̔η δὲ μεγάλη σύρτις τὸν μὲν κύκλον ἔχει σταδίων ἐνακοσίων τριάκοντά που, τὴν δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν μυχὸν διάμετρον χιλίων πεντακοσίων, τοσοῦτον δέ που καὶ τὸ τοῦ στόματος πλάτος. ἡ χαλεπότης δὲ καὶ ταύτης τῆς σύρτεως καὶ τῆς μικρᾶς […] ὅτι πολλαχοῦ τεναγώδης ἐστὶν ὁ βυθὸς καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἀμπώτεις καὶ τὰς πλημμυρίδας συμβαίνει τισὶν ἐμπίπτειν εἰς τὰ βράχη καὶ καθίζειν, σπάνιον δʼ εἶναι τὸ σωζόμενον σκάφος. διόπερ πόρρωθεν τὸν παράπλουν ποιοῦνται φυλαττόμενοι μὴ ἐμπέσοιεν εἰς τοὺς κόλπους ὑπʼ ἀνέμων ἀφύλακτοι ληφθέντες· τὸ μέντοι παρακίνδυνον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων διαπειρᾶσθαι ποιεῖ, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν παρὰ γῆν παράπλων. εἰσπλέοντι δὴ τὴν μεγάλην σύρτιν ἐν δεξιᾷ μετὰ τὰς Κεφαλὰς ἔστι λίμνη τριακοσίων που σταδίων τὸ μῆκος ἑβδομήκοντα δὲ τὸ πλάτος, ἐκδιδοῦσα εἰς τὸν κόλπον, ἔχουσα καὶ νησία καὶ ὕφορμον πρὸ τοῦ στόματος. μετὰ δὲ τὴν λίμνην τόπος ἐστὶν Ἀσπὶς καὶ λιμὴν κάλλιστος τῶν ἐν τῇ σύρτει. συνεχὴς δὲ ὁ Εὐφράντας πύργος ἐστίν, ὅριον τῆς πρότερον Καρχηδονίας γῆς καὶ τῆς Κυρηναίας τῆς ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίῳ· εἶτʼ ἄλλος τόπος Χάραξ καλούμενος, ᾧ ἐμπορίῳ ἐχρῶντο Καρχηδόνιοι κομίζοντες οἶνον, ἀντιφορτιζόμενοι δὲ ὀπὸν καὶ σίλφιον παρὰ τῶν ἐκ Κυρήνης λάθρᾳ παρακομιζόντων· εἶθʼ οἱ Φιλαίνων βωμοί· καὶ μετὰ δὲ τούτους Αὐτόμαλα φρούριον φυλακὴν ἔχον, ἱδρυμένον κατὰ τὸν μυχὸν τοῦ κόλπου παντός. ἔστι δʼ ὁ διὰ τοῦ μυχοῦ τούτου παράλληλος τοῦ μὲν διʼ Ἀλεξανδρείας μικρῷ νοτιώτερος χιλίοις σταδίοις, τοῦ δὲ διὰ Καρχηδόνος ἐλάττοσιν ἢ δισχιλίοις· πίπτοι δʼ ἂν τῇ μὲν καθʼ Ἡρώων πόλιν τὴν ἐν τῷ μυχῷ τοῦ Ἀραβίου κόλπου, τῇ δὲ κατὰ τὴν μεσόγαιαν τῶν Μασαισυλίων καὶ τῶν Μαυρουσίων· ὅπου τὸ λειπόμενον ἤδη τῆς παραλίας ἐστὶν εἰς πόλιν Βερενίκην στάδιοι χίλιοι πεντακόσιοι. ὑπέρκεινται δὲ τοῦ μήκους τοῦδε παρήκοντες καὶ μέχρι τῶν Φιλαίνου βωμῶν οἱ προσαγορευόμενοι Νασαμῶνες, Λιβυκὸν ἔθνος· ἔχει δὲ τὸ μεταξὺ διάστημα καὶ λιμένας οὐ πολλοὺς ὑδρεῖά τε σπάνια. ἔστι δὲ ἄκρα λεγομένη Ψευδοπενιάς, ἐφʼ ἧς ἡ Βερενίκη τὴν θέσιν ἔχει παρὰ λίμνην τινὰ Τριτωνίδα, ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα νησίον ἐστὶ καὶ ἱερὸν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἐν αὐτῷ· ἔστι δὲ καὶ λίμνη Ἑσπερίδων, καὶ ποταμὸς ἐμβάλλει Λάθων. ἐνδοτέρω δὲ τῆς Βερενίκης ἐστὶ τὸ μικρὸν ἀκρωτήριον λεγόμενον Βόρειον ὃ ποιεῖ τὸ στόμα τῆς σύρτεως πρὸς τὰς Κεφαλάς· κεῖται δὲ ἡ Βερενίκη κατὰ τὰ ἄκρα τῆς Πελοποννήσου, κατὰ τὸν καλούμενον Ἰχθύν καὶ ἔτι κατὰ τὴν Ζάκυνθον, ἐν διάρματι σταδίων τρισχιλίων ἑξακοσίων. ἐκ ταύτης τῆς πόλεως τριακοσταῖος πεζῇ περιώδευσε τὴν σύρτιν Μάρκος Κάτων, κατάγων στρατιὰν πλειόνων ἢ μυρίων ἀνδρῶν, εἰς μέρη διελὼν τῶν ὑδρείων χάριν· ὥδευσε δὲ πεζὸς ἐν ἄμμῳ βαθείᾳ καὶ καύμασι. μετὰ δὲ Βερενίκην πόλις ἐστὶ Ταύχειρα ἣν καὶ Ἀρσινόην καλοῦσιν· εἶθʼ ἡ Βάρκη πρότερον, νῦν