συναφεῖς δʼ εἰσὶ τούτοις οἵ τε ἄλλοι Πισίδαι καὶ οἱ Σελγεῖς, οἵπερ εἰσὶν ἀξιολογώτατοι τῶν Πισιδῶν. τὸ μὲν οὖν πλέον αὐτῶν μέρος τὰς ἀκρωρείας τοῦ Ταύρου κατέχει, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ Σίδης καὶ Ἀσπένδου Παμφυλικῶν πόλεων κατέχουσι γεώλοφα χωρία ἐλαιόφυτα πάντα, τὰ δʼ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἤδη ὀρεινά, Κατεννεῖς ὅμοροι Σελγεῦσι καὶ Ὁμοναδεῦσι, Σαγαλασσεῖς δʼ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐντὸς τὰ πρὸς τῇ Μιλυάδι.
CONTIGUOUS to these, among other tribes of the Pisidians, are the Selgeis, the most considerable tribe of the nation.
The greater part of the Pisidians occupy the summits of Taurus, but some tribes situated above Side and Aspendus, which are Pamphylian cities, occupy heights, all of which are planted with olives. The parts above these, a mountainous country, are occupied by the Catennenses, who border upon the Selgeis and the Homonadeis. The Sagalasseis occupy the parts within the Taurus towards Milyas.
φησὶ δʼ Ἀρτεμίδωρος τῶν Πισιδῶν πόλεις εἶναι Σέλγην Σαγαλασσὸν Πετνηλισσὸν Ἄδαδα Τυμβριάδα Κρῆμναν Πιτυασσὸν Ἄμβλαδα Ἀνάβουρα Σίνδα Ἀαρασσὸν Ταρβασσὸν Τερμησσόν· τούτων δʼ οἱ μέν εἰσι τελέως ὀρεινοί, οἱ δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῶν ὑπωρειῶν καθήκοντες ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα, ἐπί τε τὴν Παμφυλίαν καὶ τὴν Μιλυάδα, Φρυξὶ καὶ Λυδοῖς καὶ Καρσὶν ὅμοροι, πᾶσιν εἰρηνικοῖς ἔθνεσι καίπερ προσβόρροις οὖσιν. οἱ δὲ Πάμφυλοι πολὺ τοῦ Κιλικίου φύλου μετέχοντες οὐ τελέως ἀφεῖνται τῶν λῃστρικῶν ἔργων, οὐδὲ τοὺς ὁμόρους ἐῶσι καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ζῆν καίπερ τὰ νότια μέρη τῆς ὑπωρείας τοῦ Ταύρου κατέχοντες. εἰσὶ δὲ τοῖς Φρυξὶν ὅμοροι καὶ τῇ Καρίᾳ Τάβαι καὶ Σίνδα καὶ Ἄμβλαδα, ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Ἀμβλαδεὺς οἶνος ἐκφέρεται πρὸς διαίτας ἰατρικὰς ἐπιτήδειος.
Artemidorus says that Selge, Sagalassus, Petnelissus, Adada, Tymbrias, Cremna, Pityassus, (Tityassus?) Amblada, Anabura, Sinda, Aarassus, Tarbassus, Termessus, are cities of the Pisidians. Of these some are entirely among the mountains, others extend on each side even as far as the country at the foot of the mountains, and reach to Pamphylia and Milyas, and border on Phrygians, Lydians, and Carians, all of whom are disposed to peace, although situated to the north.
The Pamphylians, who partake much of the character of the Cilician nation, do not altogether abstain from predatory enterprises, nor permit the people on the confines to live in peace, although they occupy the southern parts of the country at the foot of Taurus.
On the confines of Phrygia and Caria, are Tabae, Sinda, and Amblada, whence is procured the Amblada wine, which is used in diet prescribed for the sick.
τῶν δʼ οὖν ὀρεινῶν οὓς εἶπον Πισιδῶν οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι κατὰ τυραννίδας μεμερισμένοι, καθάπερ οἱ Κίλικες, λῃστρικῶς ἤσκηνται· φασὶ δʼ αὐτοῖς τῶν Λελέγων συγκαταμιχθῆναι τινὰς τὸ παλαιόν, πλάνητας ἀνθρώπους, καὶ συμμεῖναι διὰ τὴν ὁμοιοτροπίαν αὐτόθι. Σέλγη δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἐκτίσθη πόλις, καὶ ἔτι πρότερον ὑπὸ Κάλχαντος· ὕστερον δὲ καθʼ αὑτὴν ἔμεινεν αὐξηθεῖσα ἐκ τοῦ πολιτεύεσθαι νομίμως, ὥστε καὶ δισμυρίανδρός ποτε εἶναι. θαυμαστὴ δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ φύσις τῶν τόπων· ἐν γὰρ ταῖς ἀκρωρείαις τοῦ Ταύρου χώρα μυριάδας τρέφειν δυναμένη σφόδρα εὔκαρπός ἐστιν, ὥστε καὶ ἐλαιόφυτα εἶναι πολλὰ χωρία καὶ εὐάμπελα, νομάς τε ἀφθόνους ἀνεῖσθαι παντοδαποῖς βοσκήμασι· κύκλῳ δʼ ὑπέρκεινται δρυμοὶ ποικίλης ὕλης. πλεῖστος δʼ ὁ στύραξ φύεται παρʼ αὐτοῖς, δένδρον οὐ μέγα ὀρθηλόν, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ τὰ στυράκινα ἀκοντίσματα, ἐοικότα τοῖς κρανεΐνοις· ἐγγίνεται δʼ ἐν τοῖς στελέχεσι ξυλοφάγου τι σκώληκος εἶδος, ὃ μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας διαφαγὸν τὸ ξύλον τὸ μὲν πρῶτον πιτύροις ἢ πρίσμασιν ἐοικός τι ψῆγμα προχεῖ, καὶ σωρὸς συνίσταται πρὸς τῇ ῥίζῃ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀπολείβεταί τις ὑγρασία δεχομένη πῆξιν ῥᾳδίαν παραπλησίαν τῇ κόμμει· ταύτης δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ ψῆγμα πρὸς τῇ ῥίζῃ κατενεχθὲν ἀναμίγνυται τούτῳ τε καὶ τῇ γῇ, πλὴν ὅσον ἐπιπολῆς συστὰν διαμένει καθαρόν, τὸ δʼ ἐν τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τοῦ στελέχους καθʼ ἣν ῥεῖ πήττεται, καὶ τοῦτο