Strabo, Geography, Horace Leonard Jones (Translator), 12.3.31

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[31] Here, also, is Kainon Chorion,¹ as it is called, a rock that is sheer and fortified by nature, being less than two hundred stadia distant from Cabeira. It has on its summit a spring that sends forth much water, and at its foot a river and a deep ravine. The height of the rock above the neck² is immense, so that it is impregnable; and it is enclosed by remarkable walls, except the part where they have been pulled down by the Romans. And the whole country around is so overgrown with forests, and so mountainous and waterless, that it is impossible for an enemy to encamp within one hundred and twenty stadia. Here it was that the most precious of the treasures of Mithridates were kept, which are now stored in the Capitolium, where they were dedicated by Pompey. Pythodoris possesses the whole of this country, which is adjacent to the barbarian country occupied by her, and also Zelitis and Megalopolitis. As for Cabeira, which by Pompey had been built into a city and called Diospolis,³ Pythodoris further adorned it and changed its name to Sebaste;⁴ and she uses the city as a royal residence. It has also the temple of Men of Pharnaces,⁵ as it is called,—the village-city Ameria, which has many temples servants, and also a sacred territory, the fruit of which is always reaped by the ordained priest. And the kings revered this temple so exceedingly that they proclaimed the “royal” oath as follows: “By the Fortune of the king and by Men of Pharnaces.”⁶ And this is also the temple of Selene,⁷ like that among the Albanians and those in Phrygia,⁸ I mean that of Men in the place of the same name and that of Men⁹ Ascaeus¹⁰ near the Antiocheia that is near Pisidia¹¹ and that of Men in the country of the Antiocheians.¹²

Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.

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Current edition Perseus

Geography (Books 6-14) (English) (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 12.3.31 focus

[31] ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὸ Καινὸν χωρίον προσαγορευθέν, ἐρυμνὴ καὶ ἀπότομος πέτρα, διέχουσα τῶν Καβείρων ἔλαττον ἢ διακοσίους σταδίους· ἔχει δʼ ἐπὶ τῇ κορυφῇ πηγὴν ἀναβάλλουσαν πολὺ ὕδωρ, πρός τε τῇ ῥίζῃ ποταμὸν καὶ φάραγγα βαθεῖαν· τὸ δʼ ὕψος ἐξαίσιον τῆς πέτρας ἐστὶ ἄνω τοῦ αὐχένος, ὥστʼ ἀπολιόρκητός ἐστι· τετείχισται δὲ θαυμαστῶς πλὴν ὅσον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κατέσπασαν· οὕτω δʼ ἐστὶν ἅπασα ἡ κύκλῳ κατάδρυμος καὶ ὀρεινὴ καὶ ἄνυδρος, ὥστʼ ἐντὸς ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι σταδίων μὴ εἶναι δυνατὸν στρατοπεδεύσασθαι. ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἦν τῷ Μιθριδάτῃ τὰ τιμιώτατα τῶν κειμηλίων, ἃ νῦν ἐν τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ κεῖται Πομπηίου ἀναθέντος. ταύτην δὴ τὴν χώραν ἔχει πᾶσαν ἡ Πυθοδωρὶς προσεχῆ οὖσαν τῇ βαρβάρῳ τῇ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς κατεχομένῃ, καὶ τὴν Ζηλῖτιν καὶ Μεγαλοπολῖτιν. τὰ δὲ Κάβειρα Πομπηίου σκευάσαντος εἰς πόλιν καὶ καλέσαντος Διόσπολιν, ἐκείνη προσκατεσκεύασε καὶ Σεβαστὴν μετωνόμασε, βασιλείῳ τε τῇ πόλει χρῆται. ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν Μηνὸς Φαρνάκου καλούμενον, τὴν Ἀμερίαν κωμόπολιν πολλοὺς ἱεροδούλους ἔχουσαν καὶ χώραν ἱεράν, ἣν ὁ ἱερώμενος ἀεὶ καρποῦται. ἐτίμησαν δʼ οἱ βασιλεῖς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο οὕτως εἰς ὑπερβολὴν ὥστε τὸν βασιλικὸν καλούμενον ὅρκον τοῦτον ἀπέφηναν τύχην βασιλέως καὶ μῆνα Φαρνάκου. ἔστι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς σελήνης τὸ ἱερόν, καθάπερ τὸ ἐν Ἀλβανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐν Φρυγίᾳ, τό τε τοῦ Μηνὸς ἐν τῷ ὁμωνύμῳ τόπῳ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἀσκαίου τὸ πρὸς Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῇ πρὸς Πισιδίᾳ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἀντιοχέων.