δὲ Πτολεμαΐς· εἶτα Φυκοῦς ἄκρα, ταπεινὴ μὲν πλεῖστον δʼ ἐκκειμένη πρὸς ἄρκτον παρὰ τὴν ἄλλην τὴν Λιβυκὴν παραλίαν· κεῖται δὲ κατὰ Ταίναρον τῆς Λακωνικῆς ἐν διάρματι δισχιλίων ὀκτακοσίων σταδίων· ἔστι δὲ καὶ πολίχνιον ὁμώνυμον τῇ ἄκρᾳ. οὐ πολὺ δὲ τοῦ Φυκοῦντος ἀπέχει τὸ τῶν Κυρηναίων ἐπίνειον ἡ Ἀπολλωνία, ὅσον ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα σταδίοις, τῆς δὲ Βερενίκης χιλίοις, τῆς δὲ Κυρήνης ὀγδοήκοντα, πόλεως μεγάλης ἐν τραπεζοειδεῖ πεδίῳ κειμένης, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ πελάγους ἑωρῶμεν αὐτήν.
The circuit of the Great Syrtis is about 3930 stadia, its depth to the recess is 1500 stadia, and its breadth at the mouth is also nearly the same. The difficulty of navigating both these and the Lesser Syrtis [arises from the circumstances of] the soundings in many parts being soft mud. It sometimes happens, on the ebbing and flowing of the tide, that vessels are carried upon the shallows, settle down, and are seldom recovered. Sailors therefore, in coasting, keep at a distance (from the shore), and are on their guard, lest they should be caught by a wind unprepared, and driven into these gulfs. Yet the daring disposition of man induces him to attempt everything, and particularly the coasting along a shore. On entering the Great Syrtis on the right, after passing the promontory Cephalae, is a lake of about 300 stadia in length, and 70 stadia in breadth, which communicates with the gulf, and has at its entrance small islands and an anchorage. After the lake follows a place called Aspis, and a harbour, the best of all in the Syrtis. Near this place is the tower Euphrantas, the boundary between the former territory of Carthage and Cyrenaïca under Ptolemy (Soter). Then another place, called Charax, which the Carthaginians frequented as a place of commerce, with cargoes of wine, and loaded in return with silphium and its juice, which they received from merchants who brought it away clandestinely from Cyrene; then the Altars of the Philaeni; after these Automola, a fortress defended by a garrison, and situated in the recess of the whole gulf. The parallel passing through this recess is more to the south than that passing through Alexandreia by 1000 stadia, and than that passing through Carthage by less than 2000 stadia; but it would coincide with the parallel passing, on one side, through Heroopolis, which is situated in the recess of the Arabian Gulf, and passing, on the other, through the interior of the territory of the Masaesylii and the Mauretanians. The rest of the sea-coast, to the city Berenice, is 1500 stadia in length. Above this length of coast, and extending to the Altars of the Philaeni, are situated an African nation called Nasamones. The intervening distance (between the recess of the Syrtis and Berenice) contains but few harbours, and watering-places are rare.
