Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 3.2.1

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[1] TURDETANIA lies above the coast on this side the Guadiana,¹ and is intersected by the river Guadalquiver.² It is bounded on the west and north by the river Guadiana; on the east by certain of the Carpetani and the Oretani; on the south by those of the Bastetani who inhabit the narrow slip of coast between Calpe and Gadeira, and by the sea beyond as far as the Guadiana. The Bastetani whom I have mentioned, together with the people on the other side the Guadiana, and many of the places adjacent, belong to Turdetania. The size of this country in its length and breadth does not exceed two thousand stadia, still it contains a vast number of towns; two hundred, it is said. Those best known are situated on the rivers, estuaries, and sea; but the two which have acquired the greatest name and importance are, Corduba, founded by Marcellus,³ and the city of the Gaditanians.⁴ The latter for its naval importance, and its alliance with the Romans; and the former on account of its fertility and extent, a considerable portion of the Guadalquiver flowing by it; in addition to this it has been from its commencement inhabited by picked men, whether natives or Romans; and it was the first colony planted by the Romans in these parts.

After this city and that of the Gaditanians, Hispalis⁵ is the most noted. This also is a Roman colony. Commerce is still carried on here, although at the present moment the city of Baetis⁶ though not so finely built, is outshining it, on account of the honour it has received from the soldiers of Caesar taking up their quarters there.

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.) — 3.2.1 focus

[1] τῆς δʼ οὖν ἐντὸς τοῦ Ἄνα παραλίας ὑπερκεῖσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν Τουρδητανίαν, ἣν ὁ Βαῖτις διαρρεῖ ποταμός. ἀφορίζει δὲ αὐτὴν πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἑσπέραν καὶ ἄρκτον ὁ Ἄνας ποταμός, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἕω Καρπητανῶν τέ τινες καὶ Ὠρητανοί, πρὸς νότον δὲ Βαστητανῶν οἱ μεταξὺ τῆς Κάλπης καὶ τῶν Γαδείρων στενὴν νεμόμενοι παραλίαν, καὶ ἡ ἑξῆς θάλαττα μέχρι Ἄνα. καὶ οἱ Βαστητανοὶ δὲ οὓς εἶπον τῇ Τουρδητανίᾳ πρόσκεινται καὶ οἱ ἔξω τοῦ Ἄνα καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν προσχώρων. μέγεθος δʼ οὐ πλεῖόν ἐστι τῆς χώρας ταύτης ἐπὶ μῆκος καὶ πλάτος ἢ δισχίλιοι στάδιοι. πόλεις δʼ ὑπερβάλλουσαι τὸ πλῆθος· καὶ γὰρ διακοσίας φασί· γνωριμώταται δὲ αἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἱδρυμέναι καὶ ταῖς ἀναχύσεσι καὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ διὰ τὰς χρείας. πλεῖστον δʼ ἥ τε Κόρδυβα ηὔξηται, Μαρκέλλου κτίσμα, καὶ δόξῃ καὶ δυνάμει καὶ ἡ τῶν Γαδιτανῶν πόλις, ἡ μὲν διὰ τὰς ναυτιλίας καὶ διὰ τὸ προσθέσθαι Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ συμμαχίας, ἡ δὲ χώρας ἀρετῇ καὶ μεγέθει, προσλαμβάνοντος καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Βαίτιος μέγα μέρος· ᾤκησάν τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἄνδρες ἐπίλεκτοι· καὶ δὴ καὶ πρώτην ἀποικίαν ταύτην εἰς τούσδε τοὺς τόπους ἔστειλαν Ῥωμαῖοι. μετὰ δὲ ταύτην καὶ τὴν τῶν Γαδιτανῶν ἡ μὲν Ἵσπαλις ἐπιφανής, καὶ αὐτὴ ἄποικος Ῥωμαίων· νυνὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐμπόριον συμμένει, τῇ τιμῇ δὲ καὶ τῷ ἐποικῆσαι νεωστὶ τοὺς Καίσαρος στρατιώτας ἡ Βαῖτις ὑπερέχει καίπερ οὐ συνοικουμένη λαμπρῶς.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. Anas.

2. Baetis.

3. Cordova, situated on the Guadalquiver in Andalusia, We do not know whether it were founded by the Marcellus who was praetor in Thither Iberia, and created consul in the year of Rome 601, or Marcellus who joined Pompey’s party against Caesar. This city served for the winter quarters of the Romans, who during summer made war on the inhabitants of the western and northern parts of Spain. It was the native place of the two Senecas and Lucan, and the chief emporium of Iberia. We may form some idea of the amount of its population from the number of those who perished when taken by Caesar, as narrated by Hirtius, Spanish War, § 34. But the period in which Cordova’s glory was at its zenith was during the empire of the Moors, in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries, when it numbered 300,000 inhabitants.

4. Cadiz.

5. Seville. This city was surnamed Julia Romulensis. It was founded by Caesar, and regarded as the second city of the province, although, as we see, in the time of Strabo it was only third-rate.

6. Strabo is the only writer who mentions this city of Baetis. Casaubon and others are inclined to the opinion that the MSS. are corrupted, and that formerly another name stood here.

Strabo Geography 3.2.1

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

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