108 History of Nature. [BOOK VI. 



rhestica. And therefore the Length of Asia there may con- 

 tain 1250 Miles, and the Breadth 640. 



CHAPTER IX. 

 Armenia, the Greater and Less. 



THE Greater Armenia, beginning at the Mountains Pa- 

 riedri, is divided from Cappadocia by the River Euphrates, as 

 hath been said before : and where the River Euphrates 

 turneth, from Mesopotamia by the River Tigris, scarcely less 

 renowned than the other. It poureth forth both these Rivers, 

 and constitutes the beginning of Mesopotamia, which is situ- 

 ated between them both. The Land which lieth between is 

 possessed by the Arabs Orei. In this manner it extendeth its 

 Border to Adiabene. Beyond this, being hemmed in with 

 Mountains that stand across it, it spreadeth its Breadth on 

 the left Hand to the River Cyrus : and then across to the 

 River Araxes : but it carrieth its Length to the Lesser Ar- 

 menia, being separated from it by the River Absarus, which 

 falleth into the Pontus : and by the Mountains Pariedri, from 

 which the River Absarus issueth. The River Cyrus springeth 

 in the Mountains Heniochii, which some have called Co- 

 raxici. The Araxes issueth out of the same Mountain from 

 whence Euphrates cometh, and there is not above the Space 

 of six Miles between them. This River Araxes is augmented 

 with the River Musis ; and then itself loseth its Name, and, as 

 most have thought, is carried by the River Cyrus into the Cas- 

 pian Sea. These Towns are famous in the Lesser (Armenia) ; 

 Csesarea, Aza, and Nicopolis. In the Greater is Arsamote, 

 near the River Euphrates ; and Carcathiocerta, upon the 

 Tigris. In the higher Country is Tigranocerta, but in the 

 Plain, near the Araxes, Artaxata. Aufidius saith, that both 

 the Armenia contain in all 500 Miles. Claudius Ccesar 

 reporteth, that in Length from Dascusa to the Confines of 

 the Caspian Sea is 1300 Miles, and in Breadth half as much, 

 from Tigranocerta to Iberia. This is well known, that it is 

 divided into Prefectures, which they call Strategic ; and 

 some of them in old time were as large as Kingdoms : the 