Translations (1)

Geography Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 1-3. Hamilton, Hans Claude, translator; Falconer, William, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854-1857.) — 12.3.31 focus

[31] There also is the Cainochorion, (New Castle,) as it is called, a fortified and precipitous rock, distant from Cabeira less than 200 stadia. On its summit is a spring, which throws up abundance of water, and at its foot a river, and a deep ravine. The ridge of rocks on which it stands is of very great height, so that it cannot be taken by siege. It is enclosed with an excellent wall, except the part where it has been demolished by the Romans. The whole country around is so covered with wood, so mountainous, and destitute of water, that an enemy cannot encamp within the distance of 120 stadia. There Mithridates had deposited his most valuable effects, which are now in the Capitol, as offerings dedicated by Pompey.

Pythodoris is in possession of all this country; (for it is contiguous to that of the barbarians, which she holds as a conquered country;) she also holds the Zelitis and the Megalopolitis. After Pompey had raised Cabeira to the rank of a city, and called it Diospolis, Pythodoris improved it still more, changed its name to Sebaste, (or Augusta,) and considers it a royal city.

She has also the temple of Men surnamed of Pharnaces, at Ameria, a village city, inhabited by a large body of sacred menials, and having annexed to it a sacred territory, the produce of which is always enjoyed by the priest. The kings held this temple in such exceeding veneration, that this was the Royal oath, by the fortune of the king, and by Mēn of Pharnaces. This is also the temple of the moon, like that among the Albani, and those in Phrygia, namely the temple of Mēn in a place of the same name, the temple of Ascaeus at Antioch in Pisidia, and another in the territory of Antioch.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. “New Place.”

2. i.e., the “neck,” or ridge, which forms the approach to rock (cp. the use of the word in section 39 following).

3. “City of Zeus.”

4. In Latin, “Augusta.”

5. i.e., established by Pharnaces.

6. Professor David M. Robinson says (in a private communication): “I think that Μήν Φαρνάκου equals Τύχη Βασιλέως, since Μήν equals Τύχη on coins of Antioch.”

7. Goddess of the “Moon.”

8. See 11. 4. 7 and 12. 8. 20.

9. Sir William Ramsay ( Journal of Hellenic Studies 1918, vol. 38, pp. 148 ff.) argues that “Men” is a grecized form for the Anatolian “Manes,” the native god of the land of Ouramma; and “Manes Ourammoas was Hellenized as Zeus Ouruda-menos or Euruda-mennos.” See also M. Rostovtzeff, Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire, p. 238, and Daremberg et Saglio, Dict. Antiq., s.v. “Lunus.”

10. “Ascaënus ( Ἀσκαηνός) is the regular spelling of the word, the spelling found in hundreds of inscriptions, whereas Ascaeus ( Ἀσκαῖος) has been found in only two inscriptions, according to Professor David M. Robinson. On this temple, see Sir W. M. Ramsay’s “Excavations at Pisidian Antioch in 1912,” The Athenaeum, London, March 8, Aug. 31, and Sept. 7, 1913.

11. Note that Strabo, both here and in 12. 8. 14, refers to this Antioch as “the Antioch near Pisidia,” not as “Pisidian Antioch,” the appellation now in common use. Neither does Artemidorus (lived about 100 B.C.), as quoted by Strabo (12. 7. 2), name Antioch in his list of Pisidian cities.

12. i.e., in the territory of which Antiocheia was capital. At this “remote old Anatolian Sanctuary” (not to be confused with that of Men Ascaeus near Antiocheia), “Strabo does not say what epithet Men bore” (Ramsay is first article above cited). That of Men Ascaeus on Mt. Kara Kuyu has been excavated by Ramsay and Calder (J.H.S. 1912, pp 111-150, British School Annual 1911-12, XVIII, 37 ff., J.R.S. 1918, pp 107-145. The other, not yet found, “may have been,” according to Professor Robinson, “at Saghir.”

Strabo Geography 12.3.31

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

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