Polybius, Histories

Translation

Book 34 - Chapter 1

<head lang="la">A. Fragmenta Graeca.</head><head lang="la">I. Generalia Nonnulla. De Argumento Huius Libri</head><w lemma="%2Aoi%28">Οἱ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="koinh%3D%7C">κοινῇ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w> <w lemma="grafh%3D%7C">γραφῇ</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="a%29podei%2Fcantes">ἀποδείξαντες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%29pei%2Frwn">ἠπείρων</w> <w lemma="topografi%2Fan">τοπογραφίαν</w>,

<w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Feforo%2Fs">Ἔφορός</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhse">ἐποίησε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w>. —

<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <gap /><w lemma="fh%2Fsas">φήσας</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikw%3Dn">Ἑλληνικῶν</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29%2Fdocon">Εὔδοξον</w>, <w lemma="ka%2Fllista">κάλλιστα</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Feforon">Ἔφορον</w> <w lemma="e%29chgei%3Dsqai">ἐξηγεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="kti%2Fsewn">κτίσεων</w>,

<w lemma="suggeneiw%3Dn">συγγενειῶν</w>, <w lemma="metanasta%2Fsewn">μεταναστάσεων</w>, <w lemma="a%29rxhgetw%3Dn">ἀρχηγετῶν</w>, <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2F">φησί</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnta">ὄντα</w> <w lemma="dhlw%2Fsomen">δηλώσομεν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="qe%2Fsews">θέσεως</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diasthma%2Ftwn:">διαστημάτων·</w>

<w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="oi%29keio%2Ftaton">οἰκειότατον</w> <w lemma="xwrografi%2Fa%7C">χωρογραφίᾳ</w>.

<w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fge">σύγε</w>, <w lemma="w%29%3D">ὦ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbie">Πολύβιε</w>, <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="laodogmatika%5Cs">λαοδογματικὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29pofa%2Fseis">ἀποφάσεις</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="diasthma%2Ftwn">διαστημάτων</w> <w lemma="ei%29sa%2Fgwn">εἰσάγων</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fcw">ἔξω</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ella%2Fdos">Ἑλλάδος</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellhnikoi%3Ds">Ἑλληνικοῖς</w> * <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="didoi%3Ds">διδοῖς</w> <w lemma="eu%29qu%2Fnas">εὐθύνας</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Aposeidwni%2Fw%7C">Ποσειδωνίῳ</w>, <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29artemidw%2Frw%7C">Ἀρτεμιδώρῳ</w>, <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllois">ἄλλοις</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fosi">πλείοσι</w>. —

<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="i%28storiogra%2Ffos">ἱστοριογράφος</w> <w lemma="pepragma%2Fteutai">πεπραγμάτευται</w> <w lemma="bibli%2Fon">βιβλίον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="e%29pigrafh%5Cn">ἐπιγραφὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> "<w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerino%5Cn">ἰσημερινὸν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fsews">οἰκήσεως</w>". <w lemma="au%28%2Fth">αὕτη</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fsh%7C">μέσῃ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="diakekaume%2Fnh%7C">διακεκαυμένῃ</w> <w lemma="zw%2Fnh%7C">ζώνῃ</w>.

<w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="fhsin">φησιν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Dsqai">οἰκεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="eu%29kratote%2Fran">εὐκρατοτέραν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29%2Fkhsin">οἴκησιν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Frata">πέρατα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="diakekaume%2Fnhs">διακεκαυμένης</w> <w lemma="zw%2Fnhs">ζώνης</w> <w lemma="katoikou%2Fntwn">κατοικούντων</w>. <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frei">φέρει</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="katwpteuko%2Ftwn">κατωπτευκότων</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fseis">οἰκήσεις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29pimarturou%2Fntwn">ἐπιμαρτυρούντων</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="fainome%2Fnois">φαινομένοις</w>, <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="e%29pilogi%2Fzetai">ἐπιλογίζεται</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fusikh%3Ds">φυσικῆς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Flion">ἥλιον</w> <w lemma="u%28parxou%2Fshs">ὑπαρχούσης</w> <w lemma="kinh%2Fsews">κινήσεως</w>.

<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Flios">ἥλιος</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tropikou%5Cs">τροπικοὺς</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklous">κύκλους</w> <w lemma="polu%5Cn">πολὺν</w> <w lemma="e%29pime%2Fnei">ἐπιμένει</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="kata%2F">κατά</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fsodon">πρόσοδον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29poxw%2Frhsin">ἀποχώρησιν</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <w lemma="tettara%2Fkonta">τετταράκοντα</w> <w lemma="me%2Fnei">μένει</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ai%29%2Fsqhsin">αἴσθησιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="tropikw%3Dn">τροπικῶν</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklwn">κύκλων</w>.

