106 History of Nature. [BooK VI. 



the very first Passage of Bosphorus are Hermonassa and then 

 Cepi, founded by the Milesians. Close by is Stratilia (or 

 Stratoclea), Phanagoria, and Apaturos, which is almost un- 

 peopled : and last of all, in the mouth, Cimmerius, formerly 

 called Cerberian. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Nations about Moeotis. 



BEYOND Cimmerium is the Lake Moeotis, spoken of be- 

 fore in Europe. Beyond Cimmerium inhabit the Mceotici, 

 Vati, Serbi, Archi, Zingi, and Psesii. After this you come 

 to the River Tanais, which runneth with two Mouths : and 

 on the sides of it dwell the Sarmatae, descended, as they say, 

 from the Medi: but themselves divided into many Races. 

 And first the Sauromatae, surnamed Gynaecocratumeni, from 

 whence the Amazons are provided with Husbands. Next to 

 them are the Euazae, Cottse, Cicimeni, Messeniani, Costo- 

 bocci, Choatrae, Zigae, Dandari, Thussageae, and Turese, even 

 as far as the Wilderness, rough with woody Valleys. Be- 

 yond them are the Arimphaei, who live upon the Riphsean 

 Mountains. The Tanais itself the Scythians call Silys ; and 

 Moeotis they name Temerinda, 1 that is to say, the Mother of 

 the Sea. There stood also a Town at the mouth of Tanais. 

 The Lares first inhabited the Borders : afterwards the Clazo- 

 menii and Mceones: and in process of time the Panti- 

 capenses. Some Authors write, that about Moeotis toward 

 the higher Mountains Ceraunii, the following Nations inhabit 

 on the Coast, the Napaeae : and above them the Essedones, 

 joining on the Colchi, and the tops of the Mountains. After 

 them the Carmacae, the Orani, Antacse, Mazacae, Ascantici, 

 Acapeatae, Agagammatae, Phycari, Rhimosoli, and Asco- 



1 It is easy to discern that many of the names of nations mentioned 

 by Pliny are not those which the people themselves would have recog- 

 nised; but Greek descriptive designations. But the word " Temerinda" 

 is believed to have been " Scythian," and to be rightly interpreted by the 

 author. Daleschamp supposes the true expression to be " Themers-end," 

 or, in modern terms, " Dess-maers-end." Wern. Club. 



