Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 7.1.5

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[5] The Hercynian Forest¹ is extremely dense, and overgrown with very large trees, covering an immense circuit of country, fortified by nature. In the midst of it is situated the region well suited for habitation, of which we have spoken. Near this forest are the sources of the Danube and the Rhine, and the lake² situated between these, together with the marshes formed by the Rhine. The circuit of the lake is more than 300³ stadia, and the distance across about 200. In this lake is an island which served Tiberius as an arsenal, in the naval war with the Vindelici. This lake is south of the sources of the Danube and the Hercynian Forest, so that in passing from Keltica⁴ to the forest, one has first to cross the lake, then the Danube, and afterwards by a more passable country, and over elevated plains, you approach the forest. When Tiberius had proceeded but one day’s journey from the lake, he came in sight of the sources of the Danube.⁵

The territory of the Rhaeti⁶ borders some portion of this lake, but the greater part of the shores belong to the Helvetii⁷ and Vindelici⁸ [the Norici come next after the Vindelici in an easterly direction,]⁹ and the desert of the Boii.¹⁰ The nations as far as the Pannonians,¹¹ but more especially the Helvetii and Vindelici, inhabit high table lands. The Rhaeti and the Norici,¹² verging towards Italy, extend over the very summits of the Alps; the former confining with the Insubri,¹³ the latter the Carni,¹⁴ and the districts about Aquileia. There is likewise another great forest, named Gabreta, on this side the territory of the Suevi, while beyond them lies the Hercynian Wood, which also is in their possession.

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.) — 7.1.5 focus

[5] ὁ δὲ Ἑρκύνιος δρυμὸς πυκνότερός τέ ἐστι καὶ μεγαλόδενδρος ἐν χωρίοις ἐρυμνοῖς κύκλον περιλαμβάνων μέγαν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ ἵδρυται χώρα καλῶς οἰκεῖσθαι δυναμένη, περὶ ἧς εἰρήκαμεν. ἔστι δὲ πλησίον αὐτῆς ἥ τε τοῦ Ἴστρου πηγὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Ῥήνου καὶ ἡ μεταξὺ ἀμφοῖν λίμνη καὶ τὰ ἕλη τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Ῥήνου διαχεόμενα. ἔστι δʼ ἡ λίμνη τὴν μὲν περίμετρον σταδίων πλειόνων ἢ πεντακοσίων, δίαρμα δὲ ἐγγὺς διακοσίων. ἔχει δὲ καὶ νῆσον, ᾗ ἐχρήσατο ὁρμητηρίῳ Τιβέριος ναυμαχῶν πρὸς Ὀυινδολικούς. νοτιωτέρα δʼ ἐστὶ τῶν τοῦ Ἴστρου πηγῶν καὶ αὕτη¹, ὥστʼ ἀνάγκη τῷ ἐκ τῆς Κελτικῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑρκύνιον δρυμὸν ἰόντι πρῶτον μὲν διαπερᾶσαι τὴν λίμνην, ἔπειτα τὸν Ἴστρον, εἶτʼ ἤδη διʼ εὐπετεστέρων χωρίων ἐπὶ τὸν δρυμὸν τὰς προβάσεις ποιεῖσθαι διʼ ὀροπεδίων. ἡμερήσιον δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς λίμνης προελθὼν ὁδὸν Τιβέριος εἶδε τὰς τοῦ Ἴστρου πηγάς. προσάπτονται δὲ τῆς λίμνης ἐπʼ ὀλίγον μὲν οἱ Ῥαιτοί, τὸ δὲ πλέον Ἑλουήττιοι καὶ Ὀυινδολικοί καὶ ἡ Βοίων ἐρημία. μέχρι Παννονίων πάντες, τὸ πλέον δʼ Ἑλουήττιοι καὶ Ὀυινδολικοί, οἰκοῦσιν ὀροπέδια. Ῥαιτοὶ δὲ καὶ Νωρικοὶ μέχρι τῶν Ἀλπείων ὑπερβολῶν ἀνίσχουσι καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ἰταλίαν περινεύουσιν, οἱ μὲν Ἰνσούβροις συνάπτοντες οἱ δὲ Κάρνοις καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὴν Ἀκυληίαν χωρίοις. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλη ὕλη μεγάλη Γαβρῆτα ἐπὶ τάδε τῶν Σοήβων, ἐπέκεινα δʼ ὁ Ἑρκύνιος δρυμός· ἔχεται δὲ κἀκεῖνος ὑπʼ αὐτῶν.

Translations (1)

Geography (Books 6-14) Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).) — 7.1.5 focus

[5] The Hercynian Forest is not only rather dense, but also has large trees, and comprises a large circuit within regions that are fortified by nature; in the center of it, however, lies a country (of which I have already spoken¹) that is capable of affording an excellent livelihood. And near it are the sources of both the Ister and the Rhenus, as also the lake² between the two sources, and the marshes³ into which the Rhenus spreads.⁴ The perimeter of the lake is more than three hundred stadia, while the passage across it is nearly two hundred.⁵ There is also an island in it which Tiberius used as a base of operations in his naval battle with the Vindelici. This lake is south of the sources of the Ister, as is also the Hercynian Forest, so that necessarily, in going from Celtica to the Hercynian Forest, one first crosses the lake and then the Ister, and from there on advances through more passable regions—plateaus—to the forest. Tiberius had proceeded only a day’s journey from the lake when he saw the sources of the Ister. The country of the Rhaeti adjoins the lake for only a short distance, whereas that of the Helvetii and the Vindelici, and also the desert of the Boii, adjoin the greater part of it. All the peoples as far as the Pannonii, but more especially the Helvetii and the Vindelici, inhabit plateaus. But the countries of the Rhaeti and the Norici extend as far as the passes over the Alps and verge toward Italy, a part thereof bordering on the country of the Insubri and a part on that of the Carni and the legions about Aquileia. And there is also another large forest, Gabreta;⁶ it is on this side of the territory of the Suevi, whereas the Hercynian Forest, which is also held by them, is on the far side.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. Schwartz Wald, or Black Forest.

2. The Lake Constance.

3. Strabo could hardly have intended 300, since the diameter of the lake is given at 200. Velser conjectures that 500 or 600 would be the proper reading. Its exact circumference is about 550 stadia.

4. Gossellin considers that by Keltica we are to understand Cisalpine Gaul, and the neighbourhood of Milan and Mantua.

5. Gossellin says that the sources of the Danube are about 14 leagues distant from the western extremity of the Lake Constance.

6. The Rhaeti possessed the countries of the Grisons and the Tyrol, extending to the eastern shores of the Lake Constance.

7. The Helvetii, or Swiss, possessed the southern borders of the Lake Constance.

8. The Vindelici occupied the country on the northern borders of the lake, with the regions of Swabia and Bavaria south of the Danube, and reaching to the Inn. Gossellin.

9. It is evident that some words have been omitted in this place. The words we have inserted are the conjecture of Cluverius and Groskurd.

10. As far as we can make out from Strabo and Pliny, book iii. cap. 27, the desert of the Boii stretched along the shores of the Danube from the river Inn to the mountains a little west of Vienna, which were the boundary between the Norici and the Pannonians. This strip of land is now called the Wiener-Wald, or Forest of Vienna. Doubtless it took its name of Desert of the Boii on account of its contiguity to the south of the country occupied by those people, and which still bears the name of Bohemia.

11. The Pannonians occupied the districts of Hungary west of the Danube.

12. The Norici inhabited that part of Austria which lies between the Danube and the Alps.

13. The Insubri occupied the Milanese.

14. The Carni have left their name to Carniola.

Strabo Geography 7.1.5

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

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