[<w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="mege%2Fqh">μεγέθη</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%28merw%3Dn">ἡμερῶν</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28me%2Fras">ἡμέρας</w> <num>μ#</num><w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%5C">αὐτὰ</w> <w lemma="diame%2Fnei">διαμένει</w>.] <w lemma="o%28%2Fqen">ὅθεν</w> <w lemma="e%29pimonh%3Ds">ἐπιμονῆς</w> <w lemma="ginome%2Fnhs">γινομένης</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fseis">οἰκήσεις</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="keime%2Fnas">κειμένας</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tropikou%5Cs">τροπικοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkh">ἀνάγκη</w> <w lemma="e%29kpurou%3Dsqai">ἐκπυροῦσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29%2Fkhsin">οἴκησιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29oi%2Fkhton">ἀοίκητον</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kau%2Fmatos">καύματος</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolh%2Fn">ὑπερβολήν</w>.

<w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerinou%3D">ἰσημερινοῦ</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklou">κύκλου</w> <w lemma="taxei%2Fas">ταχείας</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29poxwrh%2Fseis">ἀποχωρήσεις</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w>. [<w lemma="o%28%2Fqen">ὅθεν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="mege%2Fqh">μεγέθη</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%28merw%3Dn">ἡμερῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="i%29shmeri%2Fas">ἰσημερίας</w> <w lemma="mega%2Flas">μεγάλας</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnei">λαμβάνει</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="parauch%2Fseis">παραυξήσεις</w>.] <w lemma="eu%29%2Flogon">εὔλογον</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerino%5Cn">ἰσημερινὸν</w> <w lemma="keime%2Fnas">κειμένας</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fseis">οἰκήσεις</w> <w lemma="eu%29kratote%2Fras">εὐκρατοτέρας</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29pimonh%3Ds">ἐπιμονῆς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="ginome%2Fnhs">γινομένης</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="korufh%5Cn">κορυφὴν</w> <w lemma="shmei%2Fou">σημείου</w>, <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="a%29poxwrou%3Dntos">ἀποχωροῦντος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="h%28li%2Fou">ἡλίου</w>.

<w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="tropikw%3Dn">τροπικῶν</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklwn">κύκλων</w> <w lemma="oi%29kou%3Dntes">οἰκοῦντες</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Frodon">πάροδον</w> <w lemma="o%28moi%2Fws">ὁμοίως</w> <w lemma="kei%3Dntai">κεῖνται</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="h%28li%2Fou:">ἡλίου·</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fonas">πλείονας</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnous">χρόνους</w> <w lemma="e%29pime%2Fnei">ἐπιμένει</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tropikou%5Cs">τροπικοὺς</w> <w lemma="oi%29kou%3Dsi">οἰκοῦσι</w>.

<w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="eu%29kratote%2Fras">εὐκρατοτέρας</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="sumbe%2Fbhke">συμβέβηκε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerino%5Cn">ἰσημερινὸν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fseis">οἰκήσεις</w>, <w lemma="ai%28%2Ftines">αἵτινες</w> <w lemma="kei%3Dntai">κεῖνται</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fsh%7C">μέσῃ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="diakekaume%2Fnh%7C">διακεκαυμένῃ</w> <w lemma="zw%2Fnh%7C">ζώνῃ</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Frata">πέρατα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="diakekaume%2Fnhs">διακεκαυμένης</w> <w lemma="oi%29kh%2Fsewn">οἰκήσεων</w>, <w lemma="ai%28%2Ftines">αἵτινες</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tropikou%5Cs">τροπικοὺς</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklous">κύκλους</w> <w lemma="kei%3Dntai">κεῖνται</w>. — <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="zw%2Fnas">ζώνας</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fc">ἕξ</w>,

<w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29rktikoi%3Ds">ἀρκτικοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28popiptou%2Fsas">ὑποπιπτούσας</w>, <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="tropikw%3Dn">τροπικῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerinou%3D">ἰσημερινοῦ</w>. — <w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="eu%29%3D">εὖ</w>,

<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="tinas">τινας</w> <w lemma="zw%2Fnas">ζώνας</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29rktikoi%3Ds">ἀρκτικοῖς</w> <w lemma="diorizome%2Fnas">διοριζομένας</w>, <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="u%28popiptou%2Fsas">ὑποπιπτούσας</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w>, <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="tropikw%3Dn">τροπικῶν</w>. — <w lemma="%2Aei%29">Εἰ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w>,

