30 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book VI. 



there is a mountainous district. Turning back 57 from this 

 nation to the river Cyrus, the distance is said to be two hun- 

 dred and twenty miles ; but if we go from that river as far 

 down as the Caspian Gates, the distance is seven hundred 58 

 miles. In the itineraries of Alexander the Great these gates 

 were made the central or turning point in his expeditions ; 

 the distance from the Caspian Gates to the frontier of India 

 being there set down as fifteen thousand six hundred and 

 eighty 59 stadia, to the city of Bactra, 60 commonly called Zari- 

 aspa, three thousand seven hundred, and thence to the river 

 Jaxartes 61 five thousand stadia. 



CHAP. 18. (16.) NATIONS SITUATE AROUND THE HYRCANIAN SEA. 



Lying to the east of the Caspii is the region known as Apa- 

 vortene, 62 in which there is a place noted for its singular fer- 

 tility, called Dareium. 63 We then come to the nations of the 

 Tapyri, 64 the Anariaci, the Staures, and the Hyrcani, past 

 whose shores and beyond the river Sideris 65 the Caspian begins 

 to take the name of the ( Hyrcanian ' Sea : on this side of 

 that stream are also the rivers Maxeras and Strato ; all of 

 them take their rise in the Caucasian chain. Next comes 



57 In a northern direction, along the western shores of the Caspian. 



58 According to Hardouin, Eratosthenes, as quoted by Strabo, makes 

 the distance 5060 stadia, or about 633 miles. He has, however, mis- 

 translated the passage, which gives 5600 stadia, or 700 miles exactly, 

 as stated by Pliny. 



> Or 1960 miles. 



60 Bactra, Bactrum, or Bactrium, was one of the chief cities, if not the 

 capital, of the province of Bactriana. It was one of the most ancient 

 cities in the world, and the modern Balkh is generally supposed to occupy 

 its site. Strabo, as well as Pliny, evidently considers that Bactra and 

 Zareispa were the same place, while Appian distinguishes between the 

 two, though he does not clearly state their relative positions. 



61 The modern Syr-Daria, mentioned in c. 15. See p. 25. 



62 By some writers called Apavareticene, in the south-eastern part of 

 Parthia. Ansart says that it is now known as Asterabad and Ghilan. 



63 Or Dara. A strongly fortified place, built by Arsaces I., and situate 

 on the mountains of the Zapaorteni. 



64 According to 'Ansart, the district now known as Tabaristan, or 

 Mazanderan, derives the first of those names from the Tapyri. 



65 D'Anville remarks that this Driver still retains its "starry" name, 

 being the modern Aster or Ester, on which Asterabad is situate. 



