# Nome (Egypt)

A nome (/noʊm/, from Ancient Greek: νομός, nomós, "district") was a territorial division in ancient Egypt.
Each nome was ruled by a nomarch (Ancient Egyptian: ḥrj tp ꜥꜣ, "Great Chief"). The number of nomes changed through the various periods of the history of ancient Egypt.

## Etymology

The term nome comes from Ancient Greek νομός nomós meaning "pasture" extended to "dwelling" and "district"; the Ancient Egyptian term was spꜣt (pronounced /sɛpɑt/). 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. The availability of Greek records on Egypt influenced the adoption of Greek terms by later historians.

## History
### Dynastic Egypt

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, but later began to unify. According to ancient tradition, the ruler Menes completed the final unification.
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 Delta or Khent in Upper 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

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.
* White Walls Nome
* Travellers land
* Cattle land
* Southern shield land
* Northern shield land
* Mountain bull land
* West harpoon land
* East harpoon land
* Andjety god land
* Black bull land
* Heseb bull land
* Calf and Cow land
* Prospering Sceptre land
* Eastmost land
* Ibis-Tehut land
* Fish land
* The throne land
* Prince of the South land
* Prince of the North land
* Sopdu-Plumed Falcon land

#### Upper Egypt nomes

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.
* Bows land
* Throne of Horus land
* Shrine land
* Sceptre land
* The two falcons land
* The crocodile land
* Sistrum land
* The Great land
* Min-God land
* Cobra land
* Sha-Set animal land
* Viper mountain land
* Upper Sycamore and Viper land
* Lower Sycamore and Viper land
* Hares land
* Oryx Nome
* Anubis land
* Set land
* Two Sceptres land
* Southern Sycamore land
* Northern Sycamore land
* Knife land

### Ptolemaic Egypt

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

#### Roman Egypt

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

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. 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

The nomes (Ancient Egyptian: spꜣt sepat, Coptic: ⲡⲑⲱϣ) are listed in separate tables for "Isti" - "the two Egypts" (Upper and Lower Egypt).
Note:
* older or other variants of the name in square brackets '[ ]';
* names vary from different time or era, or even titles, most epithets, honorific titles with a slash '/';
* Greek-Egypto derived names from the original Egyptian in parentheses ''

