ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐᾶν δεῖ ὡς παιδικά. ἃ δʼ ἄν τις αἰτιάσαιτο τοῦ Ἐρατοσθένους τοιαῦτά ἐστι. καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ κατὰ μέλος τομὴ τῆς ἄλλως κατὰ μέρος διαφέρει (διότι ἡ μὲν καὶ τὰ μέρη λαμβάνει περιγραφὴν ἔχοντα φυσικήν, ἀρθρώσει τινὶ καὶ τύπῳ σημειώδη, ἡ δʼ οὐδὲν ἔχει τοιοῦτον), χρώμεθα δʼ οἰκείως ἑκατέρᾳ τὸν καιρὸν καὶ τὴν χρείαν σκοποῦντες, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν γεωγραφικῶν δεῖ μὲν τομὰς ποιεῖσθαι τῶν μερῶν τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα ἐπιόντας, μιμεῖσθαι δὲ τὰς κατὰ μέλος τομὰς μᾶλλον ἢ τὰς ὡς ἔτυχε. τὸ γὰρ σημειῶδες καὶ τὸ εὐπεριόριστον ἐκεῖθεν λαβεῖν ἔστιν, οὗ χρείαν ἔχει ὁ γεωγράφος· εὐπεριόριστον δέ, ὅταν ἢ ποταμοῖς ἢ ὄρεσιν ἢ θαλάττῃ δυνατὸν ᾖ, καὶ ἔθνει δὲ ἢ ἔθνεσι καὶ μεγέθει ποσῷ καὶ σχήματι, ὅπου τοῦτο δυνατόν. πανταχοῦ δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ γεωμετρικῶς τὸ ἁπλῶς καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς ἱκανόν. μέγεθος μὲν οὖν ἱκανόν ἐστιν, ἂν τὸ μέγιστον εἴπῃς μῆκος καὶ πλάτος, ὡς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἑπτὰ μυριάδων εἰ τύχοι μῆκος, πλάτος δʼ ἔλαττον ἢ ἥμισυ μικρῷ τοῦ μήκους· σχῆμα δʼ, ἂν τῶν γεωμετρικῶν τινὶ σχημάτων εἰκάσῃς, ὡς τὴν Σικελίαν τριγώνῳ, ἢ τῶν ἄλλων γνωρίμων τινὶ σχημάτων, οἷον τὴν Ἰβηρίαν βύρσῃ, τὴν Πελοπόννησον πλατάνου φύλλῳ· ὅσῳ δʼ ἂν μεῖζον ᾖ τὸ τεμνόμενον, τοσῷδε καὶ ὁλοσχερεστέρας πρέποι ἂν ποιεῖσθαι τὰς τομάς.
There, however, are some instances in which one may justly accuse Eratosthenes. There is a difference in dissecting limb by limb, or merely cutting off portions [indiscriminately], (for in the former you may only separate parts having a natural outline, and distinguished by a regular form; this the poet alludes to in the expression, Cutting them limb from limb; / whereas in regard to the latter this is not the case,) and we may adopt with propriety either one or other of these plans according to the time and necessity. So in Geography, if you enter into every detail, you may sometimes be compelled to divide your territories into portions, so to speak, but it is a more preferable way to separate them into limbs, than into such chance pieces; for thus only you can define accurately particular points and boundaries, a thing so necessary to the geographer. When it can be done, the best way to define a country is by the rivers, mountains, or sea; also, where possible, by the nation or nations [who inhabit it], and by its size and configuration. However, in default of a geometrical definition, a simple and general description may be said always to answer the purpose. In regard to size, it is sufficient to state the greatest length and breadth; for example, that the habitable earth is 70,000 stadia long, and that its breadth is scarcely half its length. And as to form, to compare a country to any geometrical or other well-known figure. For example, Sicily to a triangle, Spain to an ox-hide, or the Peloponnesus to a plane-leaf. The larger the territory to be divided, the more general also ought its divisions to be.
