Res Gestae

Hence to this very day the over-boastful kings of that race suffer themselves to be called brothers of the Sun and Moon, and just as for our emperors the

Hence they venerate and worship Arsaces as a god, and their regard for him has been carried so far, that even down to the memory of our time only a man who is of the stock of Arsaces (if there is one anywhere) is preferred to all in mounting the throne. Even in any civil strife, which constantly arises among them, everyone avoids as sacrilege the lifting of his hand against an Arsacid, whether he is bearing arms or is a private citizen.

It is well known that this nation, after vanquishing many peoples by its power, extended its domain as far as the Propontis and Thrace,[*](Cf. xxv. 4, 23.) but through the arrogance of its haughty leaders, who lawlessly extended their raids to a great distance, it was weakened by severe losses: first through Cyrus, who crossed the Bosporus with an army of incredible size, but was completely annihilated by the Scythian queen Tomyris, the fierce avenger of her sons.[*](Cf. Hdt. i. 214; Just. i. 8, 9 ff.)

Later, when Darius, and after him Xerxes, changed the use of the elements[*](Of water, when he bridged the Hellespont; of land, when he cut a canal through the Athos promontory.) and attacked Greece, almost all their forces were destroyed by land and sea, and they themselves barely found a safe return; not to mention the wars of Alexander and the passing by his will and testament of the whole nation to the jurisdiction of a single successor.[*](There is no mention of this will in Curtius, Arrian, or Diodorus Siculus.)

After this was done and a long time had passed, during which the Roman commonwealth was governed by consuls and later brought under the sway of the Caesars, these nations carried on wars with us from time to time, and sometimes the contest was equal, at other times they were conquered, and occasionally they came off victorious.

I shall now describe the lie of the land—so far as my purpose allows—briefly and succinctly. These regions extend to a wide area in length and breadth,[*](For its extent under Cyrus, see Xen., Cyrop. viii. 7, 7; cf. i. 1, 4: under Darius Hystaspes, Hdt. iii. 88.) and run all along the Persian Gulf, which has many islands and peoples all round. The entrance to this sea (they say) is so narrow that from Harmoz, the promontory of Carmania, the other headland opposite it, which the natives call Maces, may be seen without difficulty.

After one has passed through this narrow strait, a wide expanse of sea opens, which is favourable to navigation as far as the city of Teredon,[*](In Babylonia.) where after many losses the Euphrates mingles with the deep.[*](It unites with the Tigris before flowing into the sea. The losses are diminution of its waters, and in the speed of their flow, because of alluvial deposits.) The entire gulf is bounded by a shore of 20,000 stadia, which is rounded as if turned on a lathe. All along the coast is a throng of cities and villages, and many ships sail to and fro.

After passing the strait which has been mentioned, one comes to the bay of Carmania facing the east. Then, a long distance to the south, the bay of Canthicus opens, and not far off is another, called Chalites, facing the setting sun. Next, after one has skirted many islands,

And as the pens of geographers have drawn it, the whole circuit just described has this form. In the northern direction, to the Caspian Gates[*](A pass in Mt. Taurus, between Parthia and Media.) it borders on the Cadusii, on many tribes of the Scythians, and on the Arimaspse, wild, one-eyed men. On the west it touches Armenia, Niphates,[*](A mountain of Armenia.) the Asiatic Albani, the Red Sea,[*](The Red Sea (Persian Gulf) is south (or south-west) of the Persian empire; cf. Pliny, N.H. vi. 112, a meridie, and Mesopotamia is west.) and the Scenitic Arabs, whom men of later times called the Saracens.[*](Cf. xiv. 4, xxii. 15, 2.) Under the southern heaven it looks down on Mesopotamia.[*](Cf. xiv. 4, xxii. 15, 2.) Opposite the eastern front it extends to the Ganges river, which cuts through India and empties into the southern ocean.

Now there are in all Persia these greater provinces, ruled by vitaxae, or commanders of cavalry, by kings, and by satraps-for to enumerate the great number of smaller districts would be difficult and superfluous-namely, Assyria, Susiana, Media, Persis, Parthia, Greater Carmania, Hyrcania, Margiana, the Bactriani, the Sogdiani, the Sacae, Scythia at the foot of Imaus,[*](The Himalayas.) and beyond the same mountain, Serica, Aria, the Paropanisadae, Drangiana, Arachosia, and Gedrosia.

