MEROE, the name of an island included between the main branch of the Nile and the Astaboras or Tacazze, and also that of the capital of Ethiopia, (see Ethiopia), which was situated in this island. Agatharcides, Strabo, Diodorus, and others make mention of Meroe, and communicate several particulars respecting it. The island is stated by Diodorus to be 375 miles in length, and 125 miles in breadth. The exact distance of Meroe from Syene or Assouan, appears to have been a subject of dispute even in Pliny’s time, notwithstanding that a number of travellers had already visited and even penetrated beyond the capital of Ethiopia. Delion is mentioned as having travelled far beyond Meroe, which was afterwards visited by Aristocreon, Bion, Basilis, and Simonides the younger, who is said to have written an account of the city. Timosthenes spent sixty days in making the journey by water; Eratosthenes reckoned the distance 625,000, and Artemidorus 600,000 paces; Bion gives a list of towns but no distances. The sixty days’ journey or sail by water, however, is too indefinite a datum to be of any use, although it agrees tolerably well with the account given by Herodotus. But the 625,000 paces of Eratosthenes are about the length of the direct caravan route; and the 600,000 paces of Artemidorus, agree still more closely with the ascertained length of that route, across the Great Desert by Korosko and Abu-Hammed, which is [7:14:595]560 miles. According to Pliny, the dispute concerning the distance from Syene to Meroe was finally settled by the prctorians and tribune sent by Nero to explore the country, and who calculated it at 876,000 paces, and on the supsition that these men followed the sinuosities of the river, in order to observe the towns, and report upon the resources of the country, this is pretty near to the truth. Pliny computes the distance from Napata to the island of Meroe at 360,000 paces, and further states that, from the commencement of the island to the site of the town, it is 70,000 paces, the actual distance being about 60 miles. The difficulty here, however, is to ascertain the position of the ancient Napata, which has been fixed by some at Gibel-el-Birkel, and by others at Old Dongola, whilst Ptolemy places it much farther to the north. In fact, Gibel-el-Birkel is nearer to Meroe than the ancient Napata by about 100 miles, that is, reckoning from Pliny’s computation of the distance of the latter as compared with that of the former place, which has been ascertained by modern travellers; and hence the presumption is in favour of the accuracy of Ptolemy, who, as we have just mentioned, places the site of Napata farther to the north. That geographer, moreover, places the capital of Ethiopia in latitude 16° '26', which differs only by 30' from the latitude as determined by the observations of Caillaud. All that remains of ancient Meroe is its magnificent necropolis, as it has been called, crowded with pyramids, of which a very full and interesting account is given in Hoskins’s Travels in Ethiopia. “The pyramids of Djizch are magnificent,” says this traveller, “wonderful from their stupendous magnitude; but for picturesque effect and elegance of architectural design, I infinitely prefer those of Mcroe. I expected to find few remains here, and certainly nothing so imposing, so interesting as these sepulchres doubtless of the kings and queens of Ethiopia. I stood for some time lost in admiration. From every point of view, I saw magnificent groups, pyramid rising behind pyramid, while the dilapidated state of many did not render them less interesting, though less beautiful as works of art.” From motives of curiosity or perhaps avarice, attempts have been made to open many of the pyramids, but without success. In those which had been partially broken into Mr. Hoskins did not perceive the slightest indication that any of them contained galleries; a circumstance which does not appear to favour his opinion that they were places of sepulture. There is no doubt, however, that these pyramids belong to a very remote age, and form a subject of interesting investigation, with reference to the question whether the Ethiopians derived their knowledge of the arts from the Egyptians, or the Egyptians from the Ethiopians. (See Ethiopian Nations.) The hieroglyphics are much defaced, and inferior in grouping or arrangement to those in the Egyptian inscriptions, being, according to the view which may be taken of the course of civilization, either a corruption of the Egyptian style, or the source whence it was originally derived. As to the city of Mcroe itself, with its temples and palaces, scarcely a trace or vestige remains. A large space about 2000 feet in length, and at the same distance from the river, being strewed with burned bricks, some fragments of walls and stones similar to those used in the construction of the pyramids, is supposed to have formed part of the site of the capital; and this idea is strengthened by the remark of Strabo, that the walls of the habitations were built of bricks. As at Memphis, however, scarcely a trace of a palace or temple is to be seen, the very ruins of these edifices having perished. This once populous plain is now occupied only by herds of timid gazelles, whilst hyenas and wolves abound in the neighbouring hills. For an account of the history, arts, and commerce of Meroe, see the article Ethiopian Nations, and also Hoskins’s Travels, (chapters xix, XX, XXi, and xxii.)