προϊόντι δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ πεδίου καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ μὲν τὰ πρὸς ἕω μέρη πόλις ἐστὶν Ἀπολλωνία, μετεώροις ἐπικειμένη τόποις· ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν νότον ὀρεινὴ ῥάχις ἐστίν, ἣν ὑπερβᾶσι καὶ βαδίζουσιν ἐπὶ Σάρδεων πόλις ἐστὶν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ Θυάτειρα, κατοικία Μακεδόνων, ἣν Μυσῶν ἐσχάτην τινὲς φασίν. ἐν δεξιᾷ δʼ Ἀπολλωνίς, διέχουσα Περγάμου τριακοσίους σταδίους, τοὺς δὲ ἴσους καὶ τῶν Σάρδεων· ἐπώνυμος δʼ ἐστὶ τῆς Κυζικηνῆς Ἀπολλωνίδος· εἶτʼ ἐκδέχεται τὸ Ἕρμου πεδίον καὶ Σάρδεις· τὰ δὲ προσάρκτια τῷ Περγάμῳ τὰ πλεῖστα ὑπὸ Μυσῶν ἔχεται τὰ ἐν δεξιᾷ τῶν Ἀβαειτῶν λεγομένων, οἷς συνάπτει ἡ Ἐπίκτητος μέχρι Βιθυνίας.
Proceeding from the plain and the city towards the east, we meet with Apollonia, a city on an elevated site. To the south is a mountainous ridge, which having crossed on the road to Sardes, we find on the left hand the city Thyateira, a colony of the Macedonians, which some authors say is the last city belonging to the Mysians. On the right hand is Apollonis, 300 stadia from Pergamum, and the same distance from Sardes. It has its name from Apollonis of Cyzicus (wife of Attalus). Next are the plains of Hermus and Sardes. The country to the north of Pergamum is principally occupied by Mysians; it lies on the right hand of the people called Abaïtae, on whose borders is the Epictetus, extending to Bithynia.
αἱ δὲ Σάρδεις πόλις ἐστὶ μεγάλη, νεωτέρα μὲν τῶν Τρωικῶν ἀρχαία δʼ ὅμως, ἄκραν ἔχουσα εὐερκῆ· βασίλειον δʼ ὑπῆρξε τῶν Λυδῶν, οὓς ὁ ποιητὴς καλεῖ Μῄονας οἱ δʼ ὕστερον Μαίονας, οἱ μὲν τοὺς αὐτοὺς τοῖς Λυδοῖς οἱ δʼ ἑτέρους ἀποφαίνοντες· τοὺς δʼ αὐτοὺς ἄμεινόν ἐστι λέγειν. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῶν Σάρδεων ὁ Τμῶλος, εὔδαιμον ὄρος, ἐν τῇ ἀκρωρείᾳ σκοπὴν ἔχον, ἐξέδραν λευκοῦ λίθου, Περσῶν ἔργον, ἀφʼ οὗ κατοπτεύεται τὰ κύκλῳ πεδία καὶ μάλιστα τὸ Καϋστριανόν· περιοικοῦσι δὲ Λυδοὶ καὶ Μυσοὶ καὶ Μακεδόνες. ῥεῖ δʼ ὁ Πακτωλὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ Τμώλου, καταφέρων τὸ παλαιὸν ψῆγμα χρυσοῦ πολύ, ἀφʼ οὗ τὸν Κροίσου λεγόμενον πλοῦτον καὶ τῶν προγόνων αὐτοῦ διονομασθῆναί φασι· νῦν δʼ ἐκλέλοιπε τὸ ψῆγμα, ὡς εἴρηται. καταφέρεται δʼ ὁ Πακτωλὸς εἰς τὸν Ἕρμον, εἰς ὃν καὶ ὁ Ὕλλος ἐμβάλλει, Φρύγιος νυνὶ καλούμενος· συμπεσόντες δʼ οἱ τρεῖς καὶ ἄλλοι ἀσημότεροι σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν κατὰ Φώκαιαν ἐκδιδόασι θάλατταν, ὡς Ἡρόδοτός φησιν. ἄρχεται δʼ ἐκ Μυσίας ὁ Ἕρμος, ἐξ ὄρους ἱεροῦ τῆς Δινδυμήνης, καὶ διὰ τῆς Κατακεκαυμένης εἰς τὴν Σαρδιανὴν φέρεται καὶ τὰ συνεχῆ πεδία μέχρι τῆς θαλάττης. ὑπόκειται δὲ τῇ πόλει τό τε Σαρδιανὸν πεδίον καὶ τὸ τοῦ Κύρου καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἕρμου καὶ τὸ Καϋστριανόν, συνεχῆ τε ὄντα καὶ πάντων ἄριστα πεδίων. ἐν δὲ σταδίοις τετταράκοντα ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἔστιν ἡ Γυγαία μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ λεγομένη , Κολόη δʼ ὕστερον μετονομασθεῖσα, ὅπου τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Κολοηνῆς Ἀρτέμιδος μεγάλην ἁγιστείαν ἔχον. φασὶ δʼ ἐνταῦθα χορεύειν τοὺς καλάθους κατὰ τὰς ἑορτάς, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ποτὲ παραδοξολογοῦντες μᾶλλον ἢ ἀληθεύοντες.
Sardes is a large city, of later date than the Trojan times, yet ancient, with a strong citadel. It was the royal seat of the Lydians, whom the poet calls Meones, and later writers Meones, some asserting that they are the same, others that they are a different people, but the former is the preferable opinion.
Above Sardes is the Tmolus, a fertile mountain having on its summit a seat of white marble, a work of the Persians. There is a view from it of the plains around, particularly of that of the Caÿster. There dwell about it Lydians, Mysians, and Macedonians. The Pactolus flows from the Tmolus. It anciently brought down a large quantity of gold-dust, whence, it is said, the proverbial wealth of Croesus and his ancestors obtained renown. No gold-dust is found at present. The Pactolus descends into the Hermus, into which also the Hyllus, now called Phrygius, discharges itself: These three and other less considerable rivers unite in one stream, and, according to Herodotus, empty themselves into the sea at Phocaea.
The Hermus takes its rise in Mysia, descending from the sacred mountain of Dindymene; after traversing the Catacecaumene, it enters the Sardian territory, and passes through the contiguous plains to the sea, mentioned above. Below the city lie the plains of Sardes, of the Cyrus, of the Hermus, and of the Caÿster, which are contiguous to one another and the most fertile anywhere to be found.
At the distance of 40 stadia from the city is the lake Gygaea, as it is called by the poet. Its name was afterwards altered to Coloë. Here was a temple of Artemis Coloëne, held in the highest veneration. It is said that at the feasts celebrated here the baskets dance. I know not whether this is circulated as a strange story, or as truth.
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