Dionysius of Alexandria, Guide to the Inhabited World

ToposText · Dionysius of Alexandria · 118 sections

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§ 101 overhanging palms grow with leafy crowns. Yes, it bears something else beautiful than gold, the sea-green stone of watery beryl, which forms on the jutting rocks in that region within the stone of serpentine. Beyond Babylon toward the blast of the north wind the Cissi and Messabatae and Chalonitae dwell. But whenever you should journey beyond the Armenian mountains, to the east, then you will find the valleys of the Medes. To the north of these a flourishing land is inhabited by Geli and Mardi and Atropateni.
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§ 102 To the south there dwell the tribes of the noble Medes, descendants of that glorious line of Aietes' daughter, blameless heroine. For when, beside the stream of the Actaean Ilissus, she prepared the baneful drugs for the son of the Pandionid, she left that place in shame, and, as she wandered among men, she came to that rich land, which shares her name, not far from the Colchians. She could not come to the land of the Colchians, for she feared her father's anger. For this reason still now men expert in many drugs
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§ 103 inhabit that immense land, some dwelling on the very rocks, which produce dark narcissite, and some also in the overgrown meadows, pasturing their fine flocks, which are utterly weighed down by their fleeces. These men reach towards the east, as far as the Caspian Gates, which lie below hollow rocks, keys to the Asian land, where a path lies stretched for those travelling both to the north and to the south, one to the Hyrcanians, another to the mountains of the Persian land. Well, then, below the foot of the Caspian Gates
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§ 104 dwell the warlike Parthians, who carry curved bows, experts in every form of combat. For they do not trace the furrow with the plough, cleaving the farm-lands, nor do they cut through the sea with oars aboard ships, nor do they feed the race of cattle in the pastures. But from birth, as children, they concern themselves with bows and horses, and always over this echoing land there is the noise of javelins or arrows, and everywhere the running of storm-swift horses, racing. For it is not customary for them to take their supper before showering their heads with sweat from the strains of battle.
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§ 105 They feed on the prey of a livelihood won by the spear. Nevertheless, though they are relentless in battle, the sword of the Ausonian king has tamed them. If sweet longing to learn of the Persians also grips you, with eloquent words I would tell you of their race too, and of the course of the ever-flowing rivers and of the paths of the mountains. For they alone have the most kingly race of Asia, and they alone laid boundless wealth in their homes, when they sacked Maeonia and Sardis. Golden is the armour worn on the flesh of those men,
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§ 106 and golden are the bits in the mouths of their horses, and with gold they adorn the shoes on their feet. For so immense is their wealth. Well, all the land of Persia is surrounded by great mountains, and its path reaches to the south of the Caspian Gates, going even as far as the sea of the same name. They inhabit it in three distinct areas, some in the north situated near the shady mountains of the bow-carrying Medes, some in the interior, and some to the south as far as the sea. First are the Sabae, after them are the Pasargadae, and nearby the Tasci,
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§ 107 and others, who inhabit various parts of the Persian land. Many rivers make this region very fertile, turning this way and that with their winding waters. On one side is the great Coros, on the other the Choaspes, drawing Indian water, and flowing beside the country of the Sousans. On its banks you would see beautiful agate, lying like marbles on the ground, which the torrents of the stormy river sweep down from the rock. What's more, ever rejoicing in the warm wind, fruits flourish densely packed against one another.
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§ 108 Now consider the remaining path of Asia to the east. For nearby the coast of the land comes to an end. So, then, by the Persian wave of the Ocean, the Carmani dwell, beneath the rising sun. They occupy a land in two parts not far from Persia, some by the sea, and others inland. To the east of them extends the land of the Gedrosi, neighbours of the yawning Ocean, to the east of whom dwell the southern Scythians beside the Indus River, which flows opposite the Erythraean Sea,
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§ 109 furiously driving its swift stream directly south, beginning first from the windy Caucasus. It has two mouths, and it runs past an island in the middle, an island which the inhabitants call Patalene. That river divides the tribes of many peoples: towards the descent of the setting sun the Oreitae and the Aribae and the Arachotae in their tunics of linen, and the Satraedae, and all those beside the valley of Parpanisus, together with very well all those alike who are called Ariani, who do not inhabit a fair land, but one filled
