4. Sceptre land
5. The two falcons land
6. The crocodile land
7. Sistrum land
8. The Great land
9. Min-God land
10. Cobra land
11. Sha-Set animal land
12. Viper mountain land
13. Upper Sycamore and Viper land
14. Lower Sycamore and Viper land
15. Hares land
16. Oryx Nome
17. Anubis land
18. Set land
19. Two Sceptres land
20. Southern Sycamore land
21. Northern Sycamore land
22. Knife land

Ptolemaic Egypt[edit]

Some nomes were added or renamed during the Graeco-Roman occupation of Egypt.^[8] For example, the Ptolemies renamed the Crocodilopolitan nome to Arsinoe. Hadrian created a new nome, Antinoopolites, for which Antinoöpolis was the capital.

Roman Egypt[edit]

The nomes survived into Roman times. Under Roman rule, individual nomes minted their own coinage, the so-called "nome coins", which still reflect individual local associations and traditions. The nomes of Egypt retained their primary importance as administrative units until the fundamental rearrangement of the bureaucracy during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine the Great.

From AD 307/8, their place was taken by smaller units called pagi. Eventually powerful local officials arose who were called pagarchs, through whom all patronage flowed. The pagarch's essential role was as an organizer of tax-collection. Later the pagarch assumed some military functions as well. The pagarchs were often wealthy landowners who reigned over the pagi from which they originated.

Nomarch[edit]

For most of the history, each nome was headed by a nomarch. The position of the nomarch was at times hereditary, while at others they were appointed by the pharaoh. Generally, when the national government was stronger, nomarchs were the king's appointed governors. When the central government was weaker, however—such as during foreign invasions or civil wars—individual nomes would assert themselves and establish hereditary lines of succession.^[4] Conflicts among these different hereditary nomarchies were common, most notably during the First Intermediate Period, a time that saw a breakdown in central authority lasting from the 7th–11th Dynasties which ended when one of the local rulers became strong enough to again assert control over the entire country as pharaoh.

List of nomes[edit]

The nomes (Ancient Egyptian: spꜣt, Coptic: ⲡⲑⲱϣ) are listed in separate tables for "Isti" - "the two Egypts" (Upper and Lower Egypt).

Note:

1. older or other variants of the name in square brackets '[ ]';
2. names vary from different time or era, or even titles, most epithets, honorific titles with a slash '/';
3. Greek-Egypto derived names from the original Egyptian in parentheses '()'

Lower Egypt[edit]

