80 
pliny's natubal histoey. 
[Book VI. 
temple of Diana, which is held in the highest veneration by 
all these nations ; the river itself being the object of many 
pompous ceremonials ; the kings, indeed, will drink of no 
other water, and for that reason carry it with them on their 
journies to any considerable distance. This river receives the 
waters of the Hedypnos,^''^ which passes Asylus, in Persis, 
and those of the Aduna, which rises in Susiane. Magoa^^ is 
a town situate near it, and distant from Charax fifteen miles ; 
some writers place this town at the very extremity of Susiane, 
and close to the deserts. 
Below the Eulaeus is Elymais,^"^ upon the coast adjoining to 
Persis, and extending from the river Orates^^ to Charax, a dis- 
tance of two hundred and forty miles. Its towns are Seleucia^^ 
and Socrate,^' upon Mount Casyrus. The shore which lies in 
front of this district is, as we have already stated, rendered in- 
accessible by mud,^^ the rivers Brixa and Ortacea bringing 
down vast quantities of slime from the interior, — Elymais 
itself being so marshy that it is impossible to reach Persis 
that way, unless by going completely round : it is also 
greatly infested with serpents, which are brought down by 
the waters of these rivers. That part of it which is the most 
inaccessible of all, bears the name of Characene, from 
Charax, the frontier city of the kingdoms of Arabia. Of 
the Eulaeiis for the Choaspes. In c. 26 lie says that Susa is on the river 
Tigris. 
'-^^ Pliny says this in B. xxxi. c, 21 of both the Eulaeus and the Choespes. 
92 Most probably the Hedyphon of Strabo, supposed to be the same as 
that now called the Djerrabi. 
. &3 Parisot thinks that this is the modern Jessed, in the vicinity of the 
desert of Bealbanet, 
9i Previously mentioned in c. 28. 
95 The modern Tab. 
96 Now called Caiiiata, according to Parisot. 
97 The modern Saurac, according to Parisot. The more general reading 
is " Sosirate." 
9^ Our author has nowhere made any such statement as this, for which 
reason Hardouin thinks that he here refers to the maritime region men- 
tioned in c. 29 of the present Book (p. 69), the name of which Sillig reads 
as Ciribo. Hardouin would read it as Syrtibolos, and would give it the 
meaning of the muddy district of the Syrtes." It is more likely, how- 
ever, that Pliny has made a slip, and refers to something which, by 
inadvertence, he has omitted to mention. 
99 Charax Spasinu, or Pasinu, previously mentioned in c. 26 (see p. 62). 
The name Charax applied to a town, seems to have meant a fortified place. 
