Chap 29.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, ETC. 69 



west are the cities of Issatis and Calliope, already mentioned/ 

 on the north-east Europus/ on the south-east Maria ; in tho 

 middle there are Hecatompylos/ Arsace, and jS'isiaea, a fine 

 district of Parthiene, in which is Alexandropolis, so called from 

 its founder. 



(26.) It is requisite in this place to trace the localities of the 

 Medi also, and to describe in succession the features of the coun- 

 try as far as the Persian Sea, in order that the account which 

 follows may be the better understood. Media^ lies crosswise to 

 the west, and so presenting itself obliquely to Parthia, closes the 

 entrance of both kingdoms^ into which it is divided. It has, 

 then, on the east, the Caspii and the Parthi ; on the south, 

 Sittacene, Susiane, and Persis ; on the west, Adsiabene ; and 

 on the north, Armenia. The Persoe have always inhabited 

 the shores of the Eed Sea, for which reason it has received 

 the name of the Persian Gulf. This maritime region of Persis 

 has the name of Ciribo ;^° on the side on which it runs up 

 to that of the Medi, there is a place known by the name of 

 Climax Megale,^^ where the mountains are ascended by a 

 steep flight of stairs, and so afford a narrow passage which leads 

 to Persepolis,^- the former capital of the kingdom, destroyed by 



5 In c. 17 of the present Book. 



6 Not to be confounded with the place in Atropatene, mentioned in 

 c. 21 of the present Book. 



■^ It has been supposed that the modern Damgham corresponds with 

 this place, but that is too near the Portse Caspiae. It is considered most 

 probable that the remains of Hecatompylos ought to be sought in tlie 

 neighbourhood of a place now known as Jab Jirm. It is mentioned in 

 c. 17 and 21 of the present Book. 



^ Media occupied the extreme west of the gi-eat table-land of the modern 

 Iran. It corresponded very nearly to the modern province of Irak-Ajemi. 



^ The Upper and the Lower, as aheady mentioned. 



^° Hardouin suggests that this should be Syrtibolos. His reasons for 

 so thinking will be found alluded to in a note to c. 31. See p. 80, Note 98. 



1^ Or the "Great Ladder." The Baron de Bode states, in his Travih 

 in Luristan and Arabistan, that he discovered the remains of a gigantic 

 causeway, in which he had no difficulty in recognizing one of the most 

 ancient and most mysterious monuments of the East. This causeway, 

 which at the present (lay bears the name of Jaddehi-Atabeg, or the "road 

 of the Atabegs," was looked upon by several historians as one of the 

 wonders of the world, who gave it the name of the Climax Megule or " Great 

 Ladder." At the time even of Alexander the Great the name of its con- 

 structor was unknown. 



1- Which was rebuilt after it was burnt by Alexander, and in the 



