Plinics Natural! Hiftonci 



A that of all others which bound upon Pontus, reacheth fartheft within the firme land ; for on the 

 left hand itpafleth by both Armenias, the greater and the lefle^ and Comagene: and on the 

 right, all thofe nations in Afia before-named: confining many others : and ftill prevailing witli 

 great mighty growing on and cliraing Eaftward up to the mountaine Taurus, it pafleth beyond 

 Lycaonia,Pifidia, and Gilicia : and with that quarter which is called Cataonia, pierceth above 

 the tract of Antiochia, and reacheth as far as to the region Cyrrheftica, which lyeth well with- 

 in that countrey. And therefore the length of Afiathere^may contaiile 1250 rniles, and the 

 breadth ^40, - 



Chap, ix. 



^ ArmenU the greater and the lejfe, 



THe greater Armenia,beg!nning at the mountaines Pariedri , is divided from GappacJocid 

 by theriver Euprates, as hath been laid before: and where the river Euphrates beginneth 

 to turne his courfcfrom Mefopotamia,by the river Tigris as renowmedas the other.Both 

 thefc rivers is itfurnifhed withall, which isthecaufe that it taketh the name of Mefopotamiajas 

 bcin? fituatebetweenethem both. The maine land which lyeth betwecne, is pofFefled by the 

 mountaines of Arabia called Orei : howbeit, it extendeth untill it confine upon Adiabene. Be- 

 ing paft it once, it is hemmed in with mountaines that encounter it overthwarr, which caufe it 

 to enlarge it felfe into a breadth on the left hand, asfar as to the river Cyrus : and then it turneth 

 C ever croffejUntill it meet with theriver Araxes: but itcarriethhis length into the lefle Armenia, 

 confiningftill upon the river Abfarus, which falleth into the Pontickc fca: and the mountaines 

 Pariedri (from which thcfaid river ilTueth) which divide it from the leflfe Armenia i As for the 

 river Cyrus, it fpringeth in the mountaines Heniochij, which fomehave called Coraxici.Buc 

 Araxes iffueth out of the fame mountaine from whence Euphrates commeth, and there is not 

 above fixe miles fpace betweene them both. This river Araxes is augmented with the river Mu- 

 fis 5 and then himfelfe loofeth alfo his name, and as moft have thought, is carried by the river 

 Cyrus into the Calpianfea.As for the townes of name in the lefie Armenia, they be thefe,C^- 

 farea, Afia, andNicopolis. In the greater, yee have Arfamole, faft upon the riverEuphrates 5 

 likewife Garcathiocerta, fituatc upon Tigris. In the higher countrey, is the citieTigranocerta , 

 D built in the plaine beneadi,necre unto Araxes, Artaxata. Jujidms{m\\fi\^t both the iirmeni;^ 

 containe in all 5 00 miles. Claudm Cjifir reporteth, diat in length from Dafcufa/o the confines 

 of the Calpian fea,it taketh 1 300 miles, and in breadth halfe fo muchjto wit fro-n Tigranocerta 

 to Iberia. This is wellknowne, that divided it is into certaine regiments, which they call Strate- 

 giansj andyetfomeof the^-n inoidtimc,wereaslargeechof them as realmesandldagdomes • 

 and to the number they were of 1 2o,but fuch barbarous names they had, that they cannot wc 

 be fct downe in writing. Enclofed it is Eaftward with the mountaines, but neither the hills C 

 raunijj nor yet the region Adiabene, doe prelently and immediatly confine thereupon : for 

 countrey of the Sopheni lyeth betweene : then you come to the mountaines aforefaid ; and be- 

 ing paft them5you enter into the countrey of the Adiabenes.But on that coafi: where the plaines 

 E lye and the flatvalleys,the next neighbours to Armenia,bethe MenobardiandMofcheni. As 

 for Adiabene,environed it is partly with the river Tigris, and partly compafTed with unacccffi- 

 ble fteepe mountaines.On the left hand,it confineth upon the Medians, and hath a prolped to 

 the Calpian Tea, the which commeth out of the Ocean (as we {hall (hew in meet and covenienc 

 place) and is enclofed wholly within the mountaines of Caucafus. As for the nationsthere in- 

 habiting along the marches and confines of Armenia, now will we fpeake ot them. 



Chap, x, 

 "^Albma^andlherlu 



F A LI the plaine countrey betweene Armenia and the river Cyrus, the Albanois of Afia do 

 /\inhabite. Beeing paft it, you enter anon into the Iberians region, who are feparated from 

 the Albanois aforc-faid by the river Alazon^.which runneth downe from the Caucafian 

 hills into Cyrus. The towns of importance,in Albania,isCabalaca jinlberiajHarmaftisjUeere 

 10 the liver Neoris: beyond which, is the region Thafie^andTriareyasfarre as to the momi- 

 ^ taincs?: 