### Lower Egypt

| Number | Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman) | Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman) | Ancient Egyptian Nome Name | Ancient Egyptian Nome Name | Ancient Greek and Coptic Nome Name | Ancient Greek and Coptic Nome Name | Capital | Modern name of capital site | God |
| Number | Image | Unicode | Transliteration | Translation | Greek | Coptic | Capital | Modern name of capital site | God |
| 1 | | 𓈠 | jnb-ḥḏ Inebu-hedj | White Walls | Μεμφίτης Memphites | ⲙⲛⲫⲉ/ ⲉⲕⲉⲡϯⲁ | jnb-ḥḏ Ineb-Ḥedj ( 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 mn-nfr Mennefer) (Memphis) | Mit Rahina | Ptah |
| 2 | Khensu | 𓈡 | ḫpš Khepesh | Cow's thigh | Λητοπολίτης Letopolites | ⲃⲟⲩϣⲏⲙ | 𓐍𓋉𓅓𓊖 ḫm Khem [Sekhem/ Iry] (Letopolis) | Ausim | Horus |
| 3 | Iment (Ament) | 𓈢 | jmntt Imentet/Amentet | West | Γυναικοπολίτης Gynaikopolites | | I-am/ Imu (Apis) | Kom El Hisn | Hathor |
| 4 | | 𓈣 | nt-rsj/nt-rsw Nit Resy/Nit Resu | Southern Neith | Προσωπίτης Prosopites | ⲡϣⲁϯ | Niciu | Zawyet el-Razin | |
| 4 (21) | Sapi-Res | 𓈣 | nt-rsj/rsw Nit Resy/Resu | Southern Neith | Φθεμφουθ Phthemphouth | | Ptkheka | Tanta | Sobek, Isis, Amun |
| 5 | Sap-MehSap-MehSap-Meh | 𓈤/𓈥 | nt-mḥtt Nit Meḥtet | Northern Neith | Σαίτης Saites | ⲥⲁⲓ | 𓊃𓅭𓄿𓅱𓊖 zꜣw Sau/ Zau (Sais) | Sa El Hagar | Neith |
| 6 | Khaset | 𓈦 | ḫꜣsww Khasuu | Mountain bull | Ξοίτης Xoites | ⲥϧⲱⲟⲩ | 𓆼𓋴𓅱𓅱𓏏𓊖 ḫꜣsww Khasu (Xois) | Sakha | Amun-Ra |
| 7 | A-ment | 𓈧 | ḥww-(gs)-jmnty Huu-(ges)-Imenti | West harpoon | Μενελαίτης Menelaites | | 𓂧𓏇𓇌𓊖𓏌𓅃𓏤 (Hermopolis Parva, Metelis) | Damanhur | Hu |
| 8 | Nefer-Iabti | 𓈨 | ḥww-(gs)-jꜣbty Huu-(ges)-Iabty | East harpoon | Ἡροοπολίτης Heroopolites | | Thek/ Tjeku / Iset-Tem 𓉐𓏤𓏏𓍃𓅓𓏏𓊖 pr-jtmw Per-Atum/ Ān (Heroonpolis, Pithom) | Tell al-Maskhuta | Atum |
| 9 | Ati | 𓈩 | ꜥnḏty Andjety | Andjety | Βουσιρίτης Bousirites | ⲡⲁⲛⲁⲩ | 𓉐𓏤𓊨𓁹𓎟𓊽𓂧𓅱𓊖 ḏdw Djedu (Busiris) | Abu Sir Bara | Osiris |
| 10 | Ka-Khem | 𓈪 | km-wr/kꜣ-km Kem-Wer/Ka-kem | Black bull | Ἀθριβίτης Athribites | ⲁⲑⲣⲏⲃⲓ | 𓉗𓏏𓉐𓇾𓁷𓄣𓊖 Hut-hery-ib (Athribis) | Banha (Tell Atrib) | Horus |
| 11 | Ka-Heseb | 𓈫 | (kꜣ)-ḥsb (Ka)-Heseb | Heseb bull | Λεοντοπολίτης Leontopolites | ⲛⲁⲑⲱ | Taremu/ Ikhenu (Leontopolis) | Tell el-Muqdam | Isis |
| 12 | Tjeb-Ka | 𓈬 | ṯb-kꜣ/ṯb-nṯr Tjeb-Ka/Tjeb-Netjer | Calf and Cow | Σεβεννύτης Sebennytes | ϫⲉⲙⲛⲟⲩϯ | 𓊹𓍿𓃀𓊖 ṯb-nṯr (Tjeb netjer) (Sebennytos) | Samanud | Anhur |
| 13 | Heq-At | 𓈭 | ḥqꜣ-ꜥḏ Heka-Adj | Prospering Sceptre | Ἡλιοπολίτης Heliopolites | ⲱⲛ | jwnw (Iunu)/ In-meḥ/ Iset-Tem/ Igert, Igertet, Iqert, Iugertet (Heliopolis) | Materiya (suburb of Cairo) | Ra |
| 14 | Khent-Abt | 𓈮 | ḫnty-jꜣbty Khenti-Iabti | Foremost of the East | Σεθρωίτης Sethroites | | Tjaru/ Dj'anet (Sile, Tanis) | Tell Abu Sefa | Horus |
| 15 | Djehuti | 𓈯 | ḏḥwty Djeḥuti | Thoth | Μενδήσιος Mendesios | ⲛⲓⲙⲉϣϣⲱⲧ | Ba'h / Weprehwy (Hermopolis Parva) | Baqliya | Thoth |
| 16 | Kha | 𓈰 | ḥꜣt-mḥyt Hatmehyt | Fish/ Foremost of the Fish | Μενδήσιος Mendesios | ⲛⲓⲙⲉϣϣⲱⲧ | Djedet/ Ā'atjaba (Mendes) | Tell El Rubˁ | Banebdjedet and Hatmehyt |
| 17 | Sema-Beḥut Sema-Beḥut | 𓈱/𓈲 | bḥdt/smꜣ-bḥdt Behdet/Sema-Behdet | Throne/ Uniting the throne? | Διοπολίτης Κάτω Diospolites Kato | ⲡⲟⲩⲛⲉⲙⲟⲩ | Sema-behdet (Diospolis Inferior) | Tel El Balamun | Amun-Ra |
| 18 | Im-Khent | 𓈳 | jmty-ḫnty Imty Khenti | Southern Prince | Βουβαστίτης Boubastites | ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ | Per-Bastet (Bubastis) | Tell Bastah (near Zagazig) | Bastet |
| 19 | Im-Peḥ | 𓈴 | jmty-pḥw Imty Pehu | Northern Prince | Τανίτης Tanites | ϫⲁⲛⲏ | Dja'net (Leontopolis Tanis) | Tell Nebesha or San El Hagar | Wadjet |
| 20 | Sep-d | 𓈵 | spdw Sopdu | Sopdu | Ἀραβία Arabia | ϯⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ | Per-Sopdu | Saft El Hinna | Sopdet |

