Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 2.5.31

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[31] From the Don and the Maeotis¹ commences [Asia] on this side the Taurus; beyond these is [Asia] beyond the Taurus. For since this continent is divided into two by the chain of the Taurus, which extends from the extremities of Pamphylia to the shores of the Eastern Sea,² inhabited by the Indians and neighbouring Scythians, the Greeks naturally called that part of the continent situated north of these mountains [Asia] on this side the Taurus, and that on the south [Asia] beyond the Taurus. Consequently the parts adjacent to the Maeotis and Don are on this side the Taurus. The first of these is the territory between the Caspian Sea and the Euxine, bounded on one side³ by the Don, the Exterior Ocean,⁴ and the Sea of Hyrcania; on the other⁵ by the Isthmus where it is narrowest from the recess of the Euxine to the Caspian.

Secondly, but still on this side the Taurus, are the countries above the Sea of Hyrcania as far as the Indians and Scythians, who dwell along the said sea⁶ and Mount Imaus. These countries are possessed on the one side by the Maeotae,⁷ and the people dwelling between the Sea of Hyrcania and the Euxine as far as the Caucasus, the Iberians⁸ and Albanians,⁹ viz. the Sauromatians, Scythians,¹⁰ Achtaeans, Zygi, and Heniochi: on the other side beyond the Sea of Hyrcania,¹¹ by the Scythians,¹² Hyrcanians, Parthians, Bactrians, Sogdians, and the other nations of India farther towards the north. To the south, partly by the Sea of Hyrcania, and partly by the whole isthmus which separates this sea from the Euxine, is situated the greater part of Armenia, Colchis,¹³ the whole of Cappadocia¹⁴ as far as the Euxine, and the Tibaranic nations.¹⁵ Further [west] is the country designated on this side the Halys,¹⁶ containing on the side of the Euxine and Propontis the Paphlagonians, Bithynians, Mysians, and Phrygia on the Hellespont, which comprehends the Troad; and on the side of the Aegaean and adjacent seas Aeolia, Ionia, Caria, and Lycia. Inland is the Phrygia which contains that portion of Gallo-Graecia styled Galatia, Phrygia Epictetus,¹⁷ the Lycaonians, and the Lydians.

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.) — 2.5.31 focus

[31] Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Τανάιδος καὶ τῆς Μαιώτιδός ἐστι τὰ ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου συνεχῆ, τούτοις δʼ ἑξῆς τὰ ἐκτός. διαιρουμένης γὰρ αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ὄρους τοῦ Ταύρου δίχα διατείνοντος ἀπὸ τῶν ἄκρων τῆς Παμφυλίας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑῴαν θάλατταν κατʼ Ἰνδοὺς καὶ τοὺς ταύτῃ Σκύθας, τὸ μὲν πρὸς τὰς ἄρκτους νενευκὸς τῆς ἠπείρου μέρος καλοῦσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου, τὸ δὲ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν ἐκτός· τὰ δὴ συνεχῆ τῇ Μαιώτιδι καὶ τῷ Τανάιδι μέρη τὰ ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου ἐστί. τούτων δὲ τὰ πρῶτα μέρη τὰ μεταξὺ τῆς Κασπίας θαλάττης ἐστὶ καὶ τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου, τῇ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν Τάναϊν καὶ τὸν ὠκεανὸν τελευτῶντα τόν τε ἔξω καὶ τὸν τῆς Ὑρκανίας θαλάττης, τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν ἰσθμόν, καθʼ ὃ ἐγγυτάτω ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ μυχοῦ τοῦ Πόντου ἐπὶ τὴν Κασπίαν. ἔπειτα ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ὑρκανίας μέχρι πρὸς τὴν κατὰ Ἰνδοὺς καὶ Σκύθας τοὺς πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν θάλατταν καὶ τὸ Ἰμάιον ὄρος. ταῦτα δʼ ἔχουσι τὰ μὲν οἱ Μαιῶται¹ καὶ οἱ μεταξὺ τῆς Ὑρκανίας καὶ τοῦ Πόντου μέχρι τοῦ Καυκάσου καὶ Ἰβήρων καὶ Ἀλβανῶν, Σαυρομάται καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ καὶ Ζυγοὶ καὶ Ἡνίοχοι, τὰ δʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ὑρκανίας θαλάττης Σκύθαι καὶ Ὑρκανοὶ καὶ Παρθυαῖοι καὶ Βάκτριοι καὶ Σογδιανοὶ καὶ τἆλλα τὰ ὑπερκείμενα μέρη τῶν Ἰνδῶν πρὸς ἄρκτον. πρὸς νότον δὲ τῆς Ὑρκανίας θαλάττης ἐκ μέρους καὶ τοῦ ἰσθμοῦ παντὸς μεταξὺ ταύτης καὶ τοῦ Πόντου τῆς τε Ἀρμενίας ἡ πλείστη κεῖται καὶ Κολχὶς καὶ Καππαδοκία σύμπασα μέχρι τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου καὶ τῶν Τιβαρανικῶν ἐθνῶν, ἔτι δὲ ἡ ἐντὸς Ἅλυος χώρα λεγομένη, περιέχουσα πρὸς μὲν τῷ Πόντῳ καὶ τῇ Προποντίδι Παφλαγόνας τε καὶ Βιθυνοὺς καὶ Μυσοὺς καὶ τὴν ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντῳ λεγομένην Φρυγίαν, ἧς ἐστι καὶ ἡ Τρῳάς, πρὸς δὲ τῷ Αἰγαίῳ καὶ τῇ ἐφεξῆς θαλάττῃ τήν τε Αἰολίδα καὶ τὴν Ἰωνίαν καὶ Καρίαν καὶ Λυκίαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ μεσογαίᾳ τήν τε Φρυγίαν, ἧς ἐστι μέρος ἥ τε τῶν Γαλλογραικῶν λεγομένη Γαλατία καὶ ἡ Ἐπίκτητος, καὶ Λυκάονας καὶ Λυδούς.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. The Sea of Azof.

2. The Bay of Bengal.

3. The North.

4. The Northern Ocean.

5. The south.

6. The Bay of Bengal.

7. Sarmatian Maeotae in the Greek text, but apparently incorrect.

8. Inhabitants of Georgia.

9. Inhabitants of Shirvan.

10. The Scythians here alluded to are the Tartars of Kuban; the Achaeans and Zygi are the modern Ziketi; the Heniochi are the Abkazeti.

11. East of the Caspian.

12. These Scythians are the Tartars of the Kharasm. The Hyrcanians are the inhabitants of Daghistan and the Corcan. The Parthians occupied the north of Khorasan; the Bactrians the country of Balk. The Sogdians inhabited Bukaria, where are Samarcand and the valley of Al-Sogd.

13. Mingrelia.

14. Cappadocia comprehended a portion of the modern Roum and Karamania between the Euphrates and the river Halys.

15. Under this name Strabo included a portion of the kingdom of Pontus and other small tribes as far as Colchis.

16. Now the Kizil-Irmak.

17. The northern and western portions of Phrygia.

Strabo Geography 2.5.31

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

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