τῆς δʼ οὖν ἐντὸς τοῦ Ἄνα παραλίας ὑπερκεῖσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν Τουρδητανίαν, ἣν ὁ Βαῖτις διαρρεῖ ποταμός. ἀφορίζει δὲ αὐτὴν πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἑσπέραν καὶ ἄρκτον ὁ Ἄνας ποταμός, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἕω Καρπητανῶν τέ τινες καὶ Ὠρητανοί, πρὸς νότον δὲ Βαστητανῶν οἱ μεταξὺ τῆς Κάλπης καὶ τῶν Γαδείρων στενὴν νεμόμενοι παραλίαν, καὶ ἡ ἑξῆς θάλαττα μέχρι Ἄνα. καὶ οἱ Βαστητανοὶ δὲ οὓς εἶπον τῇ Τουρδητανίᾳ πρόσκεινται καὶ οἱ ἔξω τοῦ Ἄνα καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν προσχώρων. μέγεθος δʼ οὐ πλεῖόν ἐστι τῆς χώρας ταύτης ἐπὶ μῆκος καὶ πλάτος ἢ δισχίλιοι στάδιοι. πόλεις δʼ ὑπερβάλλουσαι τὸ πλῆθος· καὶ γὰρ διακοσίας φασί· γνωριμώταται δὲ αἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἱδρυμέναι καὶ ταῖς ἀναχύσεσι καὶ τῇ θαλάττῃ διὰ τὰς χρείας. πλεῖστον δʼ ἥ τε Κόρδυβα ηὔξηται, Μαρκέλλου κτίσμα, καὶ δόξῃ καὶ δυνάμει καὶ ἡ τῶν Γαδιτανῶν πόλις, ἡ μὲν διὰ τὰς ναυτιλίας καὶ διὰ τὸ προσθέσθαι Ῥωμαίοις κατὰ συμμαχίας, ἡ δὲ χώρας ἀρετῇ καὶ μεγέθει, προσλαμβάνοντος καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Βαίτιος μέγα μέρος· ᾤκησάν τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἄνδρες ἐπίλεκτοι· καὶ δὴ καὶ πρώτην ἀποικίαν ταύτην εἰς τούσδε τοὺς τόπους ἔστειλαν Ῥωμαῖοι. μετὰ δὲ ταύτην καὶ τὴν τῶν Γαδιτανῶν ἡ μὲν Ἵσπαλις ἐπιφανής, καὶ αὐτὴ ἄποικος Ῥωμαίων· νυνὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐμπόριον συμμένει, τῇ τιμῇ δὲ καὶ τῷ ἐποικῆσαι νεωστὶ τοὺς Καίσαρος στρατιώτας ἡ Βαῖτις ὑπερέχει καίπερ οὐ συνοικουμένη λαμπρῶς.
TURDETANIA lies above the coast on this side the Guadiana, and is intersected by the river Guadalquiver. It is bounded on the west and north by the river Guadiana; on the east by certain of the Carpetani and the Oretani; on the south by those of the Bastetani who inhabit the narrow slip of coast between Calpe and Gadeira, and by the sea beyond as far as the Guadiana. The Bastetani whom I have mentioned, together with the people on the other side the Guadiana, and many of the places adjacent, belong to Turdetania. The size of this country in its length and breadth does not exceed two thousand stadia, still it contains a vast number of towns; two hundred, it is said. Those best known are situated on the rivers, estuaries, and sea; but the two which have acquired the greatest name and importance are, Corduba, founded by Marcellus, and the city of the Gaditanians. The latter for its naval importance, and its alliance with the Romans; and the former on account of its fertility and extent, a considerable portion of the Guadalquiver flowing by it; in addition to this it has been from its commencement inhabited by picked men, whether natives or Romans; and it was the first colony planted by the Romans in these parts.
After this city and that of the Gaditanians, Hispalis is the most noted. This also is a Roman colony. Commerce is still carried on here, although at the present moment the city of Baetis though not so finely built, is outshining it, on account of the honour it has received from the soldiers of Caesar taking up their quarters there.
μετὰ δὲ ταύτας Ἰτάλικα καὶ Ἴλιπα ἐπὶ τῷ Βαίτι, Ἄστιγις δʼ ἀπωτέρω καὶ Κάρμων καὶ Ὀβούλκων, ἔτι δὲ ἐν αἷς οἱ Πομπηίου παῖδες κατεπολεμήθησαν, Μοῦνδα καὶ Ἀτέγουα καὶ Οὔρσων καὶ Τοῦκκις καὶ Οὐλία καὶ Αἴγουα· ἅπασαι δʼ αὗται Κορδύβης οὐκ ἄπωθεν. τρόπον δέ τινα μητρόπολις κατέστη τοῦ τόπου τούτου Μοῦνδα· διέχει δὲ Καρτηίας ἡ Μοῦνδα σταδίους * χιλίους καὶ τετρακοσίους, εἰς ἣν ἔφυγεν ἡττηθεὶς ὁ Γναῖος, εἶτʼ ἐκπλεύσας ἔνθεν καὶ ἐκβὰς εἴς τινα ὑπερκειμένην θαλάττης ὀρεινὴν διεφθάρη. ὁ δʼ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Σέξτος ἐκ Κορδύβης σωθεὶς καὶ μικρὸν ἐν τοῖς Ἴβηρσι πολεμήσας χρόνον ὕστερον Σικελίαν ἀπέστησεν, εἶτʼ ἐκπεσὼν ἐνθένδε εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν ἁλοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀντωνίου στρατηγῶν ἐν Μιδαείῳ κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον. ἐν δὲ τοῖς Κελτικοῖς Κονίστοργίς ἐστι γνωριμωτάτη· ἐπὶ δὲ ταῖς ἀναχύσεσιν ἡ Ἄστα, εἰς ἣν οἱ Γαδιτανοὶ συνίασι μάλιστα, ὑπερκειμένην τοῦ ἐπινείου τῆς νήσου σταδίους οὐ πολὺ πλείους τῶν ἑκατόν.
