Chap. 30.] 
ACCOUNT or COTJOTEIES, ETC. 
71 
formed these communities into cities, being prompted thereto 
by the extraordinary fertility of the soil. Besides the cities 
already mentioned, it contains those of Seleucia,^^ Laodicea,^^ 
Artemita f"^ and in Arabia, the peoples known as the 
Orei^^ and the Mardani, besides Antiochia,^* founded by I^'ica- 
nor, the governor of Mesopotamia, and called Arabis. Join- 
ing up to these in the interior is an Arabian people, called 
the Eldamani, and above them, upon the river Pallaconta, the 
town of Eura, and the Arabian peoples known as the Sal- 
mani and the Masei. Up to the Gordysei^^ join the Aloni, 
through whose territory runs the river Zerbis, which falls into 
the Tigris ; next are the Azones, the Silici, a mountain 
tribe, and the Orontes, to the west of whom lies the town of 
Gaugamela,^^ as also Sue, situate upon the rocks. Beyond 
these are the Silici, surnamed Classitse, through whose dis- 
trict runs the riyer Lycus on its passage from Armenia, the 
Absithris running south-east, the town of Accobis, and then in 
the plains the towns of Diospage, Polytelia,^^ Stratonice, and 
Anthermis.^^ In the vicinity of the Euphrates is Mcephorion, 
of which we have^^ already stated that Alexander, struck with 
20 On the left bank of the Euphrates, opposite to the ford of Zeugma ; 
a fortress of considerable importance. 
2^ Its site is unknown. Dupinet confounds it with the place of this name 
mentioned in the last Chapter, calling them by the name of Lor. 
22 Pliny is wrong in placing Artemita in Mesopotamia. It was a city 
of Babylonia, in the district of Apolloniatis. The modern Sherb§.n is 
supposed to occupy its site. 
23 Burnouf, having found the name of these people, as he supposes, in 
a cuneiform inscription, written Ayura," would have them to be called 
Aroei. The Orei are also mentioned in B. v. c. 20. 
2"* This Antioch does not appear to have been identified. 
25 The mountains of the Gordyaei are mentioned in c. 12. 
2^ This, as previously mentioned in a Note to c. 16, was the scene of 
the last great battle between Alexander and Darius, and known as the 
battle of Arbela. It has been suggested that it may perhaps be repre- 
sented by a place now called Karnelis. See p. 27. 
27 Accordng to Ansart, now called the Lesser Zab, and by the inha- 
bitants the Altun-su, meaning the " Golden river." 
28 According to Parisot, the modern name is Calicala. 
29 Strabo speaks of the Aborras, or modern Khabur, as flowing in the 
vicinity of Anthemusia, the district probably in which the town of An- 
thermis was situate. According to Isidorus of Charax, it lay between 
Edessa and the Euphrates. Its site does not appear to have been any 
further identified. It is called Anthemusia in B. v. c. 21, 
«o In B. V. c. 21. 