Nearest to us of all the provinces is Assyria, famous for its large population, its size, and the abundance and great variety of its products. This province once spread over great and prosperous peoples and districts,[*](It included Assyria, Babylonia, and Mesopotamia.) then it was combined under a single name, and to-day the whole region is called

Here naphtha also is produced, a glutinous substance which looks like pitch. This too is similar to bitumen, and even a little bird, if it lights upon it, is prevented from flying, sinks, and disappears utterly. And when fluid of this kind catches fire, the mind of man will find no means of putting it out, except dust.[*](Cf. xxiii. 4, 15.)

In these regions there is also to be seen a cleft in the earth,[*](Cf. Lucr. vi. 756 ff.) from which rises a deadly exhalation, which with its foul odour destroys every living creature that comes near it. If this pestilential stuff, rising from a kind of deep well, should spread out widely from its opening before rising on high, it would by its fetid odour have made the surrounding country a desert.

A similar opening was formerly to be seen (as some say) at Hierapolis in Phrygia. And from this also a noxious vapour with a penetrating stench came forth and was destructive to whatever came near it, excepting only eunuchs; and the reason for this may be left to natural philosophers to determine.[*](Cf. Dio. lxviii. 27, 3; Pliny, N.H. ii. 208.)

Also at the temple of Jupiter Asbamaeus in Cappadocia, where that famous philosopher Apollonius[*](This self-styled philosopher, of Tyana in Cappadocia, was famous for his belief in his magic or supernatural powers. He lived in the first century A.D. His Life, by Philostratus, has come down to us; see Philostratus, L.C.L., i. Introd.) is said to have been

Within this area is Adiabena, called Assyria in ancient times, but by long custom changed to this name because, lying between the navigable rivers Ona and Tigris it could never be approached by a ford; for we Greeks for transire say διαβαίνειν. At least, this is the opinion of the ancients.

But I myself say that there are two perpetually flowing rivers to be found in these lands, the Diabas and Adiabas,[*](Valesius thinks they are the same rivers which are more commonly called Zabas and Anzabas, and that dia became za; but see Index.) which I myself have crossed,[*](During the flight after Julian’s death.) and over which there are bridges of boats; and therefore it is to be assumed that Adiabena was named from them, as from great rivers Egypt[*](Homer calls the Nile Aegyptus; cf. xxii. 15, 3.) was named, according to Homer, as well as India, and the Euphratensis, before my time called Commagena; likewise from the Hiberus,[*](Ebro.) Hiberia (now Hispania), and the province of Baetica from the noble river Baetis.[*](Guadalquivir.)

In this Adiabena is the city of Ninus,[*](Also called Nineve; cf. xxviii. 7, 1.) which once possessed the rule over Persia, perpetuating the name of Ninus, once a most powerful king and the husband of Semiramis; also Ecbatana,[*](Likewise a city of Media.) Arbela, and Gaugamela,[*](Gaugamela was a small village near Arbela; it was there that the battle was fought, although it is more commonly called the battle of Arbela.) where Alexander, after various other battles, overthrew Darius in a hot contest.

But in all Assyria there are many cities, among which Apamia, formerly called Mesene,[*](Pliny, N.H. vi. 132, separates Apamia from Mesene; cf. xxiv. 3, 12; on Teredon, cf. Pliny, vi. 145.) and Teredon, Apollonia and Vologessia, and many similar ones are conspicuous. But these three are especially magnificent and widely known: Babylon,[*](Diod. Sic. (ii. 9, 9) says that in his time Babylon had been almost wholly destroyed and Pausanias, viii. 33, 3, that only the walls and the temple of Belus were standing.) whose walls Semiramis built with bitumen[*](Cf. Curtius, v. 1, 16 and 25.) (for the ancient king Belus built the citadel), and Ctesiphon, which Vardanes[*](Unknown.) founded long ago; and later king Pacorus[*](Pacorus seems to have been the son of king Orodes, defeated by Ventidius.) strengthened it with additional inhabitants and with walls, gave it a Greek name, and made it the crowning ornament of Persia. And finally there is Seleucia, the splendid work of Seleucus Nicator.

When this city was stormed by the generals of Verus Caesar (as I have related before),[*](In a lost book; cf. Capitolinus, Verus, 8, 3.) the statue of Apollo Comaeus was torn from its place and taken to Rome, where the priests of the gods set it up in the temple of the Palatine Apollo. And it is said that, after this same statue had been carried off and the city burned, the soldiers in ransacking the temple found a narrow crevice; this they widened in the hope of finding something valuable; but from a kind of shrine, closed by the occult arts of the Chaldaeans, the germ of that pestilence burst forth, which after generating the virulence of incurable diseases, in the time of the same Verus and of Marcus Antoninus polluted everything with contagion and death, from the frontiers of Persia all the way to the Rhine and to Gaul.[*](Cf. Capitol., Marcus Ant. 13, 3-6.)