<w lemma="w%28%2Fsper">ὥσπερ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29eratosqe%2Fnhs">Ἐρατοσθένης</w> <w lemma="fhsi%2Fn">φησίν</w>, <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="u%28popi%2Fptousa">ὑποπίπτουσα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerinw%3D%7C">ἰσημερινῷ</w> <w lemma="e%29stin">ἐστιν</w> <w lemma="eu%29%2Fkratos">εὔκρατος</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="o%28modocei%3D">ὁμοδοξεῖ</w> — <w lemma="prosti%2Fqhsi">προστίθησι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3Dtos">οὗτος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="u%28yhlota%2Fth">ὑψηλοτάτη</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%2F:">ἐστί·</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="katombrei%3Dtai">κατομβρεῖται</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="borei%2Fwn">βορείων</w> <w lemma="nefw%3Dn">νεφῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29thsi%2Fas">ἐτησίας</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3D">ἐκεῖ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nasth%2Fmasi">ἀναστήμασι</w> <w lemma="prospipto%2Fntwn">προσπιπτόντων</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstwn">πλείστων</w> — <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="krei%3Dtton">κρεῖττον</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fthn">τρίτην</w> <w lemma="eu%29%2Fkraton">εὔκρατον</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="stenh%2Fn">στενήν</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w>, <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="tropikoi%3Ds">τροπικοῖς</w> <w lemma="ei%29sa%2Fgein">εἰσάγειν</w>. — <w lemma="%2A%29eni%2Fstatai">Ἐνίσταται</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Aposeidw%2Fnios">Ποσειδώνιος</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolubi%2Fw%7C">Πολυβίῳ</w>,

<w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="fhsi%5C">φησὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="i%29shmerinw%3D%7C">ἰσημερινῷ</w> <w lemma="oi%29%2Fkhsin">οἴκησιν</w> <w lemma="u%28yhlota%2Fthn">ὑψηλοτάτην</w>. —

<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aperi%5C">Περὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="a%29riqmou%3D">ἀριθμοῦ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="pollh%5C">πολλὴ</w> <w lemma="diafwni%2Fa">διαφωνία</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="met%27">μετ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgonen:">γέγονεν·</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%28%5Cc">ἓξ</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%5Cs">αὐτὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dpon">εἶπον</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Aposeidw%2Fnios">Ποσειδώνιος</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="diakekaume%2Fnhn">διακεκαυμένην</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="du%2Fo">δύο</w> <w lemma="diairou%3Dntes">διαιροῦντες</w>.

<head>I. Some General Remarks. The Subject of this Book.</head>Those who in a general history have dealt separately with the geography of the continents

like Ephorus and Polybius.

Polybius says that in regard to Greece Eudoxus has given a good and Ephorus a very good account of the foundation of cities, genealogies, migrations,

and the planters of colonies; "but I," he adds, "will describe the actual situation of places and give the actual distances, that being the most essential thing in geography."

But yet it is you, Polybius, who introduce the popular misstatements of distances not only outside Greece, but in Greece itself.

Polybius the historian has composed a book with the title On the parts of the globe under the Celestial Equator, that is to say in the middle of the torrid zone.

He says that the region is inhabited, and has a more temperate climate than that of those who inhabit extremities of the torrid zone. On the one hand he cites the accounts given by those who have actually visited the region, and can testify to the fact, and on the other he argues from the nature of the sun's movements.

For at the solstices the sun remains a long time near the tropic circles both in approaching them and receding from them, so that we actually see it stay in their neighbourhood for about forty days; for which reason the length of the day remains almost the same for about forty days.

So owing to the length of its stay over the climates lying under the tropic circles, that region is burnt up and is uninhabitable owing to the excessive heat. But from the equinoctial circle or equator the sun recedes rapidly, so that the length of the day rapidly increases or decreases after the equinoxes.

It is reasonable then to suppose that the climates situated under the equator are more temperate, as the sun does not prolong his stay near the extreme point but rapidly recedes from it. For all those who live between the two tropic circles are equally exposed to the passage of the sun; but he remains longer over those who live under the actual tropics.

So for this reason the region under the equator in the middle of the torrid zone has a more temperate climate than those at the extremities of the torrid zone, which lie under the tropic circles.

Polybius makes the zones six in number, two lying under the arctic circles, two between these and the tropic circles, and two between the latter and the equinoctial circle or equator.

Polybius is mistaken in making some zones determined by the arctic circles, two immediately under them, and two between them and the tropic circles.

But if, as Eratosthenes says, the zone under the equator is temperate, agreeing in this with Polybius — the latter adds that it is very high and therefore has a rainfall, the clouds from the north during the etesian winds being arrested by the heights in large masses — it is much better to assume that this is a third narrow temperate zone, than to introduce here the two zones under the tropic circles.

Poseidonius is against the statement of Polybius that the region under the equator is very high.

Those after Aratus are not at all agreed about the number of the zones. Some, like Polybius and Poseidonius, say they are six, dividing the torrid zone into two.

