Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἱεροῦ πάλιν ἀκρωτηρίου τὴν ἀρχὴν λαμβάνουσιν ἐπὶ θάτερον μέρος τῆς παραλίας τὸ πρὸς τὸν Τάγον κόλπος ἐστίν· ἔπειτα ἄκρα τὸ Βαρβάριον καὶ αἱ τοῦ Τάγου ἐκβολαὶ πλησίον, ἐφʼ ἃς εὐθυπλοίᾳ […] στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶ δέκα· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ἀναχύσεις, ὧν μία ἐπὶ πλείους ἢ τετρακοσίους σταδίους ἀπὸ τοῦ λεχθέντος πύργου, καθʼ ἣν ὑδρεύονται εἴ που λακκαῖα. ὁ δὲ Τάγος καὶ τὸ πλάτος ἔχει τοῦ στόματος εἴκοσί που σταδίων καὶ τὸ βάθος μέγα, ὥστε μυριαγωγοῖς ἀναπλεῖσθαι. δύο δʼ ἀναχύσεις ἐν τοῖς ὑπερκειμένοις ποιεῖται πεδίοις, ὅταν αἱ πλῆμαι γίνωνται, ὥστε πελαγίζειν μὲν ἐπὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκοντα σταδίους καὶ ποιεῖν πλωτὸν τὸ πεδίον, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐπάνω ἀναχύσει καὶ νησίον ἀπολαμβάνειν ὅσον τριάκοντα σταδίων τὸ μῆκος, πλάτος δὲ μικρὸν ἀπολεῖπον τοῦ μήκους, εὐαλσὲς καὶ εὐάμπελον. κεῖται δʼ ἡ νῆσος κατὰ Μόρωνα πόλιν εὖ κειμένην ἐν ὄρει τοῦ ποταμοῦ πλησίον, ἀφεστῶσαν τῆς θαλάττης ὅσον πεντακοσίους σταδίους, ἔχουσαν δὲ καὶ χώραν ἀγαθὴν τὴν πέριξ καὶ τοὺς ἀνάπλους εὐπετεῖς μέχρι μὲν πολλοῦ καὶ μεγάλοις σκάφεσι, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν τοῖς ποταμίοις· καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν Μόρωνα δʼ ἔτι μακρότερος ἀνάπλους ἐστί. ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ πόλει Βροῦτος ὁ Καλλαϊκὸς προσαγορευθεὶς ὁρμητηρίῳ χρώμενος ἐπολέμησε πρὸς τοὺς Λυσιτανοὺς καὶ κατέστρεψε τούτους. τοῖς δὲ τοῦ ποταμοῦ πλίθροις ἐπετείχισε τὴν Ὀλυσιπῶνα, ἵνʼ ἔχοι τοὺς ἀνάπλους ἐλευθέρους καὶ τὰς ἀνακομιδὰς τῶν ἐπιτηδείων, ὥστε καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν Τάγον πόλεων αὗται κράτισται. πολύιχθυς δʼ ὁ ποταμὸς καὶ ὀστρέων πλήρης. ῥεῖ δʼ ἔχων τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐκ Κελτιβήρων διὰ Ὀυεττώνων καὶ Καρπητανῶν καὶ Λυσιτανῶν ἐπὶ δύσιν ἰσημερινήν, μέχρι ποσοῦ παράλληλος ὢν τῷ τε Ἄνᾳ καὶ τῷ Βαίτι, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀφιστάμενος ἐκείνων ἀποκλινόντων πρὸς τὴν νότιον παραλίαν.
STARTING again from the Sacred Promontory, and continuing along the other side of the coast, we come to the gulf near the Tagus, afterwards Cape Barbarium, and near to this the outlets of the Tagus, which may be reached by sailing in a straight course for a distance of 10 stadia. Here are estuaries, one of them more than 400 stadia from the said tower, on a part of which Laccaea is situated. The breadth of the mouth of the Tagus is about 20 stadia, its depth is so great as to be capable of navigation by vessels of the greatest burden. At the flood-tide the Tagus forms two estuaries in the plains which lie above it, so that the plain is inundated and rendered navigable for a distance of 150 stadia. In the upper estuary an island is formed about 30 stadia in length, and nearly equal in breadth, which is fertile, and has excellent vines. The island lies near to Moro, a city happily situated on a mountain close to the river, and about 500 stadia from the sea. The country surrounding it is very fine, and the ascent [of the Tagus] for a considerable way practicable for vessels of a large size, the remainder is performed in riverboats. Above Moro it is navigable for a yet longer distance. Brutus, surnamed the Gallician, made use of this city as a military station, when fighting against the Lusitanians, whom he subdued. On the sides of the river he fortified Olysipo, in order that the passage up the river and the carriage of necessaries might be preserved unimpeded. These therefore are the finest cities near the Tagus. The river contains much fish, and is full of oysters. It takes its rise amongst the Keltiberians, and flows through the [country of the] Vettones, Carpetani, and Lusitani, towards the west; to a certain distance it runs parallel with the Guadiana and Guadalquiver, but parts from them as they decline towards the southern coast.