On a promontory called Pseudopenias is situated Berenice, near a lake Tritonis, in which is to be observed a small island with a temple of Venus upon it. There also is a lake of the Hesperides, into which flows a river (called) Lathon. On this side of Berenice is a small promontory called Boreion (or North Cape), which with Cephalae forms the entrance of the Syrtis. Berenice lies opposite to the promontories of Peloponnesus, namely, those called Ichthys and [Chelonatas], and also to the island Zacynthus, at an interval of 3600 stadia. Marcus Cato marched from this city, round the Syrtis, in thirty days, at the head of an army composed of more than 10,000 men, separated into divisions on account of the watering-places; his course lay through deep sand, under burning heat. After Berenice is a city Taucheira, called also Arsinoë; then Barca, formerly so called, but now Ptolemaïs; then the promontory Phycus, which is low, but extends further to the north than the rest of the African coast: it is opposite to Taenarum, in Laconia, at the distance of 2800 stadia; on it there is also a small town of the same name as the promontory. Not far from Phycus, at a distance of about 170 stadia, is Apollonias, the naval arsenal of Cyrene; from Berenice it is distant 1000 stadia, and 80 stadia from Cyrene, a considerable city situated on a table-land, as I observed it from the sea.
ἔστι δὲ Θηραίων κτίσμα, Λακωνικῆς νήσου, ἣν καὶ Καλλίστην ὠνόμαζον τὸ παλαιόν, ὥς φησι καὶ Καλλίμαχος καλλίστη τὸ πάροιθε, τὸ δʼ ὕστερον οὔνομα Θήρη, μήτηρ εὐίππου πατρίδος ἡμετέρης. κεῖται δὲ τὸ τῶν Κυρηναίων ἐπίνειον κατὰ τὸ ἑσπέριον τῆς Κρήτης ἄκρον, τὸ τοῦ Κριοῦ μέτωπον, ἐν διάρματι χιλίων σταδίων· ὁ δὲ πλοῦς λευκονότῳ. λέγεται δὲ ἡ Κυρήνη κτίσμα Βάττου· πρόγονον δὲ τοῦτον ἑαυτοῦ φάσκει Καλλίμαχος· ηὐξήθη δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς χώρας· καὶ γὰρ ἱπποτρόφος ἐστὶν ἀρίστη καὶ καλλίκαρπος, καὶ πολλοὺς ἄνδρας ἀξιολόγους ἔσχε καὶ δυναμένους ἐλευθερίας ἀξιολόγως προΐστασθαι καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπερκειμένους βαρβάρους ἰσχυρῶς ἀντέχειν. τὸ μὲν οὖν παλαιὸν αὐτόνομος ἦν ἡ πόλις· εἶτα οἱ τὴν Αἴγυπτον κατασχόντες Μακεδόνες αὐξηθέντες ἐπέθεντο αὐτοῖς, ἀρξάντων τῶν περὶ Θίβρωνα τῶν ἀνελόντων τὸν Ἅρπαλον. βασιλευθέντες δὲ χρόνους τινὰς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἐξουσίαν ἦλθον, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ἐπαρχία τῇ Κρήτῃ συνεζευγμένη· τῆς δὲ Κυρήνης ἐστὶ περιπόλια ἥ τε Ἀπολλωνία καὶ ἡ Βάρκη καὶ ἡ Ταύχειρα καὶ Βερενίκη καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πολίχνια τὰ πλησίον.