Walbank Commentary

Overview

34.1.1 - 34.1.18

General introduction This seems to have been largely concerned with the division of the globe into zones and the problem of whether the equatorial area was habitable (and inhabited); see p. 566. §§ 14–15, 18 concern the zones, §§ 7–12, 16 the equatorial region; but the two issues were probably discussed together. Early speculation and observation resulted in a division of the heavens into five zones, which were later transferred to the earth's surface (cf. Strabo, ii. 5. 3, C. 111). The five terrestrial zones are attributed to Pythagoras (Diels, Dox. graec. 378), but Poseidonius makes Parmenides their originator (Strabo, ii. 1. 2, C. 94 = FGH, 87 F 28, p. 234). Strabo, ibid., adds that Parmenides extended the 'burnt zone' <w lang="el-GR">(τὴν διακεκαυμένην)</w> well beyond the tropics, so that it covered twice the breadth afterwards assigned to it. Later discoveries gradually reduced the areas at the poles and towards the equator held to be uninhabitable by reason of extreme cold or heat. In the early fourth century Eudoxus (cf. § 3) envisaged the earth clearly as a globe, but lacked the accurate data necessary to establish the position of the tropic or a fixed arctic circle (cf. Thomson, <milestone unit="page" n="569">[569]</milestone> 116–17); and Aristotle, though aware of the tropical zone as an area on the earth's surface, definable in terms of shadows, which there fell alternately to the north and to the south (Arist. Meteor. ii. 5 ff., 362 a 32 ff.), still used a 'variable arctic circle', viz. a circle drawn in the heavens, with the celestial pole at its centre, and the vertical line from the pole to the horizon as its radius, so as to contain within it all the stars which (at any given latitude) never set. The observer at each latitude had his own 'arctic circle', and the further north one went, the larger the circle became. For Poseidonius' criticism of Aristotle on this see Strabo, ii. 2. 2, C. 95 = FGH, 87 F 28 p. 234. The Hellenistic age brought changes in the concept of the zones both in the north and in the south, and new methods of determining the arctic circle and the tropics. The breadth of the 'burnt zone' was reduced, because by now it was known that men lived south of the tropic (Strabo, ii. 2. 2, C. 95). The discovery that this passed through Syene placed it firmly on the surface of the globe, and made it impossible any longer to designate the whole area within the tropics as uninhabitable (cf. Berger, 373). Similarly, Pytheas' explorations (cf. 5. 1–14) diminished the polar area believed uninhabitable. He located <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thule&groupId=1032&placeId=1820">Thule</a> at a point where 'the circle of the summer tropic is the same as the arctic circle' (Strabo, ii. 5. 8, C. 114), i.e. where the arctic circle for that latitude coincided with the sun's path on the day it was over the tropic. The latitude of such a point is of course the terrestrial arctic circle, the most southerly limit of the midnight sun, and the line of division between what Poseidonius later called <w lang="el-GR">περίσκιοι</w> (those whose shadows go all round in summer) and <w lang="el-GR">ἑτερόσκιοι</w> (those whose shadows always go one waynorth in the northern hemisphere and south in the southern); and this furnished the temperate zone with a fixed boundary, corresponding to the tropic at its other extremity. (Within the tropics, according to Poseidonius, people were <w lang="el-GR">ἀμφίσκιοι</w>, with shadows going north for one part of the year, and south for the other.) From now on the supposedly uninhabitable area of the tropics constantly diminished. According to Strabo ii. 3. 2, C. 97 (cf. § 16 n.) Eratosthenes accepted the view that the region along the equator was temperate and so inhabited. Certainly, like Dicaearchus before him (cf. 5. 1 n.), Eratosthenes discussed this question, and since the breadth of the oecumene had now been pushed over 8,000 stades south of the tropic, his uninhabitable area had to be much reduced. Since, however, Eratosthenes elsewhere assumes the existence of an uninhabitable zone, Berger (507–8) suggests that in § 16 'Eratosthenes' is a mistake for 'Poseidonius' (accepted by Thomson, 163); this assumption is not compelling, for Eratosthenes may have changed his views (see § 16 n. for discussion). The habitability of the equatorial region was a problem much discussed at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>, partly under <milestone unit="page" n="570">[570]</milestone> the stimulus of Ptolemaic exploration (§ 8 n.). Many held it to be uninhabitable owing to the intense heat (cf. Diod. iii. 38. 1; Agatharchides, GGM, i. 165, indicating that Agatharchides is here Diodorus' source); and this view continued to be held, e.g. by Strabo (ii. 3. 1, C. 96 et al.), Cleomedes (de mot. circ. i. 6), and Macrobius (Somn. ii. 8. 3). But the opposite (and, as it proved, correct) view was taken by the Academic Eudorus (Mass, Comm. Arat. 97) and by the Stoics Crates (who made <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Odysseus&groupId=801&placeId=1446">Odysseus</a> sail along a branch of the ocean towards the south pole) and, probably, Poseidonius (Strabo, ii. 2. 3, C. 95–96), whose teacher Panaetius (Maas, Comm. Arat. 97; fg. 135 van Straaten) supported it with an explanation involving the cooling effect of the Etesian winds. Whether P. derived his views on this matter from Eratosthenes (so Pdech, Mthode, 588 n. 427) is uncertain. They bear some resemblance to those of Panaetius (see above), from whom Berger (507) argues that he derived them, though indeed they lack the Stoic element in Panaetius' theory (see § 16 n.). It is clear from § 8 that P. quoted evidence of two kinds, the observations of explorers and theoretical arguments; see above, p. 566, and for detailed discussion, §§ 9–13 nn., §§ 16–17 nn. Judging by the surviving 'fragments', two other features of P.'s exposition in the introduction merited and received comment. First, he still adhered to the now obsolete concept of a variable celestial arctic circle; for Strabo's criticism of this see § 15. As Berger, 506, remarks, P. probably rejected the fixed arctic circle through his distrust and dislike of Pytheas, upon whose discoveries it was based. Secondly, P. introduced a new element into the world-picture by dividing the globe into six rather than five zones. This theory involved bisecting the tropical area at the equator to form two zones, and emphasizes the correspondence between the northern and southern hemispheres (cf. Berger, 507); for P. does not regard the habitable area along the equator (§§ 8, 16) as a seventh zone, but merely as a region contained within and probably overlapping both tropical zones (cf. §§ 14, 15, 16, and 18 nn.). On the development of theorizing about the zones see K. Abel, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Zone', cols. 989–1188, especially, for P., cols. 1062–5.