οἱ δὲ ὑπερκείμενοι τῶν λεχθέντων μερῶν Ὠρητανοὶ μέν εἰσι νοτιώτατοι καὶ μέχρι τῆς παραλίας διήκοντες ἐκ μέρους τῆς ἐντὸς στηλῶν, Καρπητανοὶ δὲ μετὰ τούτους πρὸς ἄρκτους, εἶτα Ὀυέττωνες καὶ Ὀυακκαῖοι, διʼ ὧν ὁ Δούριος ῥεῖ κατʼ Ἀκούτειαν πόλιν τῶν Ὀυακκαίων ἔχων διάβασιν, Καλλαϊκοὶ δʼ ὕστατοι, τῆς ὀρεινῆς ἐπέχοντες πολλήν· διὸ καὶ δυσμαχώτατοι ὄντες τῷ τε καταπολεμήσαντι τοὺς Λυσιτανοὺς αὐτοὶ παρέσχον τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν, καὶ νῦν ἤδη τοὺς πλείστους τῶν Λυσιτανῶν Καλλαϊκοὺς καλεῖσθαι παρεσκεύασαν. τῆς μὲν οὖν Ὠρητανίας κρατιστεύουσά ἐστι πόλις Καστουλὼν καὶ Ὠρία.
Of those who dwell above the aforesaid mountains, the Oretani are the most southern, extending in part as far as the sea-coast on this side the Pillars. Next these towards the north are the Carpetani, then the Vettones and Vaccaei, through whose [country] the Douro flows as it passes Acontia, a city of the Vaccaei. The Gallicians are the last, and inhabit for the most part a mountainous country: on this account they were the most difficult to subdue, and furnished his surname to the conqueror of the Lusitanians; in fact, at the present day the greater part of the Lusitanians are beginning to call themselves Gallicians. The finest cities of Oretania are Castulo and Oria.
τοῦ δὲ Τάγου τὰ πρὸς ἄρκτον ἡ Λυσιτανία ἐστὶ μέγιστον τῶν Ἰβηρικῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ πλείστοις χρόνοις ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων πολεμηθέν. περιέχει δὲ τῆς χώρας ταύτης τὸ μὲν νότιον πλευρὸν ὁ Τάγος, τὸ δʼ ἑσπέριον καὶ τὸ ἀρκτικὸν ὁ ὠκεανός, τὸ δʼ ἑωθινὸν οἵ τε Καρπητανοὶ καὶ οἱ Ὀυέττωνες καὶ Ὀυακκαῖοι καὶ Καλλαϊκοί, τὰ γνώριμα ἔθνη· τἆλλα δὲ οὐκ ἄξιον ὀνομάζειν διὰ τὴν μικρότητα καὶ τὴν ἀδοξίαν· ὑπεναντίως δὲ τὰ νῦν ἔνιοι καὶ τούτους Λυσιτανοὺς ὀνομάζουσιν. ὅμοροι δʼ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς ἕω μέρους οἱ μὲν Καλλαϊκοὶ τῷ τῶν Ἀστούρων ἔθνει καὶ τοῖς ίβηρσιν, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι τοῖς Κελτίβηρσι. τὸ μὲν οὖν μῆκος τρισχιλίων σταδίων, τὸ δὲ πλάτος πολὺ ἔλαττον, ὃ ποιεῖ τὸ ἑωθινὸν πλευρὸν εἰς τὴν ἀντικειμένην παραλίαν· ὑψηλὸν δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ ἑωθινὸν καὶ τραχύ, ἡ δὲ ὑποκειμένη χώρα πεδιὰς πᾶσα καὶ μέχρι θαλάττης πλὴν ὀλίγων ὀρῶν οὐ μεγάλων· ᾗ δὴ καὶ τὸν Ἀριστοτέλη φησὶν ὁ Ποσειδώνιος οὐκ ὀρθῶς αἰτιᾶσθαι τὴν παραλίαν τῶν πλημμυρίδων καὶ τῶν ἀμπώτεων· παλιρροεῖν γὰρ φάναι τὴν θάλατταν διὰ τὸ τὰς ἀκτὰς ὑψηλάς τε καὶ τραχείας εἶναι δεχομένας τε τὸ κῦμα σκληρῶς καὶ ἀνταποδιδούσας. τἀναντία γὰρ τῇ Ἰβηρίᾳ θινώδεις εἶναι καὶ ταπεινὰς τὰς πλείστας, ὀρθῶς λέγων.