̔η μὲν οὖν οἰκουμένη δίχα διῄρηται τῷ τε Ταύρῳ καὶ τῇ ἐπὶ στήλας θαλάττῃ καλῶς. καὶ τοῦ νοτίου μέρους ἡ μὲν Ἰνδικὴ περιώρισται πολλοῖς· καὶ γὰρ ὄρει καὶ ποταμῷ καὶ θαλάττῃ καὶ ἑνὶ ὀνόματι ὡς ἑνὸς ἔθνους· ὥστε καὶ τετράπλευρος ὀρθῶς λέγεται καὶ ῥομβοειδής. ἡ δʼ Ἀριανὴ ἧττον μὲν τὸ εὐπερίγραφον ἔχει διὰ τὸ τὴν ἑσπερίαν πλευρὰν συγκεχύσθαι, διώρισται δʼ ὅμως ταῖς τε τρισὶ πλευραῖς ὡς ἂν εὐθείαις, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι ὡς ἂν ἑνὸς ἔθνους. ἡ δὲ τρίτη σφραγὶς τελέως ἀπερίγραφός ἐστιν, οὕτω γε ἀφορισθεῖσα· ἥ τε γὰρ κοινὴ πλευρὰ αὐτῇ τε καὶ τῇ Ἀριανῇ συγκέχυται, ὡς προείρηται, καὶ ἡ νότιος πλευρὰ ἀργότατα εἴληπται· οὔτε γὰρ περιγράφει τὴν σφραγῖδα, διὰ μέσης τε αὐτῆς βαδίζουσα καὶ πολλὰ μέρη ἀπολείπουσα πρὸς νότον, οὔτε μῆκος ὑπογράφει τὸ μέγιστον (τὸ γὰρ προσάρκτιον πλευρὸν μεῖζον), οὔθʼ ὁ Εὐφράτης ἑσπέριόν ἐστι πλευρὸν οὐδʼ εἰ ἐπʼ εὐθείας ῥέοι, τῶν ἄκρων αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ κειμένων. τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ἑσπέριον ἢ νότιον; χωρὶς δὲ τούτων, ὀλίγης οὔσης τῆς ἐπὶ θάλατταν λοιπῆς τὴν Κιλίκιον καὶ τὴν Συριακήν, τὸ μὴ μέχρι δεῦρο προάγειν δεῖν τὴν σφραγῖδα οὐ πιθανόν, τῆς τε Σεμιράμιδος καὶ τοῦ Νίνου Σύρων λεγομένων, ὧν τῆς μὲν ἡ Βαβυλὼν κτίσμα καὶ βασίλειον, τοῦ δὲ Νίνος ὡς ἂν μητρόπολις τῆς Συρίας. καὶ τῆς διαλέκτου δὲ μέχρι νῦν διαμενούσης τῆς αὐτῆς τοῖς τε ἐκτὸς τοῦ Εὐφράτου καὶ τοῖς ἐντός, τὸ ἐνταῦθα μέντοι τοιούτῳ μερισμῷ διασπᾶν ἔθνος γνωριμώτατον καὶ τὰ μέρη συνάπτειν τοῖς ἀλλοεθνέσιν ἥκιστα ἂν πρέποι. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὸ μεγέθους ἀπηναγκάσθαι λέγοι ἄν· καὶ γὰρ τὸ μέχρι θαλάττης οὐ μήν πω ἂν ἐξισάζοιτο τῇ Ἰνδικῇ, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῇ Ἀριανῇ, προσλαβὸν καὶ τὸ μέχρι τῶν ὅρων τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου· ὥστε πολὺ κρεῖττον ἦν μέχρι δεῦρο προελθεῖν, τῆς τρίτης εἰπόντα σφραγῖδος τοσαύτῃ προσθήκῃ τῇ μέχρι τῆς Συριακῆς θαλάττης τὸ μὲν νότιον πλευρὸν οὐχ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν ἔχον, οὐδʼ ἐπʼ εὐθείας, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῆς Καρμανίας εὐθὺς τὴν δεξιὰν παραλίαν εἰσπλέοντι τὸν Περσικὸν κόλπον μέχρι τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Εὐφράτου, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τοῖς ὁρίοις τῆς Μεσήνης καὶ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας συνάπτον, ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἀρχὴ τοῦ διορίζοντος τὴν εὐδαίμονα Ἀραβίαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἄλλης ἠπείρου, εἶτʼ ἐφεξῆς αὐτὸν τοῦτον διεξιόν, διῆκόν τε μέχρι τοῦ μυχοῦ τοῦ Ἀραβίου κόλπου καὶ Πηλουσίου, καὶ ἔτι τοῦ Κανωβικοῦ στόματος τοῦ Νείλου· τοῦτο μὲν τὸ νότιον πλευρόν, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἑσπέριον τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Κανωβικοῦ στόματος μέχρι τῆς Κιλικίας παραλίαν.
