μετὰ δὲ Λάμον Σόλοι πόλις ἀξιόλογος, τῆς ἄλλης Κιλικίας ἀρχὴ τῆς περὶ τὸν Ἰσσόν, Ἀχαιῶν καὶ Ῥοδίων κτίσμα τῶν ἐκ Λίνδου· εἰς ταύτην λιπανδρήσασαν Πομπήιος Μάγνος κατῴκισε τοὺς περιγενομένους τῶν πειρατῶν, οὓς μάλιστα ἔγνω σωτηρίας καὶ προνοίας τινὸς ἀξίους, καὶ μετωνόμασε Πομπηιόπολιν. γεγόνασι δʼ ἄνδρες ἐνθένδε τῶν ὀνομαστῶν Χρύσιππός τε ὁ στωικὸς φιλόσοφος πατρὸς ὢν Ταρσέως ἐκεῖθεν μετοικήσαντος, καὶ Φιλήμων ὁ κωμικὸς ποιητής, καὶ Ἄρατος ὁ τὰ φαινόμενα συγγράψας ἐν ἔπεσιν.
Next to Lamus is Soli, a considerable city, where the other Cilicia, that about Issus, commences. It was founded by Achaeans, and by Rhodians from Lindus. Pompey the Great transferred to this city, which had a scanty population, the survivors of the pirates, whom he thought most entitled to protection and clemency, and changed its name to Pompeiopolis.
Chrysippus the Stoic philosopher, the son of an inhabitant of Tarsus, who left it to live at Soli; Philemon the comic poet; and Aratus, who composed a poem called the Phaenomena, were among the illustrious natives of this place.
εἶτα Ζεφύριον ὁμώνυμον τῷ πρὸς Καλύδνῳ· εἶτʼ Ἀγχιάλη μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάττης, κτίσμα Σαρδαναπάλλου, φησὶν Ἀριστόβουλος· ἐνταῦθα δʼ εἶναι μνῆμα τοῦ Σαρδαναπάλλου καὶ τύπον λίθινον συμβάλλοντα τοὺς τῆς δεξιᾶς χειρὸς δακτύλους ὡς ἂν ἀποκροτοῦντα, καὶ ἐπιγραφὴν εἶναι Ἀσσυρίοις γράμμασι τοιάνδε Σαρδανάπαλλος ὁ Ἀνακυνδαράξεω παῖς Ἀγχιάλην καὶ Ταρσὸν ἔδειμεν ἡμέρῃ μιῇ. ἔσθιε πῖνε παῖζε, ὡς τἆλλα τούτου οὐκ ἄξια, τοῦ ἀποκροτήματος. μέμνηται δὲ καὶ Χοιρίλος τούτων· καὶ δὴ καὶ περιφέρεται τὰ ἔπη ταυτί ταῦτʼ ἔχω, ὅσσʼ ἔφαγον καὶ ἀφύβρισα, καὶ μετʼ ἔρωτος / τέρπνʼ ἔπαθον, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ ὄλβια κεῖνα λέλειπται. /
Next follows Zephyrium, of the same name as that near Calycadnus; then Anchiale, a little above the sea, built by Sardanapalus, according to Aristobulus. (According to the same author) the tomb of Sardanapalus is here, and a stone figure representing him with the fingers of his right hand brought together as in the act of snapping them, and the following inscription in Assyrian letters: SARDANAPALUS, THE SON OF ANACYNDARAXES, BUILT ANCHIALE AND TARSUS IN ONE DAY. EAT, DRINK, BE MERRY; EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOT WORTH THAT—the snapping of the fingers.
Choerilus mentions this inscription, and the following lines are everywhere known: Meat and drink, wanton jests, and the delights of love, these I have enjoyed; but my great wealth I have left behind.
ὑπέρκειται δὲ τὰ Κύινδα τῆς Ἀγχιάλης ἔρυμα, ᾧ ἐχρήσαντό ποτε οἱ Μακεδόνες γαζοφυλακίῳ· ἦρε δὲ τὰ χρήματα Εὐμένης ἀποστὰς Ἀντιγόνου. ἔτι δʼ ὕπερθεν τούτου τε καὶ τῶν Σόλων ὀρεινή ἐστιν, ἐν ᾗ Ὄλβη πόλις Διὸς ἱερὸν ἔχουσα, Αἴαντος ἵδρυμα τοῦ Τεύκρου· καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς δυνάστης ἐγίνετο τῆς Τραχειώτιδος· εἶτʼ ἐπέθεντο τῇ χώρᾳ τύραννοι πολλοί, καὶ συνέστη τὰ λῃστήρια. μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων κατάλυσιν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἤδη τὴν τοῦ Τεύκρου δυναστείαν ταύτην ἐκάλουν, τὴν δʼ αὐτὴν καὶ ἱερωσύνην· καὶ οἱ πλεῖστοί γε τῶν ἱερασαμένων ὠνομάζοντο Τεῦκροι ἢ Αἴαντες. εἰσιοῦσα δὲ Ἄβα κατʼ ἐπιγαμίαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, ἡ Ζηνοφάνους θυγάτηρ ἑνὸς τῶν τυράννων, αὐτὴ κατέσχε τὴν ἀρχὴν προλαβόντος τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν ἐπιτρόπου σχήματι· ὕστερον δὲ καὶ Ἀντώνιος καὶ Κλεοπάτρα κατεχαρίσαντο ἐκείνῃ θεραπείαις ἐκλιπαρηθέντες· ἔπειθʼ ἡ μὲν κατελύθη τοῖς δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους διέμεινεν ἡ ἀρχή. μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀγχιάλην αἱ τοῦ Κύδνου ἐκβολαὶ κατὰ τὸ Ῥῆγμα καλούμενον. ἔστι δὲ λιμνάζων τόπος ἔχων καὶ παλαιὰ νεώρια, εἰς ὃν ἐκπίπτει ὁ Κύδνος ὁ διαρρέων μέσην τὴν Ταρσὸν τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχων ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπερκειμένου τῆς πόλεως Ταύρου· καὶ ἔστιν ἐπίνειον ἡ λίμνη τῆς Ταρσοῦ.
Above Anchiale is situated Cyinda a fortress, where the Macedonian kings formerly kept their treasure. Eumenes, when he revolted from Antigonus, took it away. Further above this place and Soli, is a mountainous tract, where is situated Olbe a city, which has a temple of Jupiter, founded by Ajax, son of Teucer. The priest of this temple was master of the Tracheiotis. Subsequently many tyrants seized upon the country, and it became the retreat of robbers. After their extermination, the country was called, even to our times, the dominion of Teucer; and the priesthood, the priesthood of Teucer; indeed, most of the priests had the name of Teucer, or of Ajax. Aba, the daughter of Xenophanes, one of the tyrants, entered into this family by marriage, and obtained possession of the government. Her father had previously administered it as guardian, but Antony and Cleopatra afterwards conferred it upon Aba, as a favour, being ultimately prevailed upon to do so by her entreaties and attentions. She was afterwards dispossessed, but the government remained in the hands of the descendants of her family.
Next to Anchiale are the mouths of the Cydnus at the Rhegma, (the Rent,) as it is called. It is a place like a lake, and has ancient dockyards; here the Cydnus discharges itself, after flowing through the middle of Tarsus. It rises in the Taurus, which overhangs the city. The lake is a naval arsenal of Tarsus.
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