Oasis
- an inhabited spot, a fertile piece of land in the Libyan desert, an oasis; esp. the great oasis in Upper Egypt, to which criminals were banished by the emperors, Cod. Just. 9, 47, 26; Dig. 48, 22, 7, § 5.— Hence,
- A Ŏăsēnus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Oasis: Oasena deportatio, Cod. Th. 9, 32.—
- B Ŏăsītes, ae, m., adj., of or belonging to Oasis, Oasite: Oasitae nomi, Plin. 5, 9, 9, § 50.
(Ὄασις and Αὔασις). The Greek form of the Egyptian word Uah, which was used to denote an island in the sea of sand of the great Libyan Desert. These oases are preserved from the shifting sands by steep hills of limestone round them, and watered by springs, which make them fertile and habitable. The name is applied especially to two of these oases on the west of Egypt, which were taken possession of by the Egyptians at an early period. (1) Oăsis Maior (Ὄασις μεγάλη), the Greater Oasis, was situated seven days' journey west of Abydos, and belonged to Upper Egypt. This oasis contains numerous ruins of the ancient Egyptian and Roman periods.
(2) Oasis Minor (Ὄασις μικρά), the Lesser or Second Oasis, was a good day's journey from the southwestern end of Lake Moeris, and belonged to the Heptanomis, or Middle Egypt.
(3) A still more celebrated oasis than either of these was that called Ammon, Hammon, Ammonium, Hammōnis Oracŭlum, from its being a chief seat of the worship and oracle of the god Ammon. It is now called Siwah. Its distance from Cairo is twelve days, and from the northern coast about 160 English miles. The Ammonians do not appear to have been subject to the old Egyptian monarchy. Cambyses, after conquering Egypt in B.C. 525, sent an army against them, which was overwhelmed by the sands of the desert. In B.C. 331, Alexander the Great visited the oracle, which hailed him as the son of Zeus Ammon (Q. Curt. iv. 33). Cato the Younger also made a journey to the place. Ruins of the temple of Ammon still exist.
- inhabited by Samians; reached by Cambyses' force sent against the Ammonians: Hdt. 3.26