34.1.1 - 34.1.2

= Strabo, viii. 1. 1, C. 322.

34.1.3 - 34.1.6

= Strabo, x. 3. 5, C. 465.

34.1.7 - 34.1.13

= Geminus, Elem. astronomiae, 16. 32–38.

34.1.14 - 34.1.14

= Strabo, ii. 3. 1, C. 96; <emph rend="bold">15</emph> = Strabo, ii. 3. 2, C 97.

34.1.14 - 34.1.15

Division of the earth into six zones. For earlier theorizing about zones see §§ 1–18 n. In the passage from which § 14 is taken, Strabo defends the division into five zones as being in harmony 'with both physics and geography' but in ii. 3. 2, C. 97 he admits that if one <milestone unit="page" n="574">[574]</milestone> wishes to divide the globe into a northern and southern hemisphere, P.'s six zones are very suitable (though superfluous if one is thinking of an eastern and western hemisphere). In the same section Strabo criticizes P. briefly for using arctic (and antarctic) circles to define his polar and temperate zones: P. has thereby employed the variable celestial circle, yet already <w lang="el-GR">εἴρηται . . . ὅτι τοῖς μεταπίπτουσι σημείοις οὐχ ὁριστέον τὰ ἀμετάπτωτα</w> (Strabo, ii. 3. 2, C. 97). This criticism of the practice of using variables to define the position of non-variables repeats Poseidonius' criticism of Parmenides on the same issue (Strabo, ii. 2. 2, C. 95) and Strabo (ii. 4. 7, C. 108) brings it up against P. again in another context a few pages further on, where his fault was in using compass bearings to define land masses (cf. iii. 37. 2–8 n.). For the fixed arctic circle, known from the time of Pytheas, and firmly asserted by Poseidonius, see §§ 1–18 n., p. 570; and see p. 571 for Berger's suggestion that P. rejected it, through his dislike of Pytheas. Jacoby (FGH, ii c, p. 174 l. 18) suggests that Strabo's criticism of P. on the arctic circle may derive from Poseidonius.

