the history-第77章

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　itself　to　be　an　exact　circle；　as　if　described　by　a　pair　of　compasses；　with　Europe　and　Asia　just　of　the　same　size。　The　truth　in　this　matter　I　will　now　proceed　to　explain　in　a　very　few　words；　making　it　clear　what　the　real　size　of　each　region　is；　and　what　shape　should　be　given　them。　　　　　The　Persians　inhabit　a　country　upon　the　southern　or　Erythraean　sea；　above　them；　to　the　north；　are　the　Medes；　beyond　the　Medes；　the　Saspirians；　beyond　them；　the　Colchians；　reaching　to　the　northern　sea；　into　which　the　Phasis　empties　itself。　These　four　nations　fill　the　whole　space　from　one　sea　to　the　other。　　　　　West　of　these　nations　there　project　into　the　sea　two　tracts　which　I　will　now　describe；　one；　beginning　at　the　river　Phasis　on　the　north；　stretches　along　the　Euxine　and　the　Hellespont　to　Sigeum　in　the　Troas；　while　on　the　south　it　reaches　from　the　Myriandrian　gulf；　which　adjoins　Phoenicia；　to　the　Triopic　promontory。　This　is　one　of　the　tracts；　and　is　inhabited　by　thirty　different　nations。　　　　　The　other　starts　from　the　country　of　the　Persians；　and　stretches　into　the　Erythraean　sea；　containing　first　Persia；　then　Assyria；　and　after　Assyria；　Arabia。　It　ends；　that　is　to　say；　it　is　considered　to　end；　though　it　does　not　really　come　to　a　termination；　at　the　Arabian　gulf…　the　gulf　whereinto　Darius　conducted　the　canal　which　he　made　from　the　Nile。　Between　Persia　and　Phoenicia　lies　a　broad　and　ample　tract　of　country；　after　which　the　region　I　am　describing　skirts　our　sea；　stretching　from　Phoenicia　along　the　coast　of　Palestine…Syria　till　it　comes　to　Egypt；　where　it　terminates。　This　entire　tract　contains　but　three　nations。　The　whole　of　Asia　west　of　the　country　of　the　Persians　is　comprised　in　these　two　regions。　　　　　Beyond　the　tract　occupied　by　the　Persians；　Medes；　Saspirians；　and　Colchians；　towards　the　east　and　the　region　of　the　sunrise；　Asia　is　bounded　on　the　south　by　the　Erythraean　sea；　and　on　the　north　by　the　Caspian　and　the　river　Araxes；　which　flows　towards　the　rising　sun。　Till　you　reach　India　the　country　is　peopled；　but　further　east　it　is　void　of　inhabitants；　and　no　one　can　say　what　sort　of　region　it　is。　Such　then　is　the　shape；　and　such　the　size　of　Asia。　　　　　Libya　belongs　to　one　of　the　above…mentioned　tracts；　for　it　adjoins　on　Egypt。　In　Egypt　the　tract　is　at　first　a　narrow　neck；　the　distance　from　our　sea　to　the　Erythraean　not　exceeding　a　hundred　thousand　fathoms；　in　other　words；　a　thousand　furlongs；　but　from　the　point　where　the　neck　ends；　the　tract　which　bears　the　name　of　Libya　is　of　very　great　breadth。　　　　　For　my　part　I　am　astonished　that　men　should　ever　have　divided　Libya；　Asia；　and　Europe　as　they　have；　for　they　are　exceedingly　unequal。　Europe　extends　the　entire　length　of　the　other　two；　and　for　breadth　will　not　even　（as　I　think）　bear　to　be　compared　to　them。　As　for　Libya；　we　know　it　to　be　washed　on　all　sides　by　the　sea；　except　where　it　is　attached　to　Asia。　This　discovery　was　first　made　by　Necos；　the　Egyptian　king；　who　on　desisting　from　the　canal　which　he　had　begun　between　the　Nile　and　the　Arabian　gulf；　sent　to　sea　a　number　of　ships　manned　by　Phoenicians；　with　orders　to　make　for　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　and　return　to　Egypt　through　them；　and　by　the　Mediterranean。　The　Phoenicians　took　their　departure　from　Egypt　by　way　of　the　Erythraean　sea；　and　so　sailed　into　the　southern　ocean。　When　autumn　came；　they　went　ashore；　wherever　they　might　happen　to　be；　and　having　sown　a　tract　of　land　with　corn；　waited　until　the　grain　was　fit　to　cut。　Having　reaped　it；　they　again　set　sail；　and　thus　it　came　to　pass　that　two　whole　years　went　by；　and　it　was　not　till　the　third　year　that　they　doubled　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　and　made　good　their　voyage　home。　On　their　return；　they　declared…　I　for　my　part　do　not　believe　them；　but　perhaps　others　may…　that　in　sailing　round　Libya　they　had　the　sun　upon　their　right　hand。　In　this　way　was　the　extent　of　Libya　first　discovered。　　　　　Next　to　these　Phoenicians　the　Carthaginians；　according　to　their　own　accounts；　made　the　voyage。　