BOOK V. XXI. 88-xxii. 91 



and it is as it were isolated by Natnre from the world, 

 having a destiny of its own between thc two mighty 

 empires of Rome and Parthia, and at the first moment 

 of a quarrel betwcen them always attracting the 

 attention of both sides. It is 337 miles distant from 

 Partliian Seleucia, generally known as Seleucia on 

 the Tigris, 203 miles from the nearcst part of the 

 Syrian coast, and 27 miles less from Damascus. 



Below the Desert of Palmyra is the district of 

 Stelendena, and Holy City, Beroea and Chalcis 

 already mentioned. Beyond Palmyra also a part of §§8i,83. 

 this desert is claimed by Hemesa, and a part by 

 Elatium, which is half as far as Damascus is from 

 Petrae. Quite near to Sura is the Parthian to^\Ti of 

 PhiHscum on the Euphrates ; from Phihscum to 

 Seleucia is a voyage of ten days, and about the same 

 to Babylon. At a point 594 miles from Bridgetown, 

 the Euphrates divides round the village of Massice, 

 the left branch passing through Seleucia itself into 

 Mesopotamia and falHng into thc Tigris as it flows 

 round that city, while the right-hand channel makes 

 for Babylon, the former capital of Chaldea, and 

 passing through the middle of it, and also through 

 the city called Mothris, spreads out into marshes. 

 Like the Nile, the Euphrates also increases in 

 volume at fixed periods with httle variation, and 

 floods Mesopotamia when the sun has reached thc 

 20th degree of the Crab ; but when the sun has 

 passed through the Lion and entered Virgo it begins 

 to sink, and when the sun is in the 29th degree of 

 Virgo it retums to its channcl entirely. 



XXH. But let us return to the coast of Sy ria, Asta Minor: 

 adjoining which is CiUcia. Here are the river ^oining'^ 

 Diaphanes, Mount Crocodile, the Gates of Mount «(«tonj. 



