ASIA. and carried javelins which had been hardened by CHAP. VI. fire.1 the western Proposed of Herodo tus's description with the of Persepo neveh. Such then are the contributions of Herodotus to Libyans. this important branch of archaeology. They might comparison perhaps have been further illustrated by a careful and minute comparison of the description of each nation, with the various details of costume repremonuments sented on the walls of Persepolis, and recently lis and Ni- recovered monuments of Nineveh. But such an illustration would be foreign to the purpose of the present volume, even supposing the author capable of satisfying himself in its execution; and indeed the work could only be well done by one who had himself seen and studied the monuments of Persepolis, and was not obliged to trust to mere engravings. Probably Col. Rawlinson, in the new version of Herodotus, already promised to the public, will supply this desideratum in Asiatic antiquities. II. Royal highway to Susa. II. We now turn to the second important docufrom Sardis ment in Herodotus, namely, the description of the road between Sardis and Susa, which the historian brings forward in explanation of the proposal made by Aristagoras to Sparta, for the conquest of the Persian empire. Stations and caravan Phrygia : sangs. "From Sardis to Susa," says Herodotus, "there serais all the is a road which passes all the way through an inhaway. bited and safe line of country, and all along it are Lydia and royal stations and excellent caravanserais. First on 20 stations, leaving Sardis we pass through Lydia and Phrygia, 94 para- which comprehend twenty stations, or ninety-four parasangs and a half. Leaving Phrygia we come River Ha- to the river Halys, at which there are gates protected by a fort, and these gates must be passed Cappadocia: through before crossing the river. On the other side of the Halys we enter Cappadocia, and the road leads us through this country to the borders of Cilicia, comprehending twenty-eight stations, or one hundred and four parasangs. We penetrate Cilicia 15 para through two defiles or gates, which are each pro lys, gates and fort. 28 stations, 104 para sangs. Cilicia: 3 stations, 3 3 The Greeks called these narrow passes rúλai, "gates:" hence Ther ASIA. phrates. 15 stations, Four rivers ried; the jor, Zabatus tected by a fort. In Cilicia are three stations, and fifteen and a half parasangs. The river Euphrates, CHAP. VI. which can only be crossed by a ferry, separates Ferry over Cilicia from Armenia. In Armenia there are fifteen the Eustations, or fifty-six and a half parasangs. There are Armenia: here also four rivers, which can only be crossed in 564 paraboats. The first is the Tigris. The second and sangs. third have the same name, though they are not the to be fersame river, nor flow from the same country, as the Tigris, Zafirst comes out of Armenia, and the other out of batus MaMatiene. [Unquestionably the Zabatus Major and Minor, and Zabatus Minor, or Greater and Lesser Zab, of which the first springs from the mountains of Kurdistan, and the other from the mountains of Armenia.] The fourth river is the Gyndes [which we have already shown to be the Diala']. From Armenia into Matiene there are four stations. . and from Matiene: Matiene through Cissia, as far as the river Choaspes Cissia: on which Susa is built, there are eleven stations, or 11 stations, forty-two and a half parasangs." 2 Gyndes. 4 stations. 42 parasangs. total. Herodotus next says, that the total number of Mistake in stations between Sardis and Susa are one hundred the sum and eleven, and that the total number of parasangs is four hundred and fifty. But if we add up those mentioned in the text, we find only eighty-one stations and three hundred and thirteen parasangs, thus: The hiatus may occur in the account of Matiene, Hiatus in where even the number of parasangs are not mentioned. It has been therefore proposed, instead of four stations, to insert "thirty-four stations and one mopylae, or "hot-gates." The rúλai, however, on the Phrygian side of the Halys seems to refer to actual gates constructed on a bridge. Perhaps, also, there were flood-gates, which could be opened or shut at pleasure. 1 See page 283. 2 v. 52. ASIA. CHAP. VI. Probably in by Hero dotus. hundred and thirty-seven parasangs," which will exactly reconcile the apparent contradiction. We have however already seen,' that Herodotus never filled considered Armenia to include Western Kurdistan, and Matiene to comprise the Kurdistan mountains, together with a small territory between Armenia and Cissia; and consequently there could not be more than four stations in Matiene, though there may have been more in Armenia. But Herodotus is certainly very obscure in mapping out these two countries, and his obscurity probably arose partly from his ignorance. He also trusted too much to his memory, and this may account for his putting down sum totals from recollection, without proving them. It really is not impossible that in describing the road between Sardis and Susa, he saw that there was some mistake about Matiene, and left a hiatus. to be subsequently filled up. But, being unable to get correct information at Thurium, he died without making the necessary insertion. Length of the whole journey sus to Susa. Herodotus