BOOK VI. xxix. II 2-1 15 



shores of the Caspian, and extend to the Scythians, 

 ■\vith whom the Parthians live on terms of equaUty. 

 The remainingsevenkinijdoms are called the Lower 

 Kingdoms. So far as the Parthi are concerned, 

 there has aUvays been a country named Parthyaea 

 at the foot of the mountain range, already men- 

 tioned more than once, which forms the boundary s 41. 

 of all these races. To the east of Parthyaea are the 

 Arii, to tlie south Carmania and the Ariani, to the 

 west tlie Pratitae, a Median race, and to the north the 

 Hyrcani ; and it is surrounded on all sides by desert. 

 The more remote Parthians are called the Nomads. 

 Short of the desert on the west side are the Parthian 

 cities mentioned above, Issatis and CaUiope ; north-§44. 

 east is Pyropum, south-east Maria, mid in the middle 

 Hecatompylos, Arsace, and the fine disti-ict of 

 Parthyene, Nisiaea, containing the city named 

 AlexandropoUs after its founder. 



At this point it is necessary also to indicate the Oeo^aphy 

 geographical position of the Medes, and to trace a„^ paHhia. 

 the formation of the country round to the Persian 

 Sea, in order that the rest of tlie account that 

 follows may be more easily understood. Media Ues 

 cross^vise on the west side, meeting Parthia at an 

 angle, and so shutting off both groups of Parthian 

 kingdoms. Consequently it has the Caspian and 

 Parthian people on its east side, Sittacene, Susiane 

 and Farsistan on the south, Adiabene on the west, 

 and Armenia on the north. The Persians liavc ahvays 

 Uved on the shore of the Red Sea, which is the 

 reason why it is called the Persian Gulf. The coastal 

 region there is called CyropoUs, but the Greek name 

 of the place where it runs up towards the Medes is the 

 Great Staircase, frora a steep gorge ascending the 



425 