Number	Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman)		Ancient Egyptian Nome Name		Ancient Greek and Coptic Nome Name		Capital	Modern name of capital site	Translation	God
			Known	Variants	Greek	Coptic
1			Inebu-hedj	𓈠 Inebu-hedj	Μεμφίτης Memphites	ⲙⲛⲫⲉ/ ⲉⲕⲉⲡϯⲁ	Ineb-Ḥedjet [ 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 Men-nefer/ Menfe] (Memphis)	Mit Rahina	White Walls	Ptah
2			Khepesh	𓈡 (Khensu)	Λητοπολίτης Letopolites	ⲃⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ	𓐍𓋉𓅓𓊖 Khem [Sekhem/ Iry] (Letopolis)	Ausim	Cow's thigh	Horus
3			Imentet/ Amentet	𓈢 Iment (Ament)	Γυναικοπολίτης Gynaikopolites		I-am/ Imu (Apis)	Kom El Hisn	West	Hathor
4			Nit Resu	𓈣 (Sapi-Res)	Προσωπίτης Prosopites	ⲡϣⲁϯ	Niciu	Zawyet el-Razin
4 (21)			Nit Resu	𓈣 (Sapi-Res)	Φθεμφουθ Phthemphouth		Ptkheka	Tanta	Southern shield	Sobek, Isis, Amun
5			Nit Meḥtet, Nit Meḥetet	𓈤/𓈥 (Sap-Meh)	Σαίτης Saites	ⲥⲁⲓ	𓊃𓅭𓄿𓅱𓊖 Sau/ Zau (Sais)	Sa El Hagar	Northern shield	Neith
6			Khasu'u/ Khasu'wu	𓈦 (Khaset)	Ξοίτης Xoites	ⲥϧⲱⲟⲩ	𓆼𓋴𓅱𓅱𓏏𓊖 Khasu (Xois)	Sakha	Mountain bull	Amun-Ra
7			Ḥui-ges Imenti/ Ḥui-ges Amenti	𓈧 (A-ment)	Μενελαίτης Menelaites		𓂧𓏇𓇌𓊖𓏌𓅃𓏤 (Hermopolis Parva, Metelis)	Damanhur	West harpoon	Hu
8			Ḥui-ges Iabti/ Ḥui-ges Aabti	𓈨 Nefer-Iabti (A-bt)	Ἡροοπολίτης Heroopolites		Thek/ Tjeku / Iset-Tem [= 𓉐𓏤𓏏𓍃𓅓𓏏𓊖 Per-Atum]/ Ān (Heroonpolis, Pithom)	Tell al-Maskhuta	East harpoon	Atum
9			‘Andjeti/ ‘Anedjti	𓈩 (Ati)	Βουσιρίτης Bousirites	ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲩ	𓉐𓏤𓊨𓁹𓎟𓊽𓂧𓅱𓊖 Djed/ Djedu [Iti] (Busiris)	Abu Sir Bara	Andjeti	Osiris
10			Kem-Ur/ Kem-Wer	𓈪 Ka-Ka'm (Ka-khem)	Ἀθριβίτης Athribites	ⲁⲑⲣⲏⲃⲓ	𓉗𓏏𓉐𓇾𓁷𓄣𓊖 Hut-hery-ib (Athribis)	Banha (Tell Atrib)	Black bull	Horus
11			Ḥesbu/ Ḥesebu	𓈫 (Ka-heseb)	Λεοντοπολίτης Leontopolites	ⲛⲁⲑⲱ	Taremu/ Ikhenu (Leontopolis)	Tell el-Muqdam	Heseb bull	Isis
12			Tjeb-Netjer	𓈬 (Theb-ka)	Σεβεννύτης Sebennytes	ϫⲉⲙⲛⲟⲩϯ	𓊹𓍿𓃀𓊖 Tjebnutjer (Sebennytos)	Samanud	Calf and Cow	Anhur
13			Ḥeka-Redj	𓈭 (Heq-At)	Ἡλιοπολίτης Heliopolites	ⲱⲛ	In (Iunu)/ In-meḥ/ Iset-Tem/ Igert, Igertet, Iqert, Iugertet (Heliopolis)	Materiya (suburb of Cairo)	Prospering Sceptre	Ra
14			Khenti-Iabti/ Khenti-Aabti	𓈮 (Khent-abt)	Σεθρωίτης Sethroites		Tjaru/ Dj‘anet (Sile, Tanis)	Tell Abu Sefa	Eastmost/ Foremost of the East	Horus
15			Djeḥuti	𓈯 (Tehut)	Μενδήσιος Mendesios	ⲛⲓⲙⲉϣϣⲱⲧ	Ba'h / Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva)	Baqliya	Djehuti (Thoth)/ Ibis	Thoth
16			Ḥat Meḥit	𓈰 (Kha)	Μενδήσιος Mendesios	ⲛⲓⲙⲉϣϣⲱⲧ	Djedet/ Ā'atjaba (Mendes)	Tell El Rubˁ	Fish/ Foremost of the Fish	Banebdjedet and Hatmehyt
17			Beḥdet/ Beḥedet	𓈱/𓈲 Sma-Beḥut (Sema-Beḥut)	Διοπολίτης Κάτω Diospolites Kato	ⲡⲟⲩⲛⲉⲙⲟⲩ	Semabehdet (Diospolis Inferior)	Tel El Balamun	The Throne/ Throne of Horus of Behdet	Amun-Ra
18			Imty Khenti/ Amty Khenti	𓈳 Im-Khent (Am-Khent)	Βουβαστίτης Boubastites	ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ	Per-Bastet (Bubastis)	Tell Bastah (near Zagazig)	Prince of the South	Bastet
19			Imty Peḥu/ Amty Peḥu	𓈴 Im-Peḥ (Am-Peḥu)	Τανίτης Tanites	ϫⲁⲛⲏ	Dja'net (Leontopolis Tanis)	Tell Nebesha or San El Hagar	Prince of the North	Uatchet
20			Sepdju/ Sepedju	𓈵 Sep-d (Sopdu)	Ἀραβία Arabia	ϯⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ	Per-Sopdu	Saft El Hinna	Plumed Falcon/ Sepdju	Sopdet