[In the system of Eratosthenes], the habitable earth has been admirably divided into two parts by the Taurus and the Mediterranean Sea, which reaches to the Pillars. On the southern side, the limits of India have been described by a variety of methods; by its mountains, its river, its seas, and its name, which seems to indicate that it is inhabited only by one people. It is with justice too that he attributes to it the form of a quadrilateral or rhomboid. Ariana is not so accurately described, on account of its western side being interwoven with the adjacent land. Still it is pretty well distinguished by its three other sides, which are formed by three nearly straight lines, and also by its name, which shows it to be only one nation. As to the Third Section of Eratosthenes, it cannot be considered to be defined or circumscribed at all; for that side of it which is common to Ariana is but ill defined, as before remarked. The southern side, too, is most negligently taken: it is, in fact, no boundary to the section at all, for it passes right through its centre, leaving entirely outside of it many of the southern portions. Nor yet does it represent the greatest length of the section, for the northern side is the longest. Nor, lastly, can the Euphrates be its western boundary, not even if it flowed in a right line, since its two extremes do not lie under the same meridian. How then is it the western rather than the southern boundary? Apart from this, the distance to the Seas of Cilicia and Syria is so inconsiderable, that there can be no reason why he should not have enlarged the third section, so as to include the kingdoms of Semiramis and Ninus, who are both of them known as Syrian monarchs; the first built Babylon, which he made his royal residence; the second Ninus, the capital of Syria; and the same dialect still exists on both sides of the Euphrates. The idea of thus dismembering so renowned a nation, and allotting its portions to strange nations with which it had no connexion, is as peculiarly unfortunate. Eratosthenes cannot plead that he was compelled to do this on account of its size, for had it extended as far as the sea and the frontiers of Arabia Felix and Egypt, even then it would not have been as large as India, or even Ariana. It would have therefore been much better to have enlarged the third section, making it comprehend the whole space as far as the Sea of Syria; but if this were done, the southern side would not be as he represents it, nor yet in a straight line, but starting from Carmania would follow the right side of the sea-shore from the Persian Gulf to the mouth of the Euphrates; it would then approach the limits of Mesene and Babylon, where the Isthmus commences which separates Arabia Felix from the rest of the continent. Traversing the Isthmus, it would continue its course to the recess of the Arabian Gulf and Pelusium, thence to the mouth of the Nile at Canopus. Such would be the southern side. The west would be traced by the sea-shore from the [river’s] mouth at Canopus to Cilicia.