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§ 110 with fine sand and rough with thickets. But, nevertheless, the means are sufficient for those living there. For the land provides for them a pure wealth of a different kind. For everywhere there is the stone of red coral, and everywhere, moreover, beneath the rocks, the veins bear the fair stone of the golden and blue sapphire, from the mining of which they have the merchandise to live on. To the east stretches the lovely land of the Indians, last of all, by the edges of Ocean. The sun scorches this land with its first rays
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§ 111 as it rises over the workings of the blessed ones and mankind. For this reason the inhabitants of the land are dark-skinned, divinely sleek, and they bear on their heads the most luxuriant hair like hyacinths. Of these men, some mine the sources of gold, digging the sand with well-made picks, some weave webs of linen, and some polish the silvery sawn-off tusks of elephants. Others hunt on the jutting rocks of mountain-torrents for the sea-green stone of beryl or sparkling
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§ 112 adamant or green-glancing jasper or again the glittering stone of pure topaz and sweet softly flushing amethyst. For the land fosters wealth of every kind for the men, watered here and there by ever-flowing rivers. (1125) Yes, even the meadows are always thick with leaves. for on one side millet grows, and on the other, in turn, there flourish forests of the Erythraean reed. Consider how I am to describe to you the shape and the rivers, and the windy mountains and the peoples of the land itself.
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§ 113 Well, then, it is fixed on four sides, all of them at an angle, like the shape of a rhombus. So, on the west the waters of the neighbouring Indus cut off the land, and in the south there is the swell of the Erythraean sea, and the Ganges is to the east, and the Caucasus toward the pole of the Bears. (1135) Many fortunate men inhabit this land, not all of them living under the same name, but distinguished into separate groups. So, near the boundless river Indus, are the Dardanees, where the Acesine, which flows in a crooked course from the rocks, is received by the Hydaspes, navigable to ships.
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§ 114 After them there follows a third, the silver-eddying Cophe. Amidst these rivers there dwell the Sabae and the Toxili, and next the Scodri. And following on there are the wild tribes, of the Peucales. After them the servers of Dionysus, the Gargaridae, dwell, there where the Hypanis and the divine Magarsus, most turbulent of rivers, bear the marvellous progeny of gold. Starting from the mountain of Emodos, they flow toward the country of the Ganges, which reaches to the south along the borders of the Colian land. This, indeed, juts out into the deep-eddying Ocean.
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§ 115 It is steep, inaccessible to swift birds. For this reason men call it the'Land Without Birds'. There is a certain spectacular place beside the fair-flowing Ganges, a place which is revered and sacred, where Bacchus once walked in anger, when the delicate fawn-skins of the Lenae were turned into shields, and their thyrsi were changed into iron, and their belts and the tendrils of the twisting vine into the coils of serpents, then when in their folly they slighted the festival of the god. For this reason they call it the Nysaean path,
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§ 116 and they duly established with their sons all his rites. He himself, when he destroyed the tribes of the dark Indians, ascended the mountains of Emodos, below the foot of which flows the mighty stream of the eastern Ocean. Here he planted two pillars near the borders of the land, (1165) and exultant he returned to the waters of the Ismenus. So many are the most eminent men on the earth, but others wander here and there over the lands in their thousands, whom no-one could tell of clearly, no mortal. Only the gods are able to do all with ease.
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§ 117 For they rounded off the first foundations and revealed the deep swell of the measureless sea. They marked out all that is immutable in life, distinguishing the stars, and allotting each a share of the sea and the deep earth. (1175) For this reason each land has been allotted a nature of a different kind. For one is white and shining, another is darker, and another has been allotted the appearance of both. One resembles the flowers of the red earth of Assyrians, others are otherwise. For mighty Zeus has conceived it thus.
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§ 118 So is everything among men diverse. Farewell, you countries and islands in the sea, waters of Ocean and sacred waves of the deep, rivers and springs and wooded mountains. Now I have run over the swell of the entire sea, (1185) and the winding path of the lands. So let me have from the Blessed Ones themselves an answer worthy of my hymns.

Via ToposText (topostext.org), a project of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation created by Brady Kiesling. Translated by Yumna Khan. Composed ca. 125 CE. Licence: Rights belong to translator Yumna Khan, used by permission. Source.