Upper Egypt[edit]

Number	Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman)		Ancient Egyptian Nome Name		Capital	Modern Capital	Translation	God
			Known	Variants
1			Ta-Seti	𓈶 𓈶(Ta-Seti)	𓍋𓃀𓃰𓅱𓎶𓈊 Abu / Yeb [Yb] (Elephantine)	Sunnu/ Irp-Ḥesp (Aswan)	Land of the bow	Khnum
2			Wetjes-Ḥer	𓈷 (Wetjes-Hor)	𓌥𓃀𓊖 Djeba (Apollonopolis Magna)	Ineb/ Iset-Unep/ Iset-en-Rā/ Iset-Neterui/ Iset-Ḥeq/ Iset-Khnem-Iten/ Iset-Sekhen-en-Ḥeru-Iakhuti/ Iset-Shu/ Isebt/ Ā'ay-t-en-Beḥud/ Ā'a-t-enty-Ā'ap (Edfu)	Throne of Horus	Horus-Behdety
3			Nekhen	𓈸 (Nekhen)	Nekhen (Hierakonpolis)	Elkab	Shrine	Nekhebet
4			Waset/ Uaset	𓈹 Uas (Uaset/ Waset)	Niwt-rst / Waset [Ir-t Rā/ Iset-Sekhenu-en-Ākhemu/ Ānkh] (Thebes)	Luxor	Sceptre	Amun-Ra
5			Netjerui	𓈺 (Herui)	𓎤𓃀𓅂𓊖 Gebtu/ Iter-Shemā (Coptos)	Qift	The two falcons	Min
6			Meseḥ/ Mes-ḥ	𓈻 (Iqer)	In/ In-en-P'teḥ/ In-en-Nut/ In-Ta-Neferet/ Iset-Au-Ib/ Iset-Au-Ib-enti-Neteru-Nebu/ Iset-Iabes-Ḥet-Ḥer/ Iset-Iset-em-Khet-Ḥā-s/ Iset-urt-en-Ḥem-Ḥeru-Iakhuty/ Iset-Per-Ḥet-Ḥer-Kher-Menu/ Iset-Per-Seshem-en-Ḥet-Ḥer-Ureth-Nebt-Tawy-Im/ Iset-Peṣis-Ta/ Iset-Pesh-Nebty/ Iset-M'as-Menu-ent-Ḥet-Ḥer-Imṣ/ Iset-M'as-Snef-sa/ Iset-Meskhenet-en-Iset/ Iset-enth-Mut-Ḥeru/ Iset-ent-Rā-Ḥeru-Iakhuti/ Iset-enth-Ḥemt-Nesu/ Iset-ent-Ḥet-Ḥer-Nebt-In/ Iset-Hy/ Isut-Ḥeru/ Iset-Ḥeḥ/ Iset-Khadbut-em-Āq-en-Netert-Ten/ Iset-Sekhem-Ānkh-en-Neter/ Iset-Shātu-Menu-en-Neb-In-Im-ṣ/ Iset-Shepset-Ḥent-Neterit/ Iset-Qen-Ḥeru-em-Baḥ-Mutef-Iset/ Iset-Tekh/ Iset-Tekh-ent-Ḥeru-Iakhuti/ Iset-Djeser/ Ān-Ḥer/ Iunet (Tantere/ Tentyra/ Dendera)	In/ In-en-P'teḥ/ In-en-Nut/ In-Ta-Neferet/ Iset-Au-Ib/ Iset-Au-Ib-enti-Neteru-Nebu/ Iset-Iabes-Ḥet-Ḥer/ Iset-Iset-em-Khet-Ḥā-s/ Iset-urt-en-Ḥem-Ḥeru-Iakhuty/ Iset-Per-Ḥet-Ḥer-Kher-Menu/ Iset-Per-Seshem-en-Ḥet-Ḥer-Ureth-Nebt-Tawy-Im/ Iset-Peṣis-Ta/ Iset-Pesh-Nebty/ Iset-M'as-Menu-ent-Ḥet-Ḥer-Imṣ/ Iset-M'as-Snef-sa/ Iset-Meskhenet-en-Iset/ Iset-enth-Mut-Ḥeru/ Iset-ent-Rā-Ḥeru-Iakhuti/ Iset-enth-Ḥemt-Nesu/ Iset-ent-Ḥet-Ḥer-Nebt-In/ Iset-en-Sek-Djet/ Iset-Hy/ Isut-Ḥeru/ Iset-Ḥeḥ/ Iset-Khadbut-em-Āq-en-Netert-Ten/ Iset-Sekhem-Ānkh-en-Neter/ Iset-Shātu-Menu-en-Neb-In-Im-ṣ/ Iset-Shepset-Ḥent-Neterit/ Iset-Qen-Ḥeru-em-Baḥ-Mutef-Iset/ Iset-Tekh/ Iset-Tekh-ent-Ḥeru-Iakhuti/ Iset-Djeser/ Ān-Ḥer/ Iunet (Tantere/ Tentyra/ Dendera)	The crocodile	Hathor
