BOOK VI. XXIX. 115-XXX. 118 



mountain by stages, with a narrow entrance, leading 

 to the former capital of the kingdom, PersepoHs, 

 which was destroyed by Alexander. Right on the 

 frontier the region also possesses the city of Laodicea, 

 founded by Antiochus. To the east of Laodicea 

 is the fortress of Phrasargis, occupied by the Magi, 

 which contains the tomb of Cyrus ; and another 

 place belonging to the Magi is the toAvn of Ecbatana 

 which King Darius transferred to the mountains. 

 Between tlie Parthi and the Ariani projects the 

 territory of the Paraetaceni. The Lower Kingdoms 

 are enclosed by these races and by the Euphrates ; 

 of the remaining kingdoms we shall speak after 

 describing Mesopotamia, with the exception of the 

 point of that country and the Arabian peoples 

 mentioned in the preceding volume. v. 86 fif, 



XXX. The whole of Mesopotamia once belonged Mesopo- 

 to the Assyrians, and the population was scattered ""'"''• 

 in villages, with the exception of Babylon and 

 Nineveh. The Macedonians collected its population 

 into cities, because of the fertiUty of the soil. Besides 

 the cities already mentioned it has the towns of 

 Seleucia, Laodicea and Artemita; and also, in the 

 territory of the Arabian tribe called the Orroei and 

 Mandani, Antioch, which was founded by Nicanor 

 when Governor of Mesopotamia, and which is called 

 Arabian Antioch." Adjoining these, in the interior, 

 are the Arabian tribe of the Eldamari, above whom 

 on the river Pallaconta is the town of Bura, and the 

 Arabian Salmani and Masei ; but adjoining the 

 Gurdiaei are the Azoni, through whose country 

 flows the Zerbis, a tributary of the Tigris, and 

 adjoining the Azoni the mountain tribe of the 

 Silices and the Orontes ; west of whom is the town 



427 



