αὗται μὲν οὖν ἐντὸς στηλῶν τῶν Ἡρακλείων καλουμένων. πρὸς αὐταῖς δὲ δύο νησίδια, ὧν θάτερον Ἥρας νῆσον ὀνομάζουσι· καὶ δή τινες καὶ ταύτας στήλας καλοῦσιν. ἔξω δὲ στηλῶν τὰ Γάδειρα, περὶ ὧν τοσοῦτον μόνον εἰρήκαμεν ὅτι τῆς Κάλπης διέχει περὶ ἑπτακοσίους καὶ πεντήκοντα σταδίους, τῆς δὲ ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Βαίτιδος πλησίον ἵδρυται· πλείους δʼ εἰσὶ λόγοι περὶ αὐτῆς. οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ τὰ πλεῖστα καὶ μέγιστα ναυκλήρια στέλλοντες εἴς τε τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς θάλατταν καὶ τὴν ἐκτός, οὔτε μεγάλην οἰκοῦντες νῆσον οὔτε τῆς περαίας νεμόμενοι πολλὴν οὔτʼ ἄλλων εὐποροῦντες νήσων, ἀλλὰ πλέον οἰκοῦντες τὴν θάλατταν, ὀλίγοι δʼ οἰκουροῦντες ἢ ἐν Ῥώμῃ διατρίβοντες. ἐπεὶ πλήθει γε οὐδεμιᾶς ἂν ἀπολείπεσθαι δόξειε τῶν ἔξω Ῥώμης πόλεων· ἤκουσα γοῦν ἐν μιᾷ τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς τιμήσεων πεντακοσίους ἄνδρας τιμηθέντας ἱππικοὺς Γαδιτανούς, ὅσους οὐδένας οὐδὲ τῶν Ἰταλιωτῶν πλὴν τῶν Παταουίνων. τοσοῦτοι δʼ ὄντες νῆσον ἔχουσιν οὐ πολὺ μείζονα τῶν ἑκατὸν σταδίων τὸ μῆκος, πλάτος δʼ ἔσθʼ ὅπου καὶ σταδιαῖον. πόλιν δὲ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ᾤκουν παντάπασι μικράν, προσέκτισε δʼ αὐτοῖς Βάλβος Γαδιτανὸς ὁ θριαμβεύσας ἄλλην ἣν νέαν καλοῦσι, τὴν δʼ ἐξ ἀμφοῖν Διδύμην, οὐ πλειόνων εἴκοσι σταδίων οὖσαν τὴν περίμετρον, οὐδὲ ταύτην στενοχωρουμένην· ὀλίγοι γὰρ οἰκουροῦσιν ἐν αὐτῇ διὰ τὸ πάντας θαλαττεύειν τὸ πλέον, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τὴν περαίαν οἰκεῖν, καὶ μάλιστα τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς προκειμένης νησῖδος διὰ τὴν εὐφυΐαν, ἣν ὥσπερ ἀντίπολιν πεποιήκασι τῇ Διδύμῃ χαίροντες τῷ τόπῳ. ὀλίγοι δὲ κατὰ σύγκρισιν καὶ ταύτην οἰκοῦσι καὶ τὸ ἐπίνειον, ὃ κατεσκεύασεν αὐτοῖς Βάλβος ἐν τῇ περαίᾳ τῆς ἠπείρου. κεῖται δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν ἑσπερίων τῆς νήσου μερῶν ἡ πόλις, προσεχὲς δʼ αὐτῇ τελευταῖόν ἐστι τὸ Κρόνιον πρὸς τῇ νησῖδι· τὸ δʼ Ἡράκλειον ἐπὶ θάτερα τέτραπται τὰ πρὸς ἕω, καθʼ ὃ δὴ μάλιστα τῇ ἠπείρῳ τυγχάνει συνάπτουσα ἡ νῆσος ὅσον σταδιαῖον πορθμὸν ἀπολείπουσα. καὶ λέγουσι μὲν διέχειν τῆς πόλεως δώδεκα μίλια τὸ ἱερόν, ἴσον ποιοῦντες τὸν τῶν ἄθλων καὶ τὸν τῶν μιλίων ἀριθμόν· ἔστι δὲ μεῖζον καὶ σχεδόν τι τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ τοῦ μήκους τῆς νήσου· μῆκος δʼ ἐστὶ τῆς νήσου τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς δύσεως ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνατολήν.