34.1.16 - 34.1.16

= Strabo, ii. 3. 2, C. 97: on the temperate nature of the area under the equator. This extract from Strabo forms part of the discussion about the number of zones into which the earth should notionally be divided. P.'s six suited a division into northern and southern hemispheres, otherwise five were enough (§§ 14–15 n.). Strabo then considers what is best on the hypothesis that a temperate area exists along the equator, and concludes that it is preferable to assume a third temperate zone (making seven zones in all) rather than follow Poseidonius and introduce two scorched zones at the tropics. For Poseidonius' scheme see Strabo, ii. 3. 1, C. 96 (at end) and ii. 2. 3, C. 95–96, where he describes the two parched zones inhabited by men with woolly hair, protruding lips and flat noses (the result of the heat). Both schemes assume a temperate equator and both involve seven zones; in fact Poseidonius (Strabo, ii. 2. 3, C. 95) speaks of five zones <w lang="el-GR">πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια</w> and has two additional parched zones <w lang="el-GR">πρὸς τὰ ἀνθρωπεία</w> (contra Honigmann, RE, 'Strabon', cols. 115–17, who thinks that Poseidonius believed in a mild equatorial region, but that Strabo misunderstood him). In preferring P.'s narrow temperate zone Strabo, however, is merely expressing a relative preference; he himself believed in five zones, with an uninhabitable equatorial region (Strabo, ii. 3. 1, C. 96 at end). <milestone unit="page" n="575">[575]</milestone> In this argument Strabo had no need to mention Eratosthenes, whereas the fact that both P. and Poseidonius accepted a mild equatorial region was essential to the discussion; and in ii. 3. 3, C. 97–98 Strabo goes on to comment on Poseidonius' criticism of the reason for this mildness alleged by P. (§ 17). Hence Berger (393–4 and 507–8) argues that 'Eratosthenes' is a slip by Strabo for 'Poseidonius'. Against the assumption that Eratosthenes believed in a habitable equatorial region he adduces these arguments: (a) In Strabo, i. 4. 5, C. 64, Eratosthenes' arguments on the length of the temperate zone and the relevance of that to the length of the oecumene directly echo Aristotle, Meteor. ii. 5. 362 b 14 f. (cf. Berger, 394 n. 3), and Aristotle still believed in the uninhabitability of the equatorial region. (b) Strabo, xvii. 3. 1, C. 825 discusses the boundaries of the burnt zone in a passage which can be shown to derive from Eratosthenes. (c) In his Hermes (Erat. carm. reliqu. ed. Hiller, fg. 19 = Maas, Comm. Arat. 63–64) Eratosthenes assumes an equatorial region uninhabitable from heat. These arguments are not conclusive. The passage from Hermes may be an incomplete statement, an early view, or even a poetic fantasy (cf. Mllenhoff, i. 244–5; Abel, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Zone', cols. 1040–51, esp. 1049–50); and Berger's hypothesis must be rejected. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καθάπερ καὶ Πολύβιος ὁμοδοξεῖ</w>:</emph> 'an opinion with which P. agrees'; Paton, 'agreeing in this with P.', would imply, absurdly, that Eratosthenes followed P.'s views. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ὑψηλοτάτη κτλ</w>.:</emph> that the equatorial region was mountainous is a deduction from explorers' reports (§ 8 n.), and the role of the Etesian winds, seen by P. as bringing rain, also occurs in Panaetius and the Academic Eudorus (see Panaetius fg. 135 van Straaten; Abel, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Zone', col. 1066). Eudorus lived in the late first century; but whether P. was influenced by Panaetius (so Berger, 508; von Scala, 248 ff.) or vice versa, is uncertain. Pdech, Mthode, 588 n. 425, points out that Panaetius' theory uses the Stoic concept of <w lang="el-GR">ἀναπνοὴ τῆς θαλάσσης</w>, based on the idea of <w lang="el-GR">πνεῦμα</w> (Maas, Comm. Arat. 97) and this is not in P. According to Strabo (ii. 3. 3, C. 97–98), Poseidonius criticized this explanation of a habitable equatorial region first on the ground that a sphere could not have a 'highest' part (thus misunderstanding, deliberately or not, the word <w lang="el-GR">ὑψηλοτάτη</w>, which in P. clearly means 'very high', not 'highest'; cf. Pdech, Mthode, 589 n. 429), and secondly because the area under the equator is a plain at sea-level; but elsewhere Poseidonius accepts P.'s assertion that there are mountains beneath the equator, which bring down rain from clouds blown in from the temperate zones. Strabo then attacks both P. and Poseidonius for inconsistency: <w lang="el-GR">οἱ</w> <milestone unit="page" n="576">[576]</milestone> <w lang="el-GR">γὰρ αὐτοὶ σύρρουν φασὶν εἶναι τὸν ὠκεανόν</w>. There cannot, he says, be both mountains and ocean under the equator. This passage is confused and contradictory, and for a fuller idea of Poseidonius' argument it must be supplemented from Cleomedes, de mot. circ. i. 6. (= FGH, 87 F 78). It does not prove that P. in fact believed that ocean covered the equatorial region; against this see iii. 38. 1 n., where P. leaves open the question of how far the African (he calls it the African– Asian) land-mass continued beyond Ethiopia. See also Berger, 510–11. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τρίτην εὔκρατον . . . στενήν τινα</w>:</emph> this third, equatorial, temperate zone, making seven zones in all, is Strabo's formulation, not P.'s; P. with his six zones (§ 14) ignored this area (see above, p. 575). The two zones <w lang="el-GR">ὐπὸ τοῖς τροπικοῖς</w> are Poseidonius' theory (p. 575).

34.1.17 - 34.1.17

= Strabo, ii. 3. 3, C. 97 at end. Poseidonius' criticism of P. For Poseidonius' argument, no doubt taken from his work <w lang="el-GR">Περὶ ὠκεανοῦ καὶ τῶν κατ᾽ αὐτόν</w> (FGH, 87 T 1), 743 see § 16 n.

34.1.18 - 34.1.18

= Achilles, Isag. excerpta, 31 (Maas, Comm. Arat. 67 ll. 29–31). This passage (FGH, 87 F 77) confirms that P. accepted six zones, but incorrectly attributes six to Poseidonius too (cf. § 16 n.); Jacoby (FGH, ii c, p. 174 ll. 21–22) suggests that, if the polemic against P. recorded in Strabo ii. 3. 1–2, C. 96–97 (above §§ 14–15) was from Poseidonius, it may have led Achilles to confuse the views of Poseidonius and P. <w lang="el-GR">τοῖς μετ᾽ αὐτόν</w> is 'those after Parmenides', not 'those after Aratus' (Paton).