7			Bat	𓈼 (Seshesh)	Seshesh/ Pa-Khen-Iment/ Uas-Meḥ (Diospolis Parva)	Hu	Sistrum	Hathor
8			Ta-Wer/ Ta-Ur	𓈽 Ta-wer	Thinis		Great land	Anhur
9			Menu/ Minu	𓈾 (Min)	Ip/ Ipi/ Ipu/ Apu/ [later: Khen-Min, perhaps another name for "Khemenu"]/ Ārty-Ḥeru (Panopolis)	Akhmim	Min	Min
10			Wadjyt/ Uadjyt	𓈿/𓉀 Uadj (Wadjet)	Djew-qa / Tjebu (Antaeopolis)	Qaw El Kebir	Cobra	Hathor
11			Sha	𓉁/𓉂 (Set)	Shashotep (Hypselis)	Shutb	The creature associated with Set	Khnum
12			Dju-fet	𓉃 (Tu-ph)	Pr nmty (Hieracon)	al Atawla	Viper mountain	Horus
13			Nedjfet Khentet/ Nedjefet Khentet	𓉄 (Atef-Khent)	Zawty (z3wj-tj, Lycopolis)	Asyut	Upper Sycamore and Viper	Apuat
14			Nedjfet Peḥtet/ Nedjefet Peḥtet	𓉅 (Atef-Peḥu)	Qesy (Cusae)	El Qusiya	Lower Sycamore and Viper	Hathor
15			Wenet/ Uenet/ Unit	𓉆 (Wenet)	Khemenu (Hermopolis Magna)	El Ashmounein	Hare[9]	Thoth
16			Ma-Ḥedj	𓉇 (Ma-hedj)	Herwer?	Hur?	Oryx[9]	Horus
17			Input	𓉈 Inpu (Anpu)	Saka (Cynopolis)	El Qais	Anubis	Anubis
18			Nemti	𓉉/𓉊 (Sep)	Teudjoi / Hutnesut (Alabastronopolis)	El Hiba	Set	Anubis
19			Wabwi/ Uabwi/ Uabui	𓉋 (Uab)	Per-Medjed/ Per-Mādjet/ Uabu-t (Oxyrhynchus)	El Bahnasa	Two Sceptres	Set
20			N‘art Khentet/ N‘aret Khentet	𓉌 (Atef-Khent)	Henen-nesut (Herakleopolis Magna)	Ihnasiya	Southern Sycamore	Heryshaf
21			N‘art Peḥtet/ N‘aret Peḥtet	𓉍 (Atef-Peḥu)	Shenakhen / Semenuhor/ Ium'ā (Crocodilopolis, Arsinoe)	Faiyum	Northern Sycamore	Khnemu
22			Mednit/ Medenit	𓉎/𓉏 (Maten)	𓁶𓏤𓃒𓏪𓊖 Tepihu (Aphroditopolis)	Atfih	Knife	Hathor

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

BIbliography[edit]

• Bagnall, Roger S. (1996), Egypt in Late Antiquity, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
• Bowman, Alan K. (1990), Egypt after the Pharaohs, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

External links[edit]

Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article "Nome (Egypt)".

• Details of the nomes