North of the Tagus is Lusitania, the principal of the nations of Iberia, and the one which has most frequently encountered the arms of the Romans. On the southern side this country is bounded by the Tagus, on the west and north by the ocean, on the east by the well-known nations of the Carpetani, the Vettones, the Vaccaei, the Gallicians, and by others not worthy to be mentioned on account of their insignificance and obscurity. On the other hand, certain historians of the present day give the name of Lusitanians to all of these nations.
To the east the Gallicians border on the nation of the Asturians and Keltiberians, the others [border] on the Keltiberians. In length Lusitania is 3000 stadia; its breadth, which is comprised between the eastern side and the opposite seacoast, is much less. The eastern part is mountainous and rugged, while the country beyond, as far as the sea, consists entirely of plains, with the exception of a few inconsiderable mountains. On this account Posidonius remarks that Aristotle was not correct in supposing that the ebb and flow of the tide was occasioned by the sea-coast of Iberia and Maurusia. For Aristotle asserted that the tides of the sea were caused by the extremities of the land being mountainous and rugged, and therefore both receiving the wave violently and also casting it back. Whereas Posidonius truly remarks that they are for the most part low and sandy.
̔η δʼ οὖν χώρα περὶ ἧς λέγομεν εὐδαίμων τέ ἐστι καὶ διαρρεῖται ποταμοῖς μεγάλοις τε καὶ μικροῖς, ἅπασιν ἐκ τῶν ἑωθινῶν μερῶν, παραλλήλοις τῷ Τάγῳ· ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ ἀνάπλους οἱ πλείους καὶ ψῆγμα τοῦ χρυσοῦ πλεῖστον. γνωριμώτατοι δὲ τῶν ποταμῶν ἐφεξῆς τῷ Τάγῳ Μούνδας ἀνάπλους ἔχων μικροὺς καὶ Ὀυακούα ὡσαύτως· μετὰ δὲ τούτους Δούριος μακρόθεν τε ῥέων παρὰ Νομαντίαν καὶ πολλὰς ἄλλας τῶν Κελτιβήρων καὶ Ὀυακκαίων κατοικίας, μεγάλοις τʼ ἀναπλεόμενος σκάφεσιν ἐπὶ ὀκτακοσίους σχεδόν τι σταδίους. εἶτʼ ἄλλοι ποταμοὶ καὶ μετὰ τούτους ὁ τῆς Λήθης, ὃν τινὲς Λιμαίαν οἱ δὲ Βελιῶνα καλοῦσι· καὶ οὗτος δʼ ἐκ Κελτιβήρων καὶ Ὀυακκαίων ῥεῖ καὶ ὁ μετʼ αὐτὸν Βαῖνις (οἱ δὲ Μίνιον φασὶ) πολὺ μέγιστος τῶν ἐν Λυσιτανίᾳ ποταμῶν ἐπὶ ὀκτακοσίους καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναπλεόμενος σταδίους. Ποσειδώνιος δὲ ἐκ Καντάβρων αὐτὸν ῥεῖν φησί· πρόκειται δὲ τῆς ἐκβολῆς αὐτοῦ νῆσος καὶ χηλαὶ δύο ὅρμους ἔχουσαι. ἐπαινεῖν δʼ ἄξιον τὴν φύσιν, ὅτι τὰς ὄχθας ὑψηλὰς ἔχουσιν οἱ ποταμοὶ καὶ ἱκανὰς δέχεσθαι τοῖς ῥείθροις τὴν θάλατταν πλημμυροῦσαν, ὥστε μὴ ὑπερχεῖσθαι μηδʼ ἐπιπολάζειν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις. τῆς μὲν οὖν Βρούτου στρατείας ὅρος οὗτος, περαιτέρω δʼ εἰσὶν ἄλλοι πλείους ποταμοὶ παράλληλοι τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν.
The country which we are describing is fertile, and irrigated by rivers both large and small, all of which flow from the eastern parts parallel with the Tagus: most of them are navigable and full of gold dust. After the Tagus, the most noted rivers are the Mondego and the Vouga, which are navigable but for a short distance. After these is the Douro, which flows from afar by Numantia, and many other colonies of the Keltiberians and Vaccaei; it is capable of being navigated in large vessels for a distance of nearly 800 stadia. Besides these there are other rivers, after which is the [river] of Lethe, which some call the Limaea, others the Belio, it likewise rises amongst the Keltiberians and Vaccaei. After this is the Baenis, (some call it the Minius,) by far the largest river of Lusitania, being navigable for a distance of 800 stadia. Posidonius says this too rises amongst the Cantabrians. An island lies before its outlet, and two moles affording anchorage for vessels. A natural advantage [of this country] well deserving of commendation is, that the banks of the rivers are so lofty as to be capable of containing the entire of the water raised by the high tides of the sea, without either being overfilled, or overflowing the plains. This was the limit of Brutus’s expedition. Beyond there are many other rivers parallel to those I have named.
