Histories

I have said this much of the Hyperboreans, and let it suffice; for I do not tell the story of that Abaris, alleged to be a Hyperborean, who carried the arrow over the whole world, fasting all the while. But if there are men beyond the north wind, then there are others beyond the south.

And I laugh to see how many have before now drawn maps of the world, not one of them reasonably; for they draw the world as round as if fashioned by compasses, encircled by the Ocean river, and Asia (continent)Asia and Europe (continent)Europe of a like extent. For myself, I will in a few words indicate the extent of the two, and how each should be drawn.

The land where the Persians live extends to the southern sea which is called Red; beyond these to the north are the Medes, and beyond the Medes the Saspires, and beyond the Saspires the Colchians, whose country extends to the northern sea[*](Here, the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Black Sea; in Hdt. 4.42, the “northern sea” is the Mediterranean Sea [30,31.5] (sea)Mediterranean.) into which the Phasis river flows; so these four nations live between the one sea and the other.

But west of this region two peninsulas stretch out from it into the sea, which I will now describe.

On the north side one of the peninsulas begins at the +Poti [41.683,42.183] (inhabited place), regions under republican jurisdiction, Georgia, Asia Phasis and stretches seaward along the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Pontus and the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont, as far as Sigeum in the +Troas (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Troad; on the south side, the same peninsula has a seacoast beginning at the Myriandric gulf that is near +Phoenicia (region (general)), Asia Phoenicia, and stretching seaward as far as the Triopian headland. On this peninsula live thirty nations.

This is the first peninsula. But the second, beginning with Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, stretches to the +Red Sea [42,15] (sea) Red Sea, and is Persian land; and next, the neighboring land of Assyria; and after Assyria, Arabian Peninsula [45,25] (region (general)), AsiaArabia; this peninsula ends (not truly but only by common consent) at the Persian Gulf [53.83,25.583] (gulf), AsiaArabian Gulf, to which Darius brought a canal from the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile.

Now from the Persian country to +Phoenicia (region (general)), Asia Phoenicia there is a wide and vast tract of land; and from +Phoenicia (region (general)), Asia Phoenicia this peninsula runs beside our sea by way of the Syrian Palestine and Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, which is at the end of it; in this peninsula there are just three nations.