καθαρόν· ποιοῦσι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ καθαροῦ μῖγμα ξυλομιγές τι καὶ γεωμιγές, εὐωδέστερον τοῦ καθαροῦ, τῇ δʼ ἄλλῃ δυνάμει λειπόμενον (λανθάνει δὲ τοὺς πολλούς), ᾧ πλείστῳ χρῶνται θυμιάματι οἱ δεισιδαίμονες. ἐπαινεῖται δὲ καὶ ἡ Σελγικὴ ἶρις καὶ τὸ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ἄλειμμα. ἔχει δʼ ὀλίγας προσβάσεις περὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν τὴν Σελγέων, ὀρεινὴν κρημνῶν καὶ χαραδρῶν οὖσαν πλήρη, ἃς ποιοῦσιν ἄλλοι τε ποταμοὶ καὶ ὁ Εὐρυμέδων καὶ ὁ Κέστρος ἀπὸ τῶν Σελγικῶν ὀρῶν εἰς τὴν Παμφυλίαν ἐκπίπτοντες θάλατταν· γέφυραι δʼ ἐπίκεινται ταῖς ὁδοῖς. διὰ δὲ τὴν ἐρυμνότητα οὔτε πρότερον οὔθʼ ὕστερον οὐδʼ ἅπαξ οἱ Σελγεῖς ἐπʼ ἄλλοις ἐγένοντο, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν ἄλλην χώραν ἀδεῶς ἐκαρποῦντο, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς κάτω τῆς τε ἐν τῇ Παμφυλίᾳ καὶ τῆς ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου διεμάχοντο πρὸς τοὺς βασιλέας ἀεί· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐπὶ τακτοῖς τισι κατεῖχον τὴν χώραν· πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον δὲ πρεσβευσάμενοι δέχεσθαι τὰ προστάγματα εἶπον κατὰ φιλίαν· νῦν δὲ ὑπήκοοι τελέως γεγόνασι, καί εἰσιν ἐν τῇ ὑπὸ Ἀμύντᾳ τεταγμένῃ πρότερον.
All the rest of the mountain tribes of the Pisidians whom I have spoken of are divided into states governed by tyrants, and follow like the Cilicians a predatory mode of life. It is said that anciently some of the Leleges, a wandering people, were intermixed with them, and from the similarity of their habits and manners settled there.
Selge had the rank of a city from the first when founded by tle Lacedaemonians, but at a still earlier period by Calchas. Latterly it has maintained its condition and flourished in consequence of its excellent constitution and government, so that at one time it had a population of 20,000 persons. The place deserves admiration from the advantages which nature has bestowed upon it. Among the summits of Taurus is a very fertile tract capable of maintaining many thousand inhabitants. Many spots produce the olive and excellent vines, and afford abundant pasture for animals of all kinds. Above and all around are forests containing trees of various sorts. The styrax is found here in great abundance, a tree not large but straight in its growth. Javelins, similar to those of the cornel tree, are made of the wood of this tree. There is bred in the trunk of the styrax tree, a worm, which eats through the timber to the surface, and throws out raspings like bran, or saw-dust, a heap of which is collected at the root. Afterwards a liquid distils which readily concretes into a mass like gum. A part of this liquid descends upon and mixes with the raspings at the root of the tree, and with earth; a portion of it acquires consistence on the surface of the mass, and remains pure. That portion which flows along the surface of the trunk of the tree, and concretes, is also pure. A mixture is made of the impure part, which is a combination of wood-dust and earth; this has more odour than the pure styrax, but is inferior to it in its other properties. This is not commonly known. It is used for incense in large quantities by superstitious worshippers of the gods.
The Selgic iris also, and the unguent which is made from it, are in great esteem. There are few approaches about the city, and the mountainous country of the Selgeis, which abounds with precipices and ravines, formed among other rivers by the Eurymedon and the Cestrus, which descend from the Selgic mountains, and discharge themselves into the Pamphylian Sea. There are bridges on the roads. From the strength and security of their position the Selgeis were never at any time, nor on any single occasion, subject to any other people, but enjoyed unmolested the produce of their country, with the exception of that part situated below them in Pamphylia, and that within the Taurus, for which they were carrying on a continual warfare with the kings.
Their position with respect to the Romans was that they possessed this tract on certain conditions. They sent ambassadors to Alexander and offered to receive his commands in the character of friends, but at present they are altogether subject to the Romans, and are included in what was formerly the kingdom of Amyntas.
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