̔́υστατοι δʼ οἰκοῦσιν Ἄρταβροι περὶ τὴν ἄκραν ἣ καλεῖται Νέριον, ἣ καὶ τῆς ἑσπερίου πλευρᾶς καὶ τῆς βορείου πέρας ἐστί. περιοικοῦσι δʼ αὐτὴν Κελτικοί, συγγενεῖς τῶν ἐπὶ τῷ Ἄνᾳ. καὶ γὰρ τούτους καὶ Τουρδούλους στρατεύσαντας ἐκεῖσε στασιάσαι φασὶ μετὰ τὴν διάβασιν τοῦ Λιμαία ποταμοῦ· πρὸς δὲ τῇ στάσει καὶ ἀποβολῆς τοῦ ἡγεμόνος γενομένης, καταμεῖναι σκεδασθέντας αὐτόθι· ἐκ τούτου δὲ καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν Λήθης προσαγορευθῆναι. ἔχουσι δὲ οἱ Ἄρταβροι πόλεις συχνὰς ἐν κόλπῳ συνοικουμένας, ὃν οἱ πλέοντες καὶ χρώμενοι τοῖς τόποις Ἀρτάβρων λιμένα προσαγορεύουσιν· οἱ δὲ νῦν τοὺς Ἀρτάβρους Ἀροτρέβας καλοῦσιν. ἔθνη μὲν οὖν περὶ τριάκοντα τὴν χώραν νέμεται τὴν μεταξὺ Τάγου καὶ τῶν Ἀρτάβρων· εὐδαίμονος δὲ τῆς χώρας ὑπαρχούσης κατά τε καρποὺς καὶ βοσκήματα καὶ τὸ τοῦ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων πλῆθος, ὅμως οἱ πλείους αὐτῶν τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀφέντες βίον ἐν λῃστηρίοις διετέλουν καὶ συνεχεῖ πολέμῳ πρός τε ἀλλήλους καὶ τοὺς ὁμόρους αὐτοῖς διαβαίνοντες τὸν Τάγον, ἕως ἔπαυσαν αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαῖοι ταπεινώσαντες καὶ κώμας ποιήσαντες τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν τὰς πλείστας, ἐνίας δὲ καὶ συνοικίζοντες βέλτιον. ἦρχον δὲ τῆς ἀνομίας ταύτης οἱ ὀρεινοί, καθάπερ εἰκός· λυπρὰν γὰρ νεμόμενοι καὶ μικρὰ κεκτημένοι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπεθύμουν, οἱ δὲ ἀμυνόμενοι τούτους ἄκυροι τῶν ἰδίων ἔργων καθίσταντο ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ὥστʼ ἀντὶ τοῦ γεωργεῖν ἐπολέμουν καὶ οὗτοι, καὶ συνέβαινε τὴν χώραν ἀμελουμένην στεῖραν οὖσαν τῶν ἐμφύτων ἀγαθῶν οἰκεῖσθαι ὑπὸ λῃστῶν.
The Artabri are the last of the people [on this coast]. They inhabit the promontory called Nerium, which is the boundary [of Iberia] on its western and northern sides. Around it dwell the Keltici, a kindred race to those who are situated along the Guadiana. They say that these latter, together with the Turduli, having undertaken an expedition thither, quarrelled after they had crossed the river Lima, and, besides the sedition, their leader having also died, they remained scattered there, and from this circumstance the river was called the Lethe. The Artabri have besides many cities established round the Gulf, which mariners and those familiar with the places designate as the Port of the Artabri. At the present day the Artabri are denominated the Arotrebae. About thirty different nations occupy the country between the Tagus and the Artabri. Notwithstanding the fertility of the country in corn, cattle, gold, silver, and numerous other similar productions, the majority of its inhabitants, neglecting to gain their subsistence from the ground, passed their lives in pillage and continual warfare, both between themselves and their neighbours, whom they used to cross the Tagus [to plunder]. To this the Romans at length put a stop by subduing them, and changing many of their cities into villages, besides colonizing some of them better. The mountaineers, as was natural, were the first to commence this lawless mode of life: for living but scantily, and possessing little, they coveted the goods of others, who being obliged to repulse them, of necessity relinquished their proper employments, and instead of pursuing agriculture took up arms. Thus it happened that their country, being neglected, became barren notwithstanding its natural advantages, and inhabited by bandits.
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