Greek Texts & Translations

situated upon a peninsula, with harbours on each side of the isthmus. Amastris was the wife of Dionysius, the tyrant of Heracleia, and daughter of Oxyathres, the brother of the Darius who fought against Alexander. She formed the settlement out of four cities, Sesamus, Cytorum, Cromna, (mentioned by Homer in his recital of the Paphlagonian forces, ^note) and Tieium, which city however soon separated from the others, but the rest continued united. Of these, Sesamus is called the citadel of Amastris. Cytorum was formerly a mart of the people of Sinope. It had its name from Cytorus, the son of Phrixus, according to Ephorus. Box-wood of the best quality grows in great abundance in the territory of Amastris, and particularly about Cytorum.

aegialus is a line of sea-coast, in length more than 100 stadia. On it is a village of the same name, ^note which the poet mentions in these lines, Cromna, and Aegialus, and the lofty Erythini; ^note
Il. i. 855. but some authors write, Cromna and Cobialus.
The Erythini are said to be the present Erythrini, and to have their name from their (red) colour. They are two rocks. ^note

Next to Aegialus is Carambis, a large promontory stretching towards the north, and the Scythian Chersonesus. We have frequently mentioned this promontory, and the Criu-metopon opposite it, which divides the Euxine into two seas. ^note

Next to Carambis is Cinolis, ^note and Anti-Cinolis, and Aboniteichos, ^note a small city, and Armene, ^note which gave rise to the common proverb; He who had nothing to do built a wall about Armene.
It is a village of the Sinopenses, with a harbour. 11

Next is Sinope itself, distant from Armene 50 stadia, the most considerable of all the cities in that quarter. It was founded by Milesians, and when the inhabitants had established a naval force they commanded the sea within the Cya-