138 History of Nature. [BooK VI. 



their Empire. The Parthians have in all Eighteen Realms 

 under them : for so they divide the Provinces ahout the 

 Two Seas, as we have said, the Red Sea lying southward, 

 and the Hircan Sea, toward the north. Of these Eleven, 

 which are called the Higher Provinces, take their beginning 

 from the Border of Armenia, and the Coasts of the Caspian ; 

 and they reach to the Scythians, with whom they have equal 

 Intercourse on the other side. The other Seven are called 

 the Lower Provinces. As for the Parthians, their Land 

 always lay at the Foot of those Mountains of which we have 

 so often spoken, which enclose all those Nations. It hath 

 on the East the Arii, and southward Carmania and the 

 Ariani ; on the west side the Pratitae and Medi ; and on 

 the North the Hircani ; and is compassed about with Deserts. 

 The farthest Nations of the Parthians are called Nomades : 

 beyond the Deserts their Cities toward the West, are Issaris 

 and Calliope, of which we have written before ; but toward 

 the North-east, Europum ; and South-east, Mania. In the 

 Midland the City Hecatompylos, and Arsacia. The noble 

 Region of Nysaea in Parthyenes, where is Alexandropolis, 

 (so called) from its Founder. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

 Media, Mesopotamia, Babylon, and Seleucia. 



IT is needful in this place to describe the Situation of the 

 Medi, and to discover the Face of those Countries, as far as 

 to the Persian Sea, in order that the Description of other 

 Regions may be the better understood. For Media on the 

 West runneth obliquely, confronteth the Parthiae, and en- 

 closeth both these Realms. Therefore on the East side it 

 hath the Parthians and Caspians : on the South, Sittacene, 

 Susiane, and Persis ; Westward, Adiabene ; and Northward, 

 Armenia. The Persians always dwelt about the Red Sea, on 

 which account it was called the Persian Gulf. The Mari- 

 time Coast thereabout is called Cyropolis, and that part 

 which bordereth upon the Medes Elymais. There is a Place 

 called Megala, in the ascent of a steep Mountain, through a 