Cyrene was founded by the inhabitants of Thera, a Lacedaemonian island which was formerly called Calliste, as Callimachus says, Calliste once its name, but Thera in later times, the mother of my home, famed for its steeds. The harbour of Cyrene is situated opposite to Criu-Metopon, the western cape of Crete, distant 2000 stadia. The passage is made with a south-south-west wind. Cyrene is said to have been founded by Battus, whom Callimachus claims to have been his ancestor. The city flourished from the excellence of the soil, which is peculiarly adapted for breeding horses, and the growth of fine crops. It has produced many men of distinction, who have shown themselves capable of worthily maintaining the freedom of the place, and firmly resisting the barbarians of the interior; hence the city was independent in ancient times, but subsequently it was attacked [successfully] by the Macedonians, (who had conquered Egypt, and thus increased their power,) under the command of Thibron the murderer of Harpalus: having continued for some time to be governed by kings, it finally came under the power of the Romans, and with Crete forms a single province. In the neighbourhood of Cyrene are Apollonia, Barca, Taucheira, Berenice, and other small towns close by.
ὁμορεῖ δὲ τῇ Κυρηναίᾳ ἡ τὸ σίλφιον φέρουσα καὶ τὸν ὀπὸν τὸν Κυρηναῖον, ὃν ἐκφέρει τὸ σίλφιον ὀπισθέν· ἐγγὺς δʼ ἦλθε τοῦ ἐκλιπεῖν ἐπελθόντων τῶν βαρβάρων κατὰ ἔχθραν τινὰ καὶ φθειράντων τὰς ῥίζας τοῦ φυτοῦ· εἰσὶ δὲ νομάδες.
ἄνδρες δʼ ἐγένοντο γνώριμοι Κυρηναῖοι Ἀρίστιππός τε ὁ Σωκρατικός, ὅστις καὶ τὴν Κυρηναϊκὴν κατεβάλετο φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ θυγάτηρ Ἀρήτη τοὔνομα, ἥπερ διεδέξατο τὴν σχολήν, καὶ ὁ ταύτην πάλιν διαδεξάμενος υἱὸς Ἀρίστιππος ὁ κληθεὶς Μητροδίδακτος, καὶ Ἀννίκερις ὁ δοκῶν ἐπανορθῶσαι τὴν Κυρηναϊκὴν αἵρεσιν καὶ παραγαγεῖν ἀντʼ αὐτῆς τὴν Ἀννικερείαν. Κυρηναῖος δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ Καλλίμαχος καὶ Ἐρατοσθένης, ἀμφότεροι τετιμημένοι παρὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίων βασιλεῦσιν, ὁ μὲν ποιητὴς ἅμα καὶ περὶ γραμματικὴν ἐσπουδακώς, ὁ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ φιλοσοφίαν καὶ τὰ μαθήματα εἴ τις ἄλλος διαφέρων. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ Καρνεάδης (οὗτος δὲ τῶν ἐξ Ἀκαδημίας ἄριστος φιλοσόφων ὁμολογεῖται) καὶ ὁ Κρόνος δὲ Ἀπολλώνιος ἐκεῖθέν ἐστιν, ὁ τοῦ διαλεκτικοῦ Διοδώρου διδάσκαλος τοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ Κρόνου προσαγορευθέντος, μετενεγκάντων τινῶν τὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου ἐπίθετον ἐπὶ τὸν μαθητήν.
μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀπολλωνίαν ἐστὶν ἡ λοιπὴ τῶν Κυρηναίων παραλία μέχρι Καταβαθμοῦ σταδίων δισχιλίων διακοσίων, οὐ πάνυ εὐπαράπλους· καὶ γὰρ λιμένες ὀλίγοι καὶ ὕφορμοι καὶ κατοικίαι καὶ ὑδρεῖα. τῶν δὲ μάλιστα ὀνομαζομένων κατὰ τὸν παράπλουν τόπων τό τε Ναύσταθμόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ Ζεφύριον πρόσορμον ἔχον καὶ ἄλλο Ζεφύριον καὶ ἄκρα Χερρόνησος λιμένα ἔχουσα· κεῖται δὲ κατὰ * κύκλον τῆς Κρήτης ἐν διάρματι χιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων σταδίων νότῳ· εἶτα Ἡράκλειόν τι ἱερὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κώμη Παλίουρος· εἶτα λιμὴν Μενέλαος καὶ Ἀρδανὶς ἄκρα ταπεινὴ ὕφορμον ἔχουσα· εἶτα μέγας λιμὴν καθʼ ὃν ἡ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ Χερρόνησος ἵδρυται, δισχιλίων που σταδίων δίαρμα ἀπολείπουσα μεταξύ· ὅλη γὰρ σχεδόν τι τῇ παραλίᾳ ταύτῃ ἀντίκειται παράλληλος ἡ Κρήτη στενὴ καὶ μακρά. μετὰ δὲ τὸν μέγαν λιμένα ἄλλος λιμὴν Πλυνός, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν Τετραπυργία. καλεῖται δὲ ὁ τόπος Κατάβαθμος· μέχρι δεῦρο ἡ Κυρηναία. τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἤδη μέχρι Παραιτονίου κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν εἴρηται ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς Αἰγυπτιακοῖς.
Bordering upon Cyrenaica is the district which produces silphium, and the juice called Cyrenaic, which the silphium discharges from incisions made in it. The plant was once nearly lost, in consequence of a spiteful incursion of barbarians, who attempted to destroy all the roots. The inhabitants of this district are nomades.
Remarkable persons of Cyrene were Aristippus, the Socratic philosopher, who established the Cyrenaïc philosophy, and his daughter named Arete, who succeeded to his school; she again was succeeded by her son Aristippus, who was called Metrodidactos, (mother-taught,) and Anniceris, who is supposed to have reformed the Cyrenaic sect, and to have introduced in its stead the Anniceric sect. Callimachus and Eratosthenes were also of Cyrene, both of whom were held in honour by the kings of Egypt; the former was both a poet and a zealous grammarian; the latter followed not only these pursuits, but also philosophy, and was distinguished above all others for his knowledge of mathematics. Carneades also came from thence, who by common consent was the first of the Academic philosophers, and Apollonius Cronos, the master of Diodorus the Dialectician, who was also called Cronos, for the epithet of the master was by some transferred to the scholar.
The rest of the sea-coast of Cyrene from Apollonia to Catabathmus is 2200 stadia in length; it does not throughout afford facilities for coasting along it; for harbours, anchorage, habitations, and watering-places are few. The places most in repute along the coast are the Naustathmus, and Zephyrium with an anchorage, also another Zephyrium, and a promontory called Chersonesus, with a harbour situated opposite to and to the south of Corycus in Crete, at the distance of 2500 stadia; then a temple of Hercules, and above it a village Paliurus; then a harbour Menelaus, and a low promontory Ardanixis, (Ardanis,) with an anchorage; then a great harbour, which is situated opposite to Chersonesus in Crete, at a distance of about 3000 (2000 ?) stadia; for the whole of Crete, which is (a) long and narrow (island), lies opposite and nearly parallel to this coast. After the great harbour is another harbour, Plynos, and about it Tetra-pyrgia (the four towers). The place is called Catabathmus. Cyrenaea extends to this point; the remainder (of the coast) to Paraetonium, and from thence to Alexandreia, we have spoken of in our account of Egypt.