Specifics

34.1.1 - 34.1.1

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὴν τῶν ἠπείρων τοπογραφίαν</w>:</emph> <w lang="el-GR">τοπογραφία</w> means 'a sketch or plan' in Ptolemy (Geog. i. 1. 5), but Strabo uses it to mean 'a description' (cf. Strabo, viii. 1. 3, C. 334, in the plural, referring to Ephorus), and that will be the sense here. (Eustathius, GGM, ii. 212 l. 18, 213 l. 3, draws no distinction between <w lang="el-GR">χωρογραφία</w> and <w lang="el-GR">τοπογραφία</w> for <w lang="el-GR">χωρογραφία</w> in P. see 5. 1 n.) <w lang="el-GR">αἱ ἤπειροι</w> are Europe, <milestone unit="page" n="571">[571]</milestone> Asia, and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>; thus book xxxiv contained a general description of the world. This has not survived, but the general approach can perhaps be deduced from iii. 36–39, where P. discusses first the world as a whole, <w lang="el-GR">γῆ</w> (iii. 36. 1–7), then <w lang="el-GR">ἡ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένη</w> (iii. 37. 1 ff.).

34.1.2 - 34.1.2

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καθάπερ Ἔφορος . . . ἐποίησε</w>:</emph> (= FGH, 70 T 12) Ephorus devoted books iv and v to such a geographical account of Europe and Asia; cf. Jacoby, FGH, 70 F 30–53, 128–72, with commentary; Barber, 173; Pdech, Mthode, 515.

34.1.3 - 34.1.3

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">καλῶς μὲν Εὔδοξον</w>:</emph> hardly Eudoxus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> (FGH, 79; cf. Jacoby, RE, 'Eudoxos (7)', cols. 929–30), but the most celebrated bearer of the name, Eudoxus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Cnidus&groupId=481&placeId=902">Cnidus</a> (c. 390–c. 340), famous as a mathematician, astronomer, and geographer. P. here refers, most likely, to his <w lang="el-GR">γῆς περίοδος</w>, in at least eight books; the fragments are too few to enable its scheme to be reconstructed (cf. Hultsch, RE, 'Eudoxos (8)', cols. 930–50, especially 946–8; Thomson, 115–18; Abel, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Zone', cols. 1016–20). <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">Ἔφορον</w>:</emph> cf. iv. 20. 5 n.; FGH, 70 T 18. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">περὶ κτίσεων . . . ἀρχηγετῶν</w>:</emph> cf. ix. 1. 4: the man with antiquarian interests enjoys reading <w lang="el-GR">περὶ τὰς ἀποικίας καὶ κτίσεις καὶ συγγενείας</w> (a remark of Ephorus). Timaeus included similar material (cf. xii. 26 d 2), but P. speaks less highly of him. Whether Eudoxus' account of Pythagoras' birth and other similar details about the philosophers (cf. Iambl. de Pyth. uita, 5–7) occurred in his description of the foundation and early history of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samos&groupId=944&placeId=1680">Samos</a> is uncertain.

34.1.4 - 34.1.4

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἡμεῖς . . . τὰ νῦν ὄντα</w>:</emph> on the value P. attached to contemporary history see ix. 2. 3–5. Geography had also a utilitarian purpose, since so much had recently been discovered (iii. 59. 3–8, foreshadowing book xxxiv). <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">θέσεως τόπων καὶ διαστημάτων</w>:</emph> 'the situation of places and the distances between them'; cf. xii. 25 e 1, <w lang="el-GR">τὰ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν ἰδιώματα καὶ διαστήματα</w>, together with a survey of cities, places, rivers, and harbours, are the second desideratum for political history (cf. Pdech, Mthode, 577 n. 349). <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">οἰκειότατον χωρογραφίᾳ</w>:</emph> the study of places and the distances between them is usually termed <w lang="el-GR">γεωγραφία</w>; but P. uses <w lang="el-GR">χωρογραφία</w> to cover both that and the description of regions (cf. 5. 1 n.; Pdech, LEC, 1956, 6). P. does not say that <w lang="el-GR">χωρογραφία</w> is the study of places and distances (so Pdech, loc. cit.), merely that such a study is the most essential part of <w lang="el-GR">χωρογραφία</w>.

