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he even allude to the Scythians, but makes up fables about
certain illustrious Hippemolgi, Galactophagi, and Abii. He
had become acquainted with the Paphlagonians of the interior
from the relations of such as had penetrated into those regions
on foot, but he was perfectly unacquainted with the sea-coasts
of the country; which indeed was likely enough, for that sea
was in his time closed to navigation, and known by the name
of Pontus Axenus [or the Inhospitable] on account of the severity of the storms to which it was subject, as well as of the
savage disposition of the nations who inhabited its shores, but
more especially of the Scythian hordes, note who made a practice
of sacrificing strangers, devouring their flesh, and using their
skulls for drinking-cups; although at a subsequent period,
when the Ionians had established cities along its shores, it
was called by the name of Pontus Euxinus [or the Hospitable]. He was likewise in ignorance as to the natural peculiarities of Egypt and Libya, note as the risings of the Nile, and
the alluvial deposits, which he no where notices, nor yet the
isthmus [of Suez] which separates the Red Sea from the
Egyptian Sea; note nor yet does he relate any particulars of
Arabia, Ethiopia, or the Ocean, unless we should agree with
the philosopher Zeno in altering the Homeric line as follows,
I came to the Ethiopians, the Sidonians, and the Arabians. note
Indeed we ought not to be surprised at meeting with this in
Homer, for those who have lived at a more recent period than
he did, have been ignorant of many things, and have told
strange tales. Hesiod has talked of Hemicynes, note
Megalocephali, and Pygmies; Alcman of
Steganopodes;aeschylus of Cynocephali, Sternophthalmi, and Monommati, (they say it is in his Prometheus,) and ten thousand other absurdities. From these he proceeds to censure the writers who talk of
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Strabo, Geography (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Str.].