82 pliny's natural history. [Book VL 



the world have alluvial deposits been formed more rapidly by 

 the rivers, and to a greater extent than here ; and it is only 

 a matter of surprise that the tides, which run to a considerable 

 distance beyond this city, do not carry them back again. 

 At this place was born Dionysius,* the most recent author of 

 a description of the world ; he was sent by the late emperor 

 Augustus to gather all necessary information in the East, when 

 his eldest^ son was about to set out for Armenia to take the 

 command against the Parthians and Arabians. 



The fact has not escaped me, nor indeed have I forgotten, 

 that at the beginning of this work^* I have remarked that each 

 author appeared to be most accurate in the description of his own 

 country ; still, while I am speaking of these parts of the world, 

 I prefer to follow the discoveries made by the Roman arms, and 

 the description given by king Juba, in his work dedicated to 

 Caius Caesar above-mentioned, on the subject of the same ex- 

 pedition against Arabia. 



CHAP. 32. (28.) — ARABIA. 



Arabia, inferior to no country throughout the whole world, 

 is of immense extent, running downwards, as we have pre- 

 viously stated,^ from Mount Amanus, over against Cilicia and 

 Commagene ; many of the Arabian nations having been re- 

 moved to those countries by Tigranes the Great,'' while others 

 again have migrated of their own accord to the shores of our 

 sea^ and the coast of Egypt, as we have already mentioned.^* 

 The Nubei ^ have even penetrated as far as Mount Libanus in 

 the middle of Syria ; in their turn they are bounded by the 

 liamisi, these by the Taranei, and these again by the Patami. 



As for Arabia itself, it is a peninsula, running out between 

 the Red and the Persian Seas ; and it is by a kind of design, 



* Dionysius of Charax. No particulars of him are known beyond those 

 mentioned by Pliny. 



^ Cains, the son of Marcus Agrippa and Julia, the daughter of Au- 

 gustus. He was the adopted son of Augustus. 



•5* See B. iii. c. 1, p. 151, in vol. 1. « In B. v. c. 21 and 22. 



^ Who called himself the King of kings, and was finally conquered by 

 Pompey. 



^ The Mediterranean. s* See B. v. c. 12. 



' Salmasius thinks that this should be written "Nombei;" but Har- 

 douin remarks that the Nombuei Avere not of Arabian but Jewish extrac- 

 tion, and far distant from Mount Libanus. 



