τὴν δὲ Βιθυνίαν ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀνατολῆς ὁρίζουσι Παφλαγόνες τε καὶ Μαριανδυνοὶ καὶ τῶν Ἐπικτήτων τινές, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἄρκτων ἡ Ποντικὴ θάλαττα ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκβολῶν τοῦ Σαγγαρίου μέχρι τοῦ στόματος τοῦ κατὰ Βυζάντιον καὶ Χαλκηδόνα, ἀπὸ δὲ δύσεως ἡ Προποντίς, πρὸς νότον δʼ ἥ τε Μυσία καὶ ἡ ἐπίκτητος καλουμένη Φρυγία, ἡ δʼ αὐτὴ καὶ Ἑλλησποντιακὴ Φρυγία καλουμένη.
BITHYNIA is bounded on the east by the Paphlagonians, Mariandyni, and by some tribes of the Epicteti; on the north by the line of the sea-coast of the Euxine, extending from the mouth of the Sangarius to the straits at Byzantium and Chalcedon; on the west by the Propontis; on the south by Mysia and Phrygia Epictetus, as it is called, which has the name also of Hellespontic Phrygia.
ταύτης δʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τῷ στόματι τοῦ Πόντου Χαλκηδὼν ἵδρυται, Μεγαρέων κτίσμα, καὶ κώμη Χρυσόπολις καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ Χαλκηδόνιον, ἔχει δʼ ἡ χώρα μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάττης κρήνην Ἀζαριτίαν, τρέφουσαν κροκοδείλους μικρούς· ἔπειτʼ ἐκδέχεται τὴν τῶν Χαλκηδονίων ᾐόνα ὁ Ἀστακηνὸς καλούμενος κόλπος, μέρος ὢν τῆς Προποντίδος, ἐν ᾧ ἡ Νικομήδεια ἔκτισται ἐπώνυμος ἑνὸς τῶν Βιθυνικῶν βασιλέων τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτήν· πολλοὶ δʼ ὁμωνύμως ὠνομάσθησαν, καθάπερ Πτολεμαῖοι διὰ τὴν τοῦ πρώτου δόξαν. ἦν δʼ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κόλπῳ καὶ Ἀστακὸς πόλις, Μεγαρέων κτίσμα καὶ Ἀθηναίων καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Δοιδαλσοῦ, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ ὁ κόλπος ὠνομάσθη· κατεσκάφη δʼ ὑπὸ Λυσιμάχου· τοὺς δʼ οἰκήτορας μετήγαγεν εἰς Νικομήδειαν ὁ κτίσας αὐτήν.
Here upon the mouth of the Pontus is situated Chal cedon, founded by the Megareans, the village Chrysopolis, and the Chalcedonian temple. In the country a little above the sea-coast is a fountain, Azaritia, (Azaretia?) which breeds small crocodiles.
Next follows the coast of the Chalcedonians, the bay of Astacus, as it is called, which is a part of the Propontis.
Here Nicomedia is situated, bearing the name of one of the Bithynian kings by whom it was founded. Many kings however have taken the same name, as the Ptolemies, on account of the fame of the first person who bore it.
On the same bay was Astacus a city founded by Megareans and Athenians; it was afterwards again colonized by Doedalsus. The bay had its name from the city. It was razed by Lysimachus. The founder of Nicomedia transferred its inhabitants to the latter city.
