BOOK VI. XXXII. 159-162 



' very rich in herds '), the Chorranitae, the Cesani 

 and the Choani. Here were also the Greek towns 

 of Arethusa, Larisa and Chalcis, but they have been 

 destroyed in various wars. 



AeHus Gallus, a member of the Order of Knights, Erpeduion 

 is the only person Avho has hitherto carried the ooWu**"* 

 arms of Rome into this country ; for Gaius .Caesar 

 son of Augustus only had a ghmpse of Arabia. 

 Gallus destroyed the follo\\ing towns not named by 

 the authors who have wTitten previously — Negrana, 

 Nestus, Nesca, Magusus, Caminacus, Labaetia; as 

 well as Mariba above mentioned, which measures §159. 

 6 miles round, and also Caripeta, Avhich was the far- 

 thest point he reached. The other discoveries that 

 he reported on his return are : that the Nomads hve 

 on milk and the flesh of wild animals ; that the rest 

 of the tribes extract wine out of palm trees, as the 

 natives do in India, and get oil from sesame; that 

 the Homeritae are the most numerous tribe ; that 

 the Minaei have land that is fertile in palm groves 

 and timber, and wealth in flocks ; that the Cerbani 

 and Agraei, and especially the Chatramotitae, excel 

 as warriors ; that the Carrei have the most extensive 

 and most fertile agricultural land ; that the Sabaei 

 are the most wealthy, o^nng to the fertility of their 

 forests in producing scents, their gold mines, their 

 irrigated agricultural land and their production of 

 honey and wax : of their scents we shall speak in [!ook xn. 

 the volume dealing ^vith that subject. The Arabs 

 wear turbans or else go with their hair unshom; 

 they shave their beards but wear a moustache — 

 others however leave the beard also unshaven. 

 And strange to say, of these innumerable tribes an 

 equal part are engaged in tradc or live by brigandage ; 



459 