After these are Italica, and Ilipa, situated on the Guadalquiver; farther on are Astygis, Carmo, and Obulco; and besides these Munda, Ategua, Urso, Tukkis, Julia, and Aegua, where the sons of Pompey were defeated. None of these places are far from Corduba. Munda is in some sort regarded as the metropolis of the whole district. This place is distant from Carteia 1400 stadia, and it was here that Cnaeus fled after his defeat, and sailing thence landed on a rocky height overlooking the sea, where he was murdered. His brother Sextus, having escaped from Corduba, after carrying on the war for a short time in Spain, caused a revolt in Sicily. Flying thence into Asia he was seized at Miletus by the generals of Antony, and executed. Amongst the Kelts the most famous place is Conistorgis. Upon the estuaries is Asta, in which the Gaditani mostly hold their assemblies; it is opposite the sea-port of the island, at a distance of not more than 100 stadia.
παροικεῖται δὲ ὑπὸ πλείστων ὁ Βαῖτις καὶ ἀναπλεῖται σχεδόν τι ἐπὶ χιλίους καὶ διακοσίους σταδίους ἐκ θαλάττης μέχρι Κορδύβης καὶ τῶν μικρὸν ἐπάνω τόπων. καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐξείργασται περιττῶς ἥ τε παραποταμία καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ νησίδια. πρόσεστι δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς ὄψεως τερπνόν, ἄλσεσι καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις φυτουργίαις ἐκπεπονημένων τῶν χωρίων. μέχρι μὲν οὖν Ἱσπάλιος ὁλκάσιν ἀξιολόγοις ὁ ἀνάπλους ἐστὶν ἐπὶ σταδίους οὐ πολὺ λείποντας τῶν πεντακοσίων, ἐπὶ δὲ τὰς ἄνω πόλεις μέχρι Ἰλίπας ταῖς ἐλάττοσι, μέχρι δὲ Κορδύβης τοῖς ποταμίοις σκάφεσι, πηκτοῖς μὲν τὰ νῦν τὸ παλαιὸν δὲ καὶ μονοξύλοις· τὸ δʼ ἄνω τὸ ἐπὶ Καστλῶνος οὐκ ἔστι πλόιμον· παράλληλοι δέ τινες ῥάχεις ὀρῶν παρατείνουσι τῷ ποταμῷ μᾶλλόν τε καὶ ἧττον αὐτῷ συνάπτουσαι πρὸς βορρᾶν, μετάλλων πλήρεις. πλεῖστος δʼ ἐστὶν ἄργυρος ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Ἴλιπαν τόποις καὶ τοῖς κατὰ Σισάπωνα τόν τε παλαιὸν λεγόμενον καὶ τὸν νέον· κατὰ δὲ τὰς Κωτίνας λεγομένας χαλκός τε ἅμα γεννᾶται καὶ χρυσός. ἐν ἀριστερᾷ μὲν οὖν ἐστι τοῖς ἀναπλέουσι τὰ ὄρη ταῦτα, ἐν δεξιᾷ δὲ πεδίον μέγα καὶ ὑψηλὸν καὶ εὔκαρπον καὶ μεγαλόδενδρον καὶ εὔβοτον. ἔχει δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἄνας ἀνάπλουν, οὔτε δὲ τηλικούτοις σκάφεσιν οὔτʼ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον. ὑπέρκειται δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ μεταλλείας ἔχοντα ὄρη, καθήκει δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Τάγον. τὰ μὲν οὖν τὰς μεταλλείας ἔχοντα χωρία ἀνάγκη τραχέα τε εἶναι καὶ παράλυπρα, οἷάπερ καὶ τὰ τῇ Καρπητανίᾳ συνάπτοντα καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον τοῖς Κελτίβηρσι. τοιαύτη δὲ καὶ ἡ Βαιτουρία ξηρὰ ἔχουσα πεδία τὰ παρήκοντα τῷ Ἄνᾳ.
A vast number of people dwell along the Guadalquiver; and you may sail up it almost 1200 stadia from the sea to Corduba, and the places a little higher up. The banks and little islets of this river are cultivated with the greatest diligence. The eye is also delighted with groves and gardens, which in this district are met with in the highest perfection. As far as Ispalis, which is a distance of not less than 500 stadia, the river is navigable for ships of considerable size; but for the cities higher up, as far as Ilipas, smaller vessels are employed, and thence to Corduba river-boats. These are now constructed of planks joined together, but they were formerly made out of a single trunk. Above this to Castlon the river is no longer navigable. A chain of mountains, rich in metal, runs parallel to the Guadalquiver, approaching the river sometimes more, sometimes less, towards the north.
There is much silver found in the parts about Ilipas and Sisapo, both in that which is called the old town and the new. There are copper and gold about the Cotinae. These mountains are on the left as you sail up the river; on the right there is a vast and elevated plain, fertile, full of large trees, and containing excellent pasturage. The Guadiana is likewise navigable, but not for vessels equally large, nor yet so far up. It is also bordered by mountains containing metal, and extends as far as the Tagus. Districts which contain metals must, of necessity, be rugged and poor, as indeed are those adjoining Carpetania, and still more those next the Keltiberians. The same is the case with Baeturia, the plains of which, bordering on the Guadiana, are arid.
Cite This Text