τῷ δʼ Ἀστακηνῷ κόλπος ἄλλος συνεχής ἐστιν, εἰσέχων μᾶλλον πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον, ἐν ᾧ Προυσιὰς ἔστιν ἡ Κίος πρότερον ὀνομασθεῖσα· κατέσκαψε δὲ τὴν Κίον Φίλιππος, ὁ Δημητρίου μὲν υἱὸς Περσέως δὲ πατήρ, ἔδωκε δὲ Προυσίᾳ τῷ Ζήλα, συγκατασκάψαντι καὶ ταύτην καὶ Μύρλειαν ἀστυγείτονα πόλιν, πλησίον δὲ καὶ Προύσης οὖσαν· ἀναλαβὼν δʼ ἐκεῖνος ἐκ τῶν ἐρειπίων αὐτὰς ἐπωνόμασεν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μὲν Προυσιάδα πόλιν τὴν Κίον, τὴν δὲ Μύρλειαν Ἀπάμειαν ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικός. οὗτος δʼ ἔστιν ὁ Προυσίας ὁ καὶ Ἀννίβαν δεξάμενος ἀναχωρήσαντα δεῦρο μετὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχου ἧτταν, καὶ τῆς ἐφʼ Ἑλλησπόντῳ Φρυγίας ἀναστὰς κατὰ συμβάσεις τοῖς Ἀτταλικοῖς, ἣν οἱ μὲν πρότερον ἐκάλουν μικρὰν Φρυγίαν, ἐκεῖνοι δʼ ἐπίκτητον ὠνόμασαν· ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῆς Προυσιάδος ὄρος ὃ καλοῦσιν Ἀργανθώνιον. ἐνταῦθα δὲ μυθεύουσι τὸν Ὕλαν ἕνα τῶν Ἡρακλέους ἑταίρων συμπλεύσαντα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργοῦς αὐτῷ ἐξιόντα δὲ ἐπὶ ὑδρείαν ὑπὸ νυμφῶν ἁρπαγῆναι· κίον δὲ καὶ τοῦτον Ἡρακλέους ἑταῖρον καὶ σύμπλουν ἐπανελθόντα ἐκ Κόλχων αὐτόθι καταμεῖναι καὶ κτίσαι τὴν πόλιν ἐπώνυμον αὐτοῦ. καὶ νῦν δʼ ἔτι ἑορτή τις ἄγεται παρὰ τοῖς Προυσιεῦσιν καὶ ὀρειβασία θιασευόντων καὶ καλούντων Ὕλαν, ὡς ἂν κατὰ ζήτησιν τὴν ἐκείνου πεποιημένων τὴν ἐπὶ τὰς ὕλας ἔξοδον. πολιτευσάμενοι δὲ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους οἱ Προυσιεῖς εὐνοϊκῶς ἐλευθερίας ἔτυχον. οἱ δʼ Ἀπαμεῖς ἀποικίαν ἐδέξαντο Ῥωμαίων. Προῦσα δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ ἵδρυται τῷ Μυσίῳ, πόλις εὐνομουμένη, τοῖς τε Φρυξὶν ὅμορος καὶ τοῖς Μυσοῖς, κτίσμα Προυσίου τοῦ πρὸς Κροῖσον πολεμήσαντος.
There is another bay continuous with that of Astacus, which advances further towards the east, and where is situated Prusias, formerly called Cius. Philip, the son of Demetrius, and father of Perseus, gave it to Prusias, son of Zelas, who had assisted him in destroying both this and Myrleia, a neighbouring city, and also situated near Prusa. He rebuilt them from their ruins, and called the city Cius Prusias, after his own name, and Myrleia he called Apameia, after that of his wife. This is the Prusias who received Hannibal, (who took refuge with him hither after the defeat of Antiochus,) and retired from Phrygia on the Hellespont, according to agreement with the Attalici. This country was formerly called Lesser Phrygia, but by the Attalici Phrygia Epictetus. Above Prusias is a mountain which is called Arganthonius. Here is the scene of the fable of Hylas, one of the companions of Hercules in the ship Argo, who, having disembarked in order to obtain water for the vessel, was carried away by nymphs. Cius, as the story goes, was a friend and companion of Hercules; on his return from Colchis, he settled there and founded the city which bears his name. At the present time a festival called Oreibasia, is celebrated by the Prusienses, who wander about the mountains and woods, a rebel rout, calling on Hylas by name, as though in search of him.
The Prusienses having shown a friendly disposition towards the Romans in their administration of public affairs, obtained their freedom. But the Apamies were obliged to admit a Roman colony.
Prusa, situated below the Mysian Olympus, on the borders of the Phrygians and the Mysians, is a well-governed city; it was founded by Cyrus, who made war against Croesus.
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