BOOK VI. XVII. 43-xviii. 46 



by the same way. Moreover the number of snakes 

 renders the route impracticable except in winter. 



Joining on to the Adiabeni are the peoplc formerly 

 called the Carduchi and now the Cordueni, past whom 

 flows the river Tigris, and adjoining these are the 

 ' Roadside ' Pratitae, as they are called, who hold 

 the Caspian Gates. Running up to these on the other 

 side are the Parthian deserts and the Citheni range ; 

 and then comes the verv'^ agreeable locahty, also 

 belonging to Parthia, called Choara. Here are the 

 two Parthian towns formerly serving for protection 

 against the Medes, CaUiope and, on another rock, 

 Issatis ; but the actual capital of Parthia, Heca- 

 tompylos, is 133 miles from the Gates — so effectively 

 is the Parthian kingdom also shut off by passes. 

 Going out of the Gates one comes at once to the 

 Caspian nation, which extends down to the coast: 

 it is from this people that the pass and the sea obtain 

 their name. On the left there is a mountainous 

 district. Turning back from this people to the river 

 Kur the distance is said to be 225 miles, and going 

 up from the river Kur to the Gatcs 700 miles ; for 

 in the Itinerarics of Alexander thc Great this pass is 

 made the turning-point of his expcditions, the distance 

 from these Gates to the frontier of India being given 

 as 1961 miles, from the fronticr to the towTi of Balkh, 

 which is the name given to Zariasta," 462 miles, and 

 from Zariasta to the river Syr Darya 620 miles. 



XVHI. Lying to the east of the Caspians is the Region 

 region called Apavortene, in which is Dareium, a ''"a^ans'. 

 place noted for its fertility. Then there are the 

 tribes of the Tapyri, Anariaci, Staures and Hyrcani, 

 from whose shores the Caspian beyond the river 

 Sideris begins to be called thc Hyrcanian Sea ; 



371 



