Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 2.2.3

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[3] Posidonius, who himself divides the earth into zones, tells us that five is the number best suited for the explanation of the celestial appearances, two of these are periscii,¹ which reach from the poles to the point where the tropics serve for Arctic Circles; two more are heteroscii,² which extend from the former to the inhabitants of the tropics, and one between the tropics, which is called amrphiscius,³ but for matters relative to the earth, it is convenient to suppose two other narrow zones placed under the tropics, and divided by then into two halves, over which [every year] for the space of a fortnight, the sun is vertical.⁴ These zones are remarkable for being extremely arid and sandy, producing no vegetation with the exception of silphium,⁵ and a parched grain somewhat resembling wheat. This is caused by there being no mountains to attract the clouds and produce rain, nor any rivers flowing⁶ through the country. The consequence is that the various species⁷ are born with woolly hair, crumpled horns, protruding lips, and wide nostrils; their extremities being as, it were gnarled. Within these zones also dwell the Ichthyophagi.⁸ He further remarks, that these peculiarities are quite sufficient to distinguish the zones in question: those which are farther south having a more salubrious atmosphere, and being more fruitful and better supplied with water.

Geography. Strabo. Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator). London. 1854-1857.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 2.2.3 focus

[3] αὐτὸς δὲ διαιρῶν εἰς τὰς ζώνας πέντε μέν φησιν εἶναι χρησίμους πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, τούτων δὲ περισκίους δύο τὰς ὑπὸ τοῖς πόλοις μέχρι τῶν ἐχόντων τοὺς τροπικοὺς ἀρκτικούς, ἑτεροσκίους δὲ τὰς ἐφεξῆς ταύταις δύο μέχρι τῶν ὑπὸ τοῖς τροπικοῖς οἰκούντων, ἀμφίσκιον δὲ τὴν μεταξὺ τῶν τροπικῶν· πρὸς δὲ τὰ ἀνθρώπεια ταύτας τε καὶ δύο ἄλλας στενὰς τὰς ὑπὸ τοῖς τροπικοῖς, καθʼ ἃς ἥμισύ πως μηνὸς κατὰ κορυφήν ἐστιν ὁ ἥλιος, δίχα διαιρουμένας ὑπὸ τῶν τροπικῶν. ἔχειν γάρ τι ἴδιον τὰς ζώνας ταύτας, αὐχμηράς τε ἰδίως καὶ ἀμμώδεις ὑπαρχούσας καὶ ἀφόρους πλὴν σιλφίου καὶ πυρωδῶν τινων καρπῶν συγκεκαυμένων· ὄρη γὰρ μὴ εἶναι πλησίον ὥστε τὰ νέφη προσπίπτοντα ὄμβρους ποιεῖν, μηδὲ δὴ ποταμοῖς διαρρεῖσθαι· διόπερ οὐλότριχας καὶ οὐλόκερως καὶ προχείλους καὶ πλατύρρινας γεννᾶσθαι· τὰ γὰρ ἄκρα αὐτῶν συστρέφεσθαι· καὶ τοὺς ἰχθυοφάγους δὲ κατὰ ταύτας τὰς ζώνας οἰκεῖν. ὅτι δὲ ταῦτʼ ἴδια τῶν ζωνῶν τούτων, δηλοῦν φησὶ τὸ τοὺς νοτιωτέρους αὐτῶν ἔχειν τὸ περιέχον εὐκρατότερον καὶ τὴν γῆν καρπιμωτέραν καὶ εὐυδροτέραν.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. The polar circles, where the shadow, in the summer season, travels all round in the twenty-four hours.

2. Those who live north and south of the tropics, or in the temperate zones, and at noon have a shadow only falling one way.

3. Having at mid-day in alternate seasons the shadow falling north and south.

4. Viz. Posidonius allowed for each of these small zones a breadth of about 30′, or 350 stadia, of 700 to a degree.

5. A plant, the juice of which was used in food and medicine. Bentley supposes it to be the asa-foetida, still much eaten as a relish in the East.

6. Posidonius was here mistaken; witness the Niger, the Senegal, the Gambia, etc.

7. The expression of Strabo is so concise as to leave it extremely doubtful whether or not he meant to include the human race in his statement. Looking at this passage, however, in connexion with another in the 15th Book, we are inclined to answer the question in the affirmative.

8. Or living on fish, a name given by the Greek geographers to various tribes of barbarians; but it seems most frequently to a people of Gedrosia on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. It is probably to these that Strabo refers.

Strabo Geography 2.2.3

Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator)

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