BOOK VI. XV. 36-39 



its dimensions on the south-east side along the coast 

 of Cadusia and Albania as 725 miles, from there 

 through the territories of the Atiaci, Aniarbi and 

 Hyrcani to the mouth of the river Zonus 600 miles, 

 and from there to the mouth of the Syr Daria " 

 300 miles, making a total of 1575 miles. Artemi- 

 dorus subtracts 25 miles from this total. Agrippa 

 states that the Caspian Sea and the races surrounding 

 it, includmg Armenia, bounded on the east by the 

 Chinese Ocean, on the west by the ranges of the 

 Caucasus, on the south by those of the Taurus and on 

 the north by the Scythian Ocean, so far as is known 

 extend 480 miles in length and 290 miles in breadth. 

 But there are some authors who give the entire cir- 

 cuit of the sea in question from the straits'' as 2500 

 milcs. 



Its waters make their way into this sea by a narrow 

 mouth of considerable lengtli ; and where it begins 

 to widen out it curves obHquely with crescent- 

 shaped horns, as though desccnding from the mouth 

 to the Sea of Azov, in the Ukeness of a sickle, as 

 Marcus \'arro states. Tlie first part of it is called 

 the Scythian Gulf, because the inhabitants on both 

 sides are Scythians, who liold communication across 

 the narrows, on one side being the Nomads and the 

 Sauromatae, who have a variety of names, and on 

 the other the Abzoae, wilh just as many. Starting 

 at the entrance, on the right-hand side the actual 

 point of the mouth is occupied by the Scythian tribe 

 of the Udini ; then along the coast are the Albani, 

 said to be descended from Jason, after whom the sea 

 at that point is called the Alban Sea. This race 

 overflows the Caucasus Mountains and, as previously § 29. 

 stated, comes down as far as the river Kur, whicli 



365 



