Chap. 16.] ACCOUNT OF COUKTRIES, ETC. 27 



as it was really intended for those which lead through 

 [beria into the territory of the Sarmatae ; there being hardly 

 my possibility of approach to the Caspian Sea, by reason of the 

 3lose juxtaposition of the mountains there. There are, how- 

 3ver, other Caspian Gates, which join up to the Caspian tribes ; 

 but these can only be distinguished from a perusal of the narra- 

 tive of those who took part in the expedition of Alexander the 

 orreat. 



CHAP. 16. — ADIABENE. 



The kingdom of the Persians, by which we now understand 

 chat of Parthia, is elevated upon the Caucasian chain between 

 two seas, the Persian and the Hyrcanian. To the Greater 

 Armenia, which in the front slopes towards Commagene, is 

 joined Sophene, which lies upon the descent^' on both sides 

 [hereof, and next to it is Adiabene, the most advanced frontier 

 3f Assyria ; a part of which is Arbelitis,^^ where Alexander con- 

 quered Darius, and which joins up to Syria. The whole of this 

 country was called Mygdonia by the Macedonians, on account of 

 the resemblance it bore to Mygdonia^^ in Europe. Its cities are 

 A.lexandria,^^ and Antiochia, also called Nisibis ;^^ this last 

 place is distant from Artaxata seven hundred and fifty miles. 

 There was also in former times ISTinus,'"^ a most renowned city. 

 Dn the banks of the Tigris, with an aspect towards the west. 

 A.djoining the other front of Greater Armenia, which runs 

 iown towards the Caspian Sea, we find Atropatene,''^ which 



35 See c. 10. 



2^ He alludes to the town of Arbela, where, as it is generally said, the 

 army of Darius was defeated by Alexander the Great ; by which engage- 

 ment the conflict was terminated. It was the fact, however, that Darius 

 left his baggage and treasures at Arbela, while the battle really took place 

 Qear the village of Gaugamela, about twenty miles to the north-west of 

 Arbela. This place still retains its name of Arbil. 



^"^ A district in the east of Macedonia, bordering on the Thennaij gulf 

 and the Chalcidic peninsula. 



'^ Nothing is known of this place. Hardouin suggests that it may have 

 been built on the spot where Alexander defeated Darius. 



25 Also known as Antiochia Mygdonise, the capital of Mygdonia. Its 

 ruins are stUl to be seen near a place called Nisibin. It stood on the river 

 Mygdonius, now the Nahral Huali. 



*° Or Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian monarchy, destroyed 

 by the Medes and Babylonians about b.c. 606. 



*^ There is great difficulty in ascertaining, from the accounts given by 

 the ancient writers, the exact limits of this district, but it is supposed to 



