Greek Texts & Translations

it takes a turn to the south-west, and projects into the ocean, and from this point it seems to the inhabitants of Thasos, Lemnos, Imbros, Samothracia, ^note and the surrounding sea, that the west winds blow. ^note So in regard to Attica, they seem to come from the rocks of Sciros, ^note and this is the reason why all the westerly winds, the north-west more particularly, are called the Scirones. Of this Eratosthenes was not aware, though he suspected as much, for it was he who described this bending of the land [towards the south-west] which we have mentioned. But he interprets our poet in an absolute sense, and then taxes him with ignorance, because, says he, Zephyr blows from the west, and off Spain, and Thrace does not extend so far. Does he then think that Homer was not aware that Zephyr came from the west, notwithstanding the careful manner in which he distinguishes its position when he writes as follows: The east, the south, the heavy-blowing Zephyr,
And the cold north-wind clear. ^note
Odyssey v. 295. Or was he ignorant that Thrace did not extend beyond the Paeonian and Thessalian mountains. ^note To be sure he was well acquainted with the position of the countries adjoining Thrace in that direction, and does he not mention by name both the maritime and inland districts, and tells us of the Magnetae, ^note the Malians, ^note and other Grecian [territories], all in order, as far as Thesprotis; ^note also of the Dolopes ^note bordering on Paeo-