10 PLINY'S KATTJEAL HISTOET. [Book VI. 



Greater Armenia, at a distance of thirty miles. On the coast, 

 before Trapezus, flows the river Pyxites, and beyond it is the 

 nation of the Sanni 90 Heniochi. Next comes the river Ab- 

 earus, 91 with a fortress of the same name at its mouth, distant 

 from Trapezus one hundred and forty miles. 



At the back of the mountains of this district is Iberia, 

 while on the coast are the Heniochi, the Ampreutae, 92 the Lazi, 

 the rivers Acampsis, 93 Isis, 94 Mogrus, and Bathys, 95 the nations 

 of the Colchi, the town of Matium, 96 the river Heracleum and 

 the promontory of the same name, 97 and the Phasis, 98 the most 

 celebrated river of Pontus. This river rises among the Moschi, 

 and is navigable for the largest vessels a distance of thirty- eight 

 miles and a half, and for small ones very much higher up ; 

 it is crossed by one hundred and twenty bridges. It formerly 

 had many cities of note on its banks, the more famous of 

 which were Tyndaris, Circseum, Cygnus, and Phasis 39 at its 

 mouth. But the most celebrated of them all was JEa, fifteen 

 miles 1 distant from the sea, where the Hippos and the Cy- 

 aneos, 2 rivers of vast size, flow into it from opposite directions. 

 At the present day its only place of note is Surium, which 



90 Theodoret says that the Sanni, and the Lazi, subsequently mentioned, 

 although subdued by the Roman arms, were never obedient to the Roman 

 laws. The Heniochi were probably of Grecian origin, as they were said 

 to have been descended from the charioteers of the Argonauts, who had 

 been wrecked upon these coasts. 



91 Or Apsarus, or Absarum. Several geographers have placed the site of 

 this town near the modern one known as Gonieh. Its name was connected 

 with the myth of Medea and her brother Absyrtus. It is not improbable 

 that the names Acampsis and Absarus have been given to the same river by 

 diiferent writers, and that they both apply to the modern Joruk. 



92 It is suggested by Hardouin that these are the same as the Zydretce 

 mentioned in the Periplus of Arrian, and by him placed between the He- 

 niochi and the Lazi. 



93 See note 91. 



94 Supposed to be the same as the modern Tshorok. 



95 Or " Deep "River. This stream may possibly be identified by ob- 

 serving that Pliny places only one river between it and the Phasis. 



96 Probably the Madia of Ptolemy, who places it in the interior. 

 9 ' At the present day called Eraklia, according to Parisot. 



93 Now called the Faz or llhioni. 

 99 Still called El Faz or Poti. 



1 This place was in reality thirty-seven miles and a half from the sea. 

 It was said to have been the native place of the enchantresses Circe and 

 Medea. 



2 The rivers Hippos and Cyaneos do not appear to have been identified. 