τὴν δʼ ὑπερκειμένην ἐν βάθει χώραν τῆς σύρτεως καὶ τῆς Κυρηναίας κατέχουσιν οἱ Λίβυες, παράλυπρον καὶ αὐχμηράν· πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ Νασαμῶνες, ἔπειτα Ψύλλοι καί τινες Γαίτουλοι, ἔπειτα Γαράμαντες· πρὸς ἕω δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον οἱ Μαρμαρίδαι, προσχωροῦντες ἐπὶ πλέον τῇ Κυρηναίᾳ καὶ παρατείνοντες μέχρι Ἄμμωνος. τεταρταίους μὲν οὖν φασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ μυχοῦ τῆς μεγάλης σύρτεως τοῦ κατʼ Αὐτόμαλά πως βαδίζοντας ὡς ἐπὶ χειμερινὰς ἀνατολὰς ἀφικνεῖσθαι. ἔστι δὲ ὁ τόπος οὗτος ἐμφερὴς τῷ Ἄμμωνι, φοινικοτρόφος τε καὶ εὔυδρος, ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῆς Κυρηναίας πρὸς μεσημβρίαν· μέχρι μὲν σταδίων ἑκατὸν καὶ δενδροφόρος ἐστὶν ἡ γῆ, μέχρι δʼ ἄλλων ἑκατὸν σπείρεται μόνον, ὀρυζοτροφεῖ δʼ ἡ γῆ διὰ τὸν αὐχμόν. ὑπὲρ δὲ τούτων ἡ τὸ σίλφιον ἐστιν· εἶθʼ ἡ ἀοίκητος καὶ ἡ τῶν Γαραμάντων· ἔστι δʼ ἡ τὸ σίλφιον φέρουσα στενὴ καὶ παραμήκης καὶ παράξηρος, μῆκος μὲν ὡς ἐπὶ τὰς ἀνατολὰς ἰόντι ὅσον σταδίων χιλίων, πλάτος δὲ τριακοσίων ἢ μικρῷ πλειόνων τό γε γνώριμον. εἰκάζειν μὲν γὰρ ἅπασαν πάρεστι διηνεκῶς τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ παραλλήλου κειμένην τοιαύτην εἶναι κατά τε τοὺς ἀέρας καὶ τὴν τοῦ φυτοῦ φοράν· ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐμπίπτουσιν ἐρημίαι πλείους, τοὺς πάντας τόπους ἴσμεν· παραπλησίως δʼ ἀγνοεῖται καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἄμμωνος καὶ τῶν αὐάσεων μέχρι τῆς Αἰθιοπίας. οὐδʼ ἂν ἔχοιμεν λέγειν τοὺς ὅρους οὔτε τῆς Αἰθιοπίας οὔτε τῆς Λιβύης, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῆς πρὸς Αἰγύπτῳ τρανῶς, μή τί γε τῆς πρὸς τῷ ὠκεανῷ.
The country deep in the interior, and above the Syrtis and Cyrenaea, a very sterile and dry tract, is in the possession of Libyans. First are the Nasamones, then Psylli, and some Gaetuli, then Garamantes; somewhat more towards the east (than the Nasamones) are the Marmaridae, who are situated for the most part on the boundaries of Cyrenaea, and extend to the temple of Ammon. It is asserted, that persons directing their course from the recess of the Great Syrtis, (namely,) from about the neighbourhood of Automala, in the direction of the winter sunrise, arrive on the fourth day at Augila. This place resembles Ammon, and is productive of palm trees, and is well supplied with water. It is situated beyond Cyrenaea to the south: for 100 stadia the soil produces trees; for another 100 stadia the land is only sown, but from excessive heat does not grow rice.
Above these parts is the district which produces silphium, then follows the uninhabited tract, and the country of the Garamantes. The district which produces silphium is narrow, long, and dry, extending in an easterly direction about 1000 stadia, but in breadth 300 stadia, or rather more, at least as far as has been ascertained. For we may conjecture that all countries which lie on the same parallel (of latitude) have the same climate, and produce the same plants; but since many deserts intervene, we cannot know every place. In like manner, we have no information respecting the country beyond (the temple of) Ammon, nor of the oases, as far as Ethiopia, nor can we state distinctly what are the boundaries of Ethiopia, nor of Africa, nor even of the country close upon Egypt, still less of the parts bordering on the ocean.
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