τετάρτη δʼ ἂν εἴη σφραγὶς ἡ συνεστῶσα ἔκ τε τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας καὶ τοῦ Ἀραβίου κόλπου καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου πάσης καὶ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας. ταύτης δὲ τῆς μερίδος μῆκος μὲν ἔσται τὸ ἀφοριζόμενον ὑπὸ δυεῖν μεσημβρινῶν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ γράφεται διὰ τοῦ δυσμικωτάτου σημείου τοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς, ὁ δὲ διὰ τοῦ ἑωθινωτάτου· πλάτος δὲ τὸ μεταξὺ δυεῖν παραλλήλων, ὧν ὁ μὲν γράφεται διὰ τοῦ βορειοτάτου σημείου, ὁ δὲ διὰ τοῦ νοτιωτάτου· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀνωμάλων σχημάτων, ἐφʼ ὧν πλευραῖς οὐ δυνατὸν ἀφορίσαι πλάτος καὶ μῆκος, οὕτω τὸ μέγεθος ἀφοριστέον. καθόλου δὲ νοητέον, ὅτι οὐχ ὡσαύτως λέγεται μῆκος καὶ πλάτος ἐπὶ ὅλου καὶ μέρους· ἀλλʼ ἐφʼ ὅλου μὲν τὸ μεῖζον διάστημα καλεῖται μῆκος, τὸ δʼ ἔλαττον πλάτος, ἐπὶ μέρους δὲ μῆκος μὲν τὸ παράλληλον τῷ τοῦ ὅλου μήκει τμῆμα ἐκείνου, ὁπότερον ἂν ᾖ μεῖζον, κἂν τὸ ληφθὲν διάστημα ἐν τῷ πλάτει μεῖζον ᾖ τοῦ ληφθέντος ἐν τῷ μήκει διαστήματος. διὸ καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπʼ ἀνατολῆς ἐπὶ δύσιν μηκυνομένης, ἀπὸ δὲ ἄρκτων ἐπὶ νότον πλατυνομένης, καὶ τοῦ μὲν μήκους ἐπὶ παραλλήλου τινὸς τῷ ἰσημερινῷ γραφομένου, τοῦ δὲ πλάτους ἐπὶ μεσημβρινοῦ, δεῖ καὶ τῶν μερῶν λαμβάνεσθαι μήκη μὲν τὰ παράλληλα τῷ μήκει τμήματα αὐτῆς, πλάτη δὲ τὰ τῷ πλάτει. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἄμεινον ὑπογράφοιτο πρῶτον μὲν τὸ μέγεθος τῆς οἰκουμένης ὅλης, ἔπειτα καὶ ἡ διάθεσις καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τῶν μερῶν, καθʼ ἃ μὲν ἀπολείπειν καθʼ ἃ δὲ πλεονάζειν φαινομένων τῇ τοιαύτῃ παραθέσει.
The fourth section would consist of Arabia Felix, the Arabian Gulf, and the whole of Egypt and Ethiopia. Its length bounded by two meridians, one drawn through its most western point, the other through its most eastern; and its breadth by two parallels through its most northern and southern points. For this is the best way to describe the extent of irregular figures, whose length and breadth cannot be determined by their sides.
In general it is to be observed, that length and breadth are to be understood in different ways, according as you speak of the whole or a part. Of a whole, the greater distance is called its length, and the lesser its breadth; of a part, that is to be considered the length which is parallel to the length of the whole, without any regard whether it, or that which is left for the breadth, be the greater distance. The length of the whole habitable earth is measured from east to west by a line drawn parallel to the equator, and its breadth from north to south in the direction of the meridian; consequently, the length of any of the parts ought to be portions of a line drawn parallel to the length of the whole, and their breadth to the breadth of the whole. For, in the first place, by this means the size of the whole habitable earth will be best described; and secondly, the disposition and configuration of its parts, and the manner in which one may be said to be greater or less than another, will be made manifest by thus comparing them.
