Latin Texts & Translations

After passing Cimmerium, the coast ^[Note] is inhabited by the Mæotici, the Vali, the Serbi, ^[Note] the Arrechi, the Zingi, and the Psessi. We then come to the river Tanais, ^[Note] which discharges

itself into the sea by two mouths, and the banks of which are inhabited by the Sarmatæ, the descendants of the Medi, it is said, a people divided into numerous tribes. The first of these are the Sauromatæ Gynæcocratumeni, ^[Note] the husbands of the Amazons. Next to them are the Ævazæ, ^[Note] the Coitæ, ^[Note] the Cicimeni, the Messeniani, the Costobocci, the Choatræ, the Zigæ, ^[Note] the Dandarii, the Thyssagetæ, and the Iyrcæ, ^[Note] as far as certain rugged deserts and densely wooded vallies, beyond which again are the Arimphæi, ^[Note] who extend as far as the Riphæan Mountains. ^[Note] The Scythians call the river Tanais by the name of Silis, and the Mæotis the Temarunda, meaning the "mother of the sea." There is ^[Note] a city also at the mouth of the Ta-

nais. The neighbouring country was inhabited first by the Carians, then by the Clazomenii and Mæones, and after them by the Panticapenses. ^[Note]

There are some writers who state that there are the following nations dwelling around the Mæotis, as far as the Ceraunian mountains; ^[Note] at a short distance from the shore, the Napitæ, and beyond them, the Essedones, who join up to the Colchians, and dwell upon the summits of the mountains: after these again, the Camacæ, the Orani, the Autacæ, the Mazacasi, the Cantiocæ, the Agamathæ, the Pici, the Rimosoli, the Acascomarci, and, upon the ridges of the Caucasus, the Itacalæ, the Imadochi, the Rami, the Anclacæ, the Tydii, the Carastasei, and the Anthiandæ. The river Lagoüs runs from the Cathæan ^[Note] mountains, and into it flows the Opharus. Upon it are the tribes of the Cauthadæ, and the Opharitæ. Next to these are the rivers Menotharus and Imityes, which flow from the Cissian mountains, among the peoples called the Acdei, the Carnæ, the Oscardei, the Accisi, the Gabri, the Gogari, and, around the source of the Imityes, the Imityi, and the Apatræi. Some writers say that the Auchetæ, the Athernei, and the Asampatæ, Scythian tribes, have made inroads upon this territory, and have destroyed the Tanaitæ and the Inapæi to a man. Others again represent the Ocharius as running through the Cantici and the Sapæi, and the Tanais as passing through the territories of the Sarcharcei, the Herticei, the Spondolici, the Synhietæ, the Anasi, the Issi, the Catetæ, the Tagoræ, the Caroni, the Neripi, the Agandei, the Mandarei, the Satarchei, and the Spalei.