have feen it, I fhall here defcribe it. This veffel which is in Scythia, is of the thickness of fix digits, and capable of containing fix hundred amphora. The natives fay that it was made of the points of arrows, for that Ariantas 9, one of their kings, being defirous to afcertain the number of the Scythians, commanded each of his fubjects, on pain of death, to bring him the point of an arrow: by these means fo prodigious a quantity were collected,that this veffel was compofed from them. It was left by the prince as a monument of the fact, and by him confecrated at Exampæus.-This is what I have heard of the populoufnefs of Scythia. LXXXII. This country has nothing remarkable except its rivers, which are equally large and numerous. If befides these and its vaft and extenfive plains, it poffeffes any thing worthy of admiration, it is an impreffion which they fhew of the foot of Hercules". This is upon a rock, two cubits 90 Ariantas.]—I have now a remarkable instance before me, how dangerous it is to take upon truft what many learned men put down upon the authority of ancient writers. Hoffman, whose Lexicon is a prodigy of learning and of industry, speaking of this Ariantas, fays, that he made each of his subjects bring him every year the point of an arrow." For the truth of this he refers the reader to Herodotus, and the paffage before us. He rodotus fays no fuch thing.-T. 9 Foot of Hercules. The length of the foot of Hercules was afcertained by that of the ftadium at Olympia, which was faid to have been measured by him to the length of 600 of his own feet: hence Pythagoras eftimated the fize of Hercules by the rule of proportion; and hence too the proverb, ex pede Her cubits in fize, but refembling the footstep of a man; it is near the river Tyras. LXXXIII. I fhall now return to the fubject from which I originally digreffed.-Darius preparing to make an expedition against Scythia, difpatched emiffaries different ways, commanding fome of his dependants to raife a fupply of infantry, others to prepare a fleet, and others to throw a bridge over the Thracian Bofphorus. Artabanus, 35 fon of Hyftafpes, and brother of Darius, endeavoured to perfuade the prince from his purpose, urging with great wisdom the indigence of Scythia; nor did he defift till he found all his arguments ineffectual. Darius having completed his preparations, advanced from Sufa with his army. LXXXIV. Upon this occafion a Perfian, whose name was bazus, and who had three fons in the army, afked permiffion of the king to detain one of them. The king replied, as to a friend, that the petition was very modeft," and that he would "leave him all the three." Ebazus was greatly delighted, and confidered his three fons as exempted from the service: but the king commanded his guards to put the three young men to death; and thus were the three fons of Ebazus left, deprived of life. LXXXV. Darius marched from Sufa to where culem, a more modern fubftitution for the ancient one of oruxwv dcovia. - See Aul. Gell. 1. i. and Erasmus's Adagia, in which the proverb of ex pede Herculem has no place.-T. the the bridge had been thrown over the Bofphorus at Chalcedon. Here he embarked and fet fail for the Cyanean islands, which, if the Greeks may be believed, formerly floated 9. Here, fitting in the temple", he caft his eyes over the Euxine, which of all feas moft deferves admiration. Its length is eleven thousand one hundred ftadia; its breadth, where it is greateft, is three thousand two hundred. The breadth of the entrance is four ftadia; the length of the neck, which is called the Bofphorus, where the bridge had been erected, is about one 1 92 Formerly floated.]-The Cyanean rocks were at fo little diftance one from the other, that viewed remotely they appeared to touch. This optic illufion probably gave place to the fable, and the fable gained credit from the dangers encounwered on this fea.-Larcher. See a description of these rocks in Apollonius Rhodius: I give it from the verfion of Fawkes. When hence your destin'd voyage you pursue, Loud thundering round the ragged shore below. The circumstance of their floating is alfo mentioned by Vale rius Flaccus. 93 In the temple.]-Jupiter was invoked in this temple, under the name of Urius, because this deity was fuppofed favourable to navigation, os fignifying a favourable wind. And never could there be more occafion for his affiftance than in a fea remarkably tempeftuous.-Larcher. hundred and twenty ftadia. The Bofphorus is connected with the Propontis +, which flowing in 95 to the Hellefpont 25, is five hundred ftadia in breadth, and four hundred in length. The Hellefpont itfelf, in its narroweft part, where it enters the Ægean-fea, is forty ftadia long, and feven wide. 94 Propontis.]-Between the Bofphorus and the Hellefpont, the hores of Europe and Afia, receding on either fide, inclofe the fea of Marmara, which was known to the ancients by the denomination of Propontis. The navigation from the iffue of the Bofphorus to the entrance of the Hellefpont, is about one hundred and twenty miles. Those who fteer their weftward courfe through the middle of the Propontis may at once defery the high lands of Thrace and Bithynia, and never lose fight of the lofty fummit of mount Olympus, covered with eternal fnows. They leave on the left a deep gulf, at the bottom of which Nicomedia was feated, the imperial refidence of Diocletian; and they pafs the fmall iflands of Cyzicus and Proconnefus, before they caft anchor at Gallipoli, where the fea which feparates Afia from Europe is again contracted into a narrow channel.-Gibbon. 95 Hellefpont.]-The geographers, who, with the most skilful accuracy, have furveyed the form and extent of the Hellefpont, affign about fixty miles for the winding course, and about three miles for the ordinary breadth of these celebrated freights. But the narrowest part of the channel is found to the northward of the old Turkish caftles, between the cities of Ceftus and Abydos. It was here that the adventurous Leander braved the paffage of the flood for the poffeffion of his mistress:-It was here likewise, in a place where the diftance between the oppofite banks cannot exceed five hundred paces, that Xerxes compofed a fupendous bridge of boats for the purpose of tranfporting into Europe an hundred and feventy myriads of Barbarians. A fea contracted within fuch narrow limits may feem but ill to deferve the epithet of broad, which Homer as well as Orpheus has frequently beftowed on the Hellefpont.-Gibbon. LXXXVI. I LXXXVI. The exact menfuration of thefe feas is thus determined; in a long day a fhip will h this fea, is a voyage of nine days and eight nights, to Themifcyra, on the river Thermodon, is a voyage of three days and two nights, which is 56 equivalent to three thousand three hundred stadia, 81 or three hundred and thirty thousand orgy. The LXXXVII. When Darius had taken a survey 96 In a long day.]-That is, a fhip in a long day would fail eighty miles by day, and feventy miles by night. See Weffeling's notes on this paffage,-T. 97 Sindica.]-The river Indus was often called the Sindus. There were people of this name and family in Thrace. Some would alter it to Sindicon, but both terms are of the fame purport. Herodotus fpeaks of a regio Sindica, upon the Pontus Euxinus, oppofite to the river Thermodon. This fome would alter to Sindica, but both terms are of the fame amount. The Ind or Indus of the east is at this day called the Sind; and was called fo in the time of Pliny.-Bryant. تا |