Ἐρατοσθένης δὲ τὸ μὲν τῆς οἰκουμένης λαμβάνει μῆκος ἐπὶ τῆς διὰ στηλῶν καὶ Κασπίων πυλῶν καὶ Καυκάσου γραμμῆς, ὡς ἂν εὐθείας, τὸ δὲ τῆς τρίτης μερίδος ἐπὶ τῆς διὰ Κασπίων πυλῶν καὶ Θαψάκου, τὸ δὲ τῆς τετάρτης ἐπὶ τῆς διὰ Θαψάκου καὶ Ἡρώων πόλεως μέχρι τῆς μεταξὺ τῶν στομάτων τοῦ Νείλου, ἀνάγκη καταστρέφειν εἰς τοὺς περὶ Κάνωβον καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρειαν τόπους· ἐνταῦθα γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἔσχατον στόμα τὸ καλούμενον Κανωβικόν τε καὶ Ἡρακλεωτικόν. εἴτʼ οὖν ἐπʼ εὐθείας ἀλλήλοις τὰ μήκη τίθησιν, εἴθʼ ὡς ἂν γωνίαν ποιοῦντα κατὰ Θάψακον, ἀλλʼ ὅτι γε οὐ παράλληλον οὐδέτερον τῷ τῆς οἰκουμένης μήκει, φανερόν ἐστιν ἐξ αὐτῶν ὧν εἴρηκεν αὐτός. τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς οἰκουμένης μῆκος διὰ τοῦ Ταύρου γράφει καὶ τῆς ἐπʼ εὐθείας μέχρι στηλῶν θαλάττης κατὰ γραμμὴν τὴν διὰ τοῦ Καυκάσου καὶ Ῥόδου καὶ Ἀθηνῶν, ἀπὸ δὲ Ῥόδου εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν κατὰ τὸν διʼ αὐτῶν μεσημβρινὸν οὐ πολὺ ἐλάττους τῶν τετρακισχιλίων φησὶν εἶναι σταδίων, ὥστε τοσοῦτον καὶ οἱ παράλληλοι διέχοιεν ἂν ἀλλήλων ὅ τε διὰ Ῥόδου καὶ ὁ διʼ Ἀλεξανδρείας. ὁ δʼ αὐτός πώς ἐστι τούτῳ ὁ διὰ τῆς Ἡρώων πόλεως, ἢ νοτιώτερός γε τούτου, ὥσθʼ ἡ συμπίπτουσα γραμμὴ τούτῳ τε τῷ παραλλήλῳ καὶ τῷ διὰ Ῥόδου καὶ Κασπίων πυλῶν, εἴτʼ εὐθεῖα εἴτε κεκλασμένη, οὐκ ἂν εἴη παράλληλος οὐδετέρᾳ. οὐκ εὖ γοῦν λαμβάνεται τὰ μήκη, οὐκ εὖ δὲ οὐδὲ αἱ βόρειοι λαμβάνονται μερίδες.
Eratosthenes, however, measures the length of the habitable earth by a line which he considers straight, drawn from the Pillars of Hercules, in the direction of the Caspian Gates and the Caucasus. The length of the third section, by a line drawn from the Caspian Gates to Thapsacus, and of the fourth, by one running from Thapsacus through Heroopolis to the country surrounded by the Nile: this must necessarily be deflected to Canopus and Alexandria, for there is the last mouth of the Nile, which goes by the name of the Canopic or Heracleotic mouth. Whether therefore these two lengths be considered to form one straight line, or to make an angle with Thapsacus, certain it is that neither of them is parallel to the length of the habitable earth; this is evident from what Eratosthenes has himself said concerning them. According to him the length of the habitable earth is described by a right line running through the Taurus to the Pillars of Hercules, in the direction of the Caucasus, Rhodes, and Athens. From Rhodes to Alexandria, following the meridian of the two cities, he says there cannot be much less than 4000 stadia, consequently there must be the same difference between the latitudes of Rhodes and Alexandria. Now the latitude of Heroopolis is about the same as Alexandria, or rather more south. So that a line, whether straight or broken, which intersects the parallel of Heroopolis, Rhodes, or the Gates of the Caspian, cannot be parallel to either of these. These lengths therefore are not properly indicated, nor are the northern sections any better.
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