Near to them are two small islands, one of which is called the Island of Juno: some call these the Pillars. Beyond the Pillars is Gades, concerning which all that we have hitherto remarked is, that it is distant from Calpe about 750 stadia, and is situated near to the outlet of the Guadalquiver. Notwithstanding there is much can be said about it. For its inhabitants equip the greatest number of ships, and the largest in size, both for our sea, and the exterior [ocean], although the island they inhabit is by no means large, nor yet do they possess much of the mainland, nor are masters of other islands. They dwell for the most part on the sea, only a few staying at home or passing their time in Rome. Still, in amount of population, their city does not seem to be surpassed by any with the exception of Rome. I have heard that in a census taken within our own times, there were enumerated five hundred citizens of Gades of the equestrian order, a number equalled by none of the Italian cities excepting that of the Patavini. However, notwithstanding their vast number, its inhabitants possess an island, in length not much above 100 stadia, and in some places only one stadium in breadth. Originally the city in which they dwelt was extremely small, but Balbus the Gaditanian, who received the honours of a triumph, added another to it which they call the New Town. These two form the city of Didyme, which is not above twenty stadia in circumference. In it, however, they are not pressed for room, because few live at home, the majority passing their lives on the sea, some too dwelling on the opposite continent, and particularly on a little island adjacent on account of its excellence. They have such a liking for this place as almost to have made it a rival city to Didyme. However, few in comparison inhabit either this or the sea-port which Balbus constructed for them on the opposite continent. Their city is situated in the western parts of the island. Near to it is the temple of Saturn, which terminates [Gades to the west], and is opposite the smaller island. The temple of Hercules is on the other side, to the east, where the island approaches nearest to the mainland, being only separated therefrom by a strait of a stadium [in breadth]. They say that this temple is twelve miles from the city, thus making the number of miles and the number of [Hercules’] labours equal: but this is too great, being almost equal to the length of the island. Now the length of the island runs from west to east.
Ἐρύθειαν δὲ τὰ Γάδειρα ἔοικε λέγειν ὁ Φερεκύδης, ἐν ᾗ τὰ περὶ τὸν Γηρυόνην μυθεύουσιν, ἄλλοι δὲ τὴν παραβεβλημένην ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει νῆσον πορθμῷ σταδιαίῳ διειργομένην, τὸ εὔβοτον ὁρῶντες, ὅτι τῶν νεμομένων αὐτόθι προβάτων τὸ γάλα ὀρὸν οὐ ποιεῖ. τυροποιοῦσί τε πολλῷ ὕδατι μίξαντες διὰ τὴν πιότητα, ἐν πεντήκοντά τε ἡμέραις πνίγεται τὸ ζῷον, εἰ μή τις ἀποσχάζοι τι τοῦ αἵματος. ξηρὰ δέ ἐστιν ἣν νέμονται βοτάνην, ἀλλὰ πιαίνει σφόδρα· τεκμαίρονται δʼ ἐκ τού πεπλάσθαι τὸν μῦθον τὸν περὶ τὰ βουκόλια τοῦ Γηρυόνου· […] κοινῇ μέντοι συνῴκισται πᾶς ὁ αἰγιαλός.
Pherecydes appears to have given to Gades the name of Erythia, the locality of the myths concerning Geryon: others suppose it to have been the island situated near to this city, and separated from it by a strait of merely one stadium. This they do on account of the excellence of its pasturage. For the milk of the cattle which feed there does not yield any whey, and they are obliged to mix it with large quantities of water when they make cheese on account of its richness. After fifty days the beasts [pasturing there] would be choked unless they were let blood. The pasturage of the country is dry, but it fattens wonderfully: and it is thought that from this the myth concerning the oxen of Geryon took its rise. The whole sea-shore however is possessed in common.
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