OLDEN— On the Geography of Ros Ailithir. 235 
XVI. 
Without doubt, in the east are the men, between Euphrates and Tigris, 
And Caucasus, where it is greatest, and the tribes of Mesopotamia. 
XVII. 
Syria, towards Euphrates from the west, to the dark places of the Torrian Sea ; 
From Egypt its length is seen, northward to Cappadocia. 
XVIII. 
Towards Magena (Commagene ?), on the north its strength; towards Cappadocia, 
towards Armenia ; 
Pheenicia is known here, on the south* in its neighbourhood. 
XIX. 
Palestina, the glorious [land], there are the sons of Jacob ; 
To the south the vigorous Nabatheans, and the lands of the Saracens!. 
xx. 
The people of Sodom, thence westward, not healthful: Amalek, Ammon, and Moab; 
Seir west and Midian east on either side of the Mare rubrum.™ 
XXII. 
Egypt of famous deeds, most fertile of all lands ; 
Along by the river Nile southward, it is neighbour to Africa." 
XXII. 
From Mount Caucasus east by north, by the shore of the Arctic Ocean ; 
Without doubt there is a multitude of men, from the Caspian Sea to eastward. 
Tt is singular that Bacchus was also called NeBpdédes, and this name was supposed 
to have been derived from Nefprs, the skin of the hind, which the Bacchantes used. 
But another tradition identifies him with Nimrod: ‘“‘ Nimrod Grecorum Bacchus 
Arabum desertis in amenissimos Babylonize progressus cum vires suas circumspice- 
ret ejus urbis imperium rapuit ac breyi magnum Regnum conflavit.’’—Hoffman’s 
Lexicon Univer. s. v., Nimrod. 
k The Book of Leinster reads an aes, which does not make sense. Probably 
the true reading is imn-ess, i.e. the ships, alluding to the Pheenician commerce. 
1 Saracens.—They are mentioned at a very early period by Ammianus Marcel- 
linus, lib. xiv. cap. 4. Menander describes them as very numerous: Sapaknyira 
PvAa pupliades TAUTG KaL TO TAELOTOVY GUTWY EpnuovouoL Kal adeomoto:.— Excerpta 
Legat. p. 149. 
Nabatheans.—The Greeks and Romans called the inhabitants of the country, 
whose capital was Petra, by this name. 
m Red Sea.—Here the Elanitic Gulf. 
2 Africa.—Egypt it will be observed is treated as part of Asia, the Nile dividing 
it from Africa.—yv. m1., note 4, p. 231. 
