BOOK VI. xxxii. 154-156 



mainland in the Cave-dwellers' territory is 50 miles ; 

 then the Thoani, the Actaei, the Chatramotitae," 

 the Tonabaei, the Antiadalei and Lexianae, the 

 Agraei, the Cerbani and the Sabaei,* the best 

 knoAVTi of all the Arabian tribes because of their 

 frankincense — these tribes extend from sea to sea.<^ 

 Their towns on the coast of the Red Sea are Merme, 

 Marma, Corolia, Sabbatha, and the inland towns are 

 Nascus, Cardava, Carnus, and Thomala to which 

 they bring down their perfumes for export. One 

 division of them are the Atramitae,'* whose chief 

 place is Sabota, a walled town containing sixty 

 temples ; the royal capital of all these tribes however 

 is MareUabata, which hes on a bay measuring 94 

 miles round, studded ^\1th islands that produce 

 perfumes. Adjoining the Atramitae in the interior 

 are the Minaei ; and dwelUng on the coast are also 

 the Aelamitae -Nvith a town of the same name, and 

 adjoining them the Chaculatae with the to^vTi of 

 Sibis, the Greek name of which is Apate, the Arsi, 

 the Codani, the Vadaei ^vith the large to^vn of 

 Barasasa, and the Lechieni ; and the island of 

 Sygaros, into which dogs are not admitted, and so 

 being exposed on the seashore they wander about 

 till they die. Then a bay running far inland on which 

 hve the Laeanitae, who have given it their name. 

 Their capital is Agra, and on the bay * is Laeana, or 

 as others call it Aelana ; for the name of the bay 

 itself has been written by our people ' Laeanitic ', 

 and by others ' Aelanitic ', while Artemidorus gives 

 it as ' Alaenitic ' and Juba as ' Leanitic '. The 

 circumference of Arabia from Charax to Laeana is 



* Of Yemen. ' I.e. from the Red Sea to tho Arabian. 



• The Gulf of Akaba. 



455 