### Upper Egypt

| Number | Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman) | Nome Standard (Symbol on top of head of man or woman) | Ancient Egyptian Nome Name | Ancient Egyptian Nome Name | Capital | Modern Capital | God |
| Number | Image | Unicode | Transliteration | Translation | Capital | Modern Capital | God |
| 1 | Ta-Seti | 𓈶 | tꜣ-sty Ta-Seti | Land of the bow | 𓍋𓃀𓃰𓅱𓎶𓈊 Abu / Yeb [Yb] (Elephantine) | Sunnu/ Irp-Ḥesp (Aswan) | Khnum |
| 2 | Wetjes-Her | 𓈷 | wṯs-ḥrw Wetjes-Hor | Throne of Horus | 𓌥𓃀𓊖 Djeba (Apollonopolis Magna) | Behdet/Wetjes-Hor (Edfu) | Horus-Behdety |
| 3 | Nekhen | 𓈸 | nḫn Nekhen | Shrine | Nekhen (Hierakonpolis) | Elkab | Nekhebet |
| 4 | Uas (Uaset/ Waset) | 𓈹 | wꜣst Waset | Waset (Thebes) | Luxor | Sceptre | Amun-Ra |
| 5 | Herui | 𓈺 | bjkwy/nṯrwy/ḥrwy Bikuy/Netjerui/Herui | Two falcons/Two gods/Two Horuses | 𓎤𓃀𓅂𓊖 Gebtu/ Iter-Shemā (Coptos) | Qift | Min |
| 6 | Iqer Iqer | 𓈻 | jqr/msḥ Iqer/Meseh | The crocodile | Iunet (Tantere/ Tentyra/ Dendera) | Tantere/ Tentyra/ Dendera | Hathor |
| 7 | Seshesh | 𓈼 | bꜣt/sšš Bat/Seshesh | Bat/Sistrum | Seshesh/ Pa-Khen-Iment/ Uas-Meḥ (Diospolis Parva) | Hu | Hathor |
| 8 | Ta-wer | 𓈽 | tꜣ-wr Ta-wer | Great land | Thinis | | Anhur |
| 9 | Min | 𓈾 | mnw Min | Min | Ip/ Ipi/ Ipu/ Apu/ [later: Khen-Min, perhaps another name for "Khemenu"]/ Ārty-Ḥeru (Panopolis) | Akhmim | Min |
| 10 | Uadj (Wadjet)Uadj (Wadjet) | 𓈿/𓉀 | wꜣḏyt Wadjet | Wadjet | Djew-qa / Tjebu (Antaeopolis) | Qaw El Kebir | Hathor |
| 11 | Set Set | 𓉁/𓉂 | šꜣ Sha | Set-animal | Shashotep (Hypselis) | Shutb | Khnum |
| 12 | Ta-wer | 𓉃 | ḏw-ft Dju-fet | Viper mountain | Pr nmty (Hieracon) | al Atawla | Horus |
| 13 | Ta-wer | 𓉄 | ꜣtf ḫntt/nḏft-ḫntt Atef Khentet/ Nedjefet Khentet | Southern ꜣtf/nḏft-Tree | Zawty (z3wj-tj, Lycopolis) | Asyut | Apuat |
| 14 | Ta-wer | 𓉅 | ꜣtf-pḥt/nḏft-pḥt Atef Peht/Nedjfet Peht | Northern ꜣtf/nḏft-Tree | Qesy (Cusae) | El Qusiya | Hathor |
| 15 | Ta-wer | 𓉆 | wnt Wenet | Hare | Khemenu (Hermopolis Magna) | El Ashmounein | Thoth |
| 16 | Ta-wer | 𓉇 | mꜣ-ḥḏ Ma-Ḥedj | Oryx | Herwer? | Hur? | Horus |
| 17 | Ta-wer | 𓉈 | jnpw(t) Anpu/Anput | Anubis/Anput | Saka (Cynopolis) | El Qais | Anubis |
| 18 | Ta-wer | 𓉉/𓉊 | nmty Nemty | Nemty | Teudjoi / Hutnesut (Alabastronopolis) | El Hiba | Anubis |
| 19 | Ta-wer | 𓉋 | wꜣbwy Wabwi/Wabui | Two scepters? | Per-Medjed/ Per-Mādjet/ Uabu-t (Oxyrhynchus) | El Bahnasa | Set |
| 20 | Ta-wer | 𓉌 | nꜥrt-ḫntt Nart Khentet | Southern nꜥrt-tree | Henen-nesut (Herakleopolis Magna) | Ihnasiya | Heryshaf |
| 21 | Ta-wer | 𓉍 | nꜥrt-pḥt Nart Peht | Northern nꜥrt-tree | Shenakhen / Semenuhor/ Ium'ā (Crocodilopolis, Arsinoe) | Faiyum | Khnemu |
| 22 | Ta-wer | 𓉎/𓉏 | mdnjt Mednit/Medenit | Knife | 𓁶𓏤𓃒𓏪𓊖 Tepihu (Aphroditopolis) | Atfih | Hathor |