Histories

Now the nature of this road[*](“The royal road from Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa is far older than the Persian empire,” say How and Wells. Evidence points to the existence of a Hittite capital in +Cappadocia [36,38.5] (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Cappadocia, to connect which with Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis on the one hand and Assyria on the other was the purpose of the road.) is as I will show. All along it are the king's road stations and very good resting places, and the whole of it passes through country that is inhabited and safe. Its course through Lydia [27.516,38.683] (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Lydia and Phrygia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Phrygia is of the length of twenty stages, and ninety-four and a half parasangs.

Next after Phrygia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Phrygia it comes to the river Halys River (river), Turkey, Asia Halys, where there is both a defile which must be passed before the river can be crossed and a great fortress to guard it. After the passage into +Cappadocia [36,38.5] (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Cappadocia, the road in that land as far as the borders of Cilicia [34.333,36.666] (region (general)), Turkey, AsiaCilicia is of twenty-eight stages and one hundred and four parasangs. On this frontier you must ride through two defiles and pass two fortresses.

Ride past these, and you will have a journey through Cilica of three stages and fifteen and a half parasangs. The boundary of Cilicia [34.333,36.666] (region (general)), Turkey, AsiaCilicia and Armenia (region (general)), AsiaArmenia is a navigable river, the name of which is the Euphrates [47.5,31.83] (river), AsiaEuphrates. In Armenia (region (general)), AsiaArmenia there are fifteen resting-stages and fifty-six and a half parasangs. Here too there is a fortress. From Armenia (region (general)), AsiaArmenia the road enters the Matienian land, in which there are thirty-four stages and one hundred and thirty-seven parasangs.

Through this land flow four navigable rivers which must be passed by ferries, first the Tigris [47.416,31] (river), AsiaTigris, then a second and a third of the same name, yet not the same stream nor flowing from the same source. The first-mentioned of them flows from the Armenians and the second from the Matieni.

The fourth river is called Gyndes, that Gyndes which Cyrus parted once into three hundred and sixty channels.[*](Cp. Hdt. 1.189.)

When this country is passed, the road is in the Cissian land, where there are eleven stages and forty-two and a half parasangs, as far as yet another navigable river, the Choaspes, on the banks of which stands the city of Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa.

Thus the sum total of stages is one hundred and eleven. So many resting-stages, then, are there in the journey up from Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa. If I have accurately counted the parasangs of the royal road, and the parasang is of thirty furlongs' length, which assuredly it is, then between Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis and the king's abode called Memnonian [*](Memnon was the legendary king of the “eastern Ethiopians,” or Assyrians. When tradition began to place the Homeric Ethiopians in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, Memnon, the Ethiop king, came to be associated with Thebes [32.666,25.683] (deserted settlement), Qina, Upper Egypt, Egypt, AfricaThebes in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt.) there are thirteen thousand and five hundred furlongs, the number of parasangs being four hundred and fifty. If each day's journey is one hundred and fifty furlongs, then the sum of days spent is ninety, neither more nor less.

Aristagoras of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus accordingly spoke the truth to Cleomenes the Lacedaemonian when he said that the journey inland was three months long. If anyone should desire a more exact measurement, I will give him that too, for the journey from +Ephesus [27.316,37.916] (deserted settlement), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Ephesus to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis must be added to the rest.

So, then, from the Greek sea to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa, which is the city called Memnonian, it is a journey of fourteen thousand and forty stages, for there are five hundred and forty furlongs from +Ephesus [27.316,37.916] (deserted settlement), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Ephesus to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis. The three months' journey is accordingly made longer by three days.