calculates the parasang as equal to 30 stadia. The whole distance from Sardis to Susa, from Ephe- according to his measurement, would be 13,500 stadia; and he adds that those who travel 150 stadia a day would spend 90 days on the journey. Calculating however from the Hellenic Sea (or Aegean) to Susa, 540 stadia more must be reckoned in, as the distance between Ephesus and Sardis. The whole journey therefore from Ephesus to Susa was 14,040 stadia, or three days more than the three months mentioned by Aristagoras.3 Position of the nations in the map ras. The words of Aristagoras respecting the positions of the principal nations, should be also compared of Aristago- with Herodotus's account of the route. "Next the Ionians are the Lydians, who inhabit a fertile country, and abound in silver; then towards the east are the Phrygians, who are the richest people in cattle 1 See page 284. 2 In another place (iv. 101) Herodotus calculates 200 stadia to the day's journey, but here he is evidently desirous of reconciling the distance with the words of Aristagoras, that the journey would occupy three months. v. 53, 54. 3 and corn; next are the Cappadocians, whom we call ASIA. Syrians; bordering on them are the Cilicians, who CHAP. VI. extend to the sea, in which the island of Cyprus is situated; then come the Armenians, who also abound in cattle; then the Matienians; and, lastly, the Cissians, where the city of Susa is situated on the river Choaspes.1 tion of the modern ca In concluding this chapter, we may mention that Identificathe great road already described is still used by ancient road caravans from Smyrna to Ispahan. Only the latter with the half has varied, for the traveller now proceeds north- ravan route. east, in order to be in the direction of Ispahan, whilst the ancients inclined more to the south, and followed the course of the Tigris. The ancient and modern roads however agree in one particular, they both took a circuitous course through inhabited countries, for the sake of security. A more direct road would have led the traveller through the steppes of Mesopotamia, occupied then as now by roving predatory hordes; he therefore preferred taking the northern route, along the foot of the Armenian mountains, where he enjoyed security from all molestation, and an abundant supply of all necessaries.2 1 v. 49. 2 Heeren, Asiat. Res. vol. i. Tavernier's account of the caravan routes to Ispahan is graphic, though somewhat long-winded and gossipping. I made an abstract of his description of the route through Armenia in the hope that it would illustrate that of Herodotus, but the result, though interesting, was too unsatisfactory for me to insert in the present volume. AFRICA. CHAPTER I. AFRICA. CHAP. I. GENERAL SURVEY. Imperfect state of the geography of Africa.-Considered by Herodotus to be surrounded by water, excepting at the Isthmus of Suez.-Story of its circumnavigation by Phoenicians sent out by Neco.-Evidently believed by Herodotus and his contemporaries.-Voyage of Sataspes.Possibility of circumnavigating Africa, subsequently denied by Plato. B. C. 360; Ephorus, B. C. 340; Polybius, в. c. 150; Strabo, A. D. 1; and Ptolemy, A. D. 150.-Difficulty in deciding whether the Phoenicians did or did not accomplish the circumnavigation.-Herodotus's account of the voyage.-Examination into its possibility.-Nature of the ships.-Character of the voyage.-Extent of coast to be traversed by circumnavigators.Mean rate of sailing.-Aggregate length of the voyage. Description of the supposed circumnavigation by the light of modern geography.-B. c. 613, August.--Suez.-Monsoon in the Arabian Gulf blowing from the north.-October.-Straits of Babel-mandeb.-Cape Guardafui.-Land of frankincense.-Monsoon of the Indian ocean blowing from the north-east.-Sun perpetually on the right hand.-Current of the Mozambique channel running round the Cape of Good Hope.— B. C. 612, January.-Tropic of Capricorn.-April.-Doubling of the Cape of Good Hope.-Atlantic Ocean.-Wind from the south blowing along the coast.-July.-St. Thomas's island.-Unfavourable wind and current lasting till October.-General course of the currents of the Atlantic.-October.-Wind blowing from the north-east: slow westward progress against the current.-B. c. 611, March.-River Senegal.-Stay for the September harvest.-Slow progress against the current to the limits of the north-east trade wind.-Favourable winds through the Pillars of Heracles to the mouths of the Nile.—Story of the Phoenicians obtaining supplies on their voyage by sowing corn and waiting for the harvest, not incredible.-Probably well victualled as far as Sofala, and again fresh supplied at Angola.-Bank of the Senegal river, the most likely spot for the Phoenicians to have chosen for sowing corn.-Examination into the credibility to be attached to Herodotus's relation.Story of having the sun on the right hand no evidence of its truth.— Failure of Sataspes no evidence of its falsehood.-Phoenicians assisted by monsoons and currents, which would have been adverse to Sataspes. -Enterprising character of Neco in perfect keeping with his having organized such an expedition.-Convincing reasons for believing in the circumnavigation, and in the truth of Herodotus's narrative.-Herodotus's general knowledge of the African continent.-Considered it to be a |