For　Sataspes；　son　of　Teaspes　the　Achaemenian；　did　not　circumnavigate　Libya；　though　he　was　sent　to　do　so；　but；　fearing　the　length　and　desolateness　of　the　journey；　he　turned　back　and　left　unaccomplished　the　task　which　had　been　set　him　by　his　mother。　This　man　had　used　violence　towards　a　maiden；　the　daughter　of　Zopyrus；　son　of　Megabyzus；　and　King　Xerxes　was　about　to　impale　him　for　the　offence；　when　his　mother；　who　was　a　sister　of　Darius；　begged　him　off；　undertaking　to　punish　his　crime　more　heavily　than　the　king　himself　had　designed。　She　would　force　him；　she　said；　to　sail　round　Libya　and　return　to　Egypt　by　the　Arabian　gulf。　Xerxes　gave　his　consent；　and　Sataspes　went　down　to　Egypt；　and　there　got　a　ship　and　crew；　with　which　he　set　sail　for　the　Pillars　of　Hercules。　Having　passed　the　Straits；　he　doubled　the　Libyan　headland；　known　as　Cape　Soloeis；　and　proceeded　southward。　Following　this　course　for　many　months　over　a　vast　stretch　of　sea；　and　finding　that　more　water　than　he　had　crossed　still　lay　ever　before　him；　he　put　about；　and　came　back　to　Egypt。　Thence　proceeding　to　the　court；　he　made　report　to　Xerxes；　that　at　the　farthest　point　to　which　he　had　reached；　the　coast　was　occupied　by　a　dwarfish　race；　who　wore　a　dress　made　from　the　palm　tree。　These　people；　whenever　he　landed；　left　their　towns　and　fled　away　to　the　mountains；　his　men；　however；　did　them　no　wrong；　only　entering　into　their　cities　and　taking　some　of　their　cattle。　The　reason　why　he　had　not　sailed　quite　round　Libya　was；　he　said；　because　the　ship　stopped；　and　would　no　go　any　further。　Xerxes；　however；　did　not　accept　this　account　for　true；　and　so　Sataspes；　as　he　had　failed　to　accomplish　the　task　set　him；　was　impaled　by　the　king's　orders　in　accordance　with　the　former　sentence。　One　of　his　eunuchs；　on　hearing　of　his　death；　ran　away　with　a　great　portion　of　his　wealth；　and　reached　Samos；　where　a　certain　Samian　seized　the　whole。　I　know　the　man's　name　well；　but　I　shall　willingly　forget　it　here。　　　　　Of　the　greater　part　of　Asia　Darius　was　the　discoverer。　Wishing　to　know　where　the　Indus　（which　is　the　only　river　save　one　that　produces　crocodiles）　emptied　itself　into　the　sea；　he　sent　a　number　of　men；　on　whose　truthfulness　he　could　rely；　and　among　them　Scylax　of　Caryanda；　to　sail　down　the　river。　They　started　from　the　city　of　Caspatyrus；　in　the　region　called　Pactyica；　and　sailed　down　the　stream　in　an　easterly　direction　to　the　sea。　Here　they　turned　westward；　and；　after　a　voyage　of　thirty　months；　reached　the　place　from　which　the　Egyptian　king；　of　whom　I　spoke　above；　sent　the　Phoenicians　to　sail　round　Libya。　After　this　voyage　was　completed；　Darius　conquered　the　Indians；　and　made　use　of　the　sea　in　those　parts。　Thus　all　Asia；　except　the　eastern　portion；　has　been　found　to　be　similarly　circumstanced　with　Libya。　　　　　But　the　boundaries　of　Europe　are　quite　unknown；　and　there　is　not　a　man　who　can　say　whether　any　sea　girds　it　round　either　on　the　north　or　on　the　east；　while　in　length　it　undoubtedly　extends　as　far　as　both　the　other　two。　For　my　part　I　cannot　conceive　why　three　names；　and　women's　names　especially；　should　ever　have　been　given　to　a　tract　which　is　in　reality　one；　nor　why　the　Egyptian　Nile　and　the　Colchian　Phasis　（or　according　to　others　the　Maeotic　Tanais　and　Cimmerian　ferry）　should　have　been　fixed　upon　for　the　boundary　lines；　nor　can　I　even　say　who　gave　the　three　tracts　their　names；　or　whence　they　took　the　epithets。　According　to　the　Greeks　in　general；　Libya　was　so　called　after　a　certain　Libya；　a　native　woman；　and　Asia　after　the　wife　of　Prometheus。　The　Lydians；　however；　put　in　a　claim　to　the　latter　name；　which；　they　declare；　was　not　derived　from　Asia　the　wife　of　Prometheus；　but　from　Asies；　the　son　of　Cotys；　and　grandson　of　Manes；　who　also　gave　name　to　the　tribe　Asias　at　Sardis。　As　for　Europe；　no　one　can　say　whether　it　is　surrounded　by　the　sea　or　not；　neither　is　it　known　whence　the　name　of　Europe　was　derived；　nor　who　gave　it　name；　unless　we　say　that　Europe　was　so　called　after　the　Tyrian　Europe；　and　before　her　time　was　nameless；　like　the　other　divisions。　But　it　is　certain　that　Europe　was　an　Asiatic；　and　never　even　set　foot　on　the　land　which　the　Greeks　now　call　Europe；　only　sailing　from　Phoenicia　to　Crete；　and　from　Crete　to　Lycia。　However　let　us　quit　these　matters。　We　shall　ourselves　continue　to　use　the　names　whic