34.1.6 - 34.1.6

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰς λαοδογματικὰς ἀποφάσεις</w>:</emph> cf. 12. 2, <w lang="el-GR">παρακούσματα . . . λαοδογματικά</w> (MS. <w lang="el-GR">λαοδογματικῶς)</w>, 5. 14, <w lang="el-GR">λαοδογματικὰς</w> (so Tyrwhitt for <w lang="el-GR">ὅλας δογματικάς) . . . ἀποφάσεις</w>. Here too the text is an emendation (by Tzschuckius) for <w lang="el-GR">τάλας ὁ δογματικάς</w>. The phrase, meaning <milestone unit="page" n="572">[572]</milestone> 'popular (and, by implication, false) assertions', evidently caught Strabo's eye. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐν τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς</w>:</emph> 'in a Greek context'; cf. § 3. Strabo goes on to say that P. must 'render accounts <w lang="el-GR">(διδοῖς εὐθύνας)</w> to Poseidonius, Artemidorus, and others', who have, it seems, corrected him.

34.1.7 - 34.1.7

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">βιβλίον, ὃ ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχει κτλ</w>.:</emph> this work, entitled 'On the inhabited part of the globe beneath the (celestial) equator', is not mentioned elsewhere. Schweighaeuser's suggestion (v. 25 note f) that it was merely a section of book xxxiv has been widely accepted (cf. M. C. P. Schmidt, Jahrb. 125, 1882, 114–22; Berger, 509, who suggests that the title rests on a misunderstanding by Geminus of his source Poseidonius; Pdech, Mthode, 589–90). H. B. Magdeburg, De Polybii re geographica (Diss. Halle, 1873) 8, concludes, from the fact that Geminus quoted one reason for the supposed moderate temperature at the equator and Strabo another, that Strabo drew on the Histories and Geminus on the <w lang="el-GR">βιβλίον</w>. That assumption is superfluous, for § 8 indicates that Geminus had summarized only the theoretical half of P.'s arguments (cf. Pdech, Mthode, 590 n. 436). But Geminus' statement is not easily rejected as an error (cf. Abel, RE, Suppl.-B. xiv, 'Zone', cols. 1062–3), and perhaps the likeliest explanation is that P. treated the subject both in xxxiv and in the separate monograph mentioned by Geminus (cf. Ziegler, RE, 'Polybios (1)', cols. 1473–4); but the latter is unlikely to have been a juvenile work (Pdech, Mthode, 590 n. 437). <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἐν μέσῃ τῇ διακεκαυμένῃ ζώνῃ</w>:</emph> evidently a region overlapping the two tropical zones, which P. postulated (§§ 14–15, 18), but which Geminus here runs into one (cf. § 8). Geminus, 16. 7–9, gives a series of dimensions for the zones based on a terrestrial circumference of 252,000 stades (Eratosthenes' figure), but with a more southerly arctic circle than Eratosthenes'; but since this arctic circle is said to be <w lang="el-GR">ἐ?ν τῇ γῇ</w>, it is unlikely that these figures came from P.

34.1.8 - 34.1.8

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">εὐκρατοτέραν . . . τὴν οἴκησιν</w>:</emph> 'a more temperate region of habitation'; <w lang="el-GR">οἴκησις</w> has the same meaning as it has in the title of P.'s monograph (§ 7). Paton, 'a more temperate climate' (cf. Manitius' translation of Geminus, 'ein gemssigteres Klima') is not quite right. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">περὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς . . . ζώνης</w>:</emph> 'at the extremities of the torrid zones', i.e. around the two tropics; cf. §§ 9–10. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἃ μὲν ἱστορίας φέρει . . . ἃ δὲ ἐπιλογίζεται</w>:</emph> P. quotes two kinds of evidence, explorers' observations and theoretical arguments (p. 571); Geminus gives only the latter (§§ 9–13), but Strabo mentions the former (§ 16). Cf. § 7 n. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τῶν κατωπτευκότων τὰς οἰκήσεις</w>:</emph> both south up the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Nile&groupId=794&placeId=449">Nile</a> and by ship along the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Red Sea&groupId=223&placeId=474">Red Sea</a>, under the Ptolemies. <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Red Sea&groupId=223&placeId=474">Red Sea</a> exploration under the <milestone unit="page" n="573">[573]</milestone> first three Ptolemies was connected with the search for elephants and under Philadelphus and Euergetes I the Somali coast was reached (cf. Cary and Warmington, 67–69). Knowledge of Ethiopia and Lake Psebo (anc. Tsana) was gained by pushing inland from the coast. Under Ptolemy II a certain Dalion recorded a journey beyond <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Meroe&groupId=190&placeId=437">Meroe</a>, and Anacreon and others followed him (cf. Pliny, Nat. hist. vi. 183, 191, 194). After living for five years in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Meroe&groupId=190&placeId=437">Meroe</a> a Greek Simonides wrote a book on Ethiopia (Pliny, Nat. hist. vi. 183), and by c. 200 men in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> were familiar with the area between Syene and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Meroe&groupId=190&placeId=437">Meroe</a>, and between the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Nile&groupId=794&placeId=449">Nile</a> and the Atbara, and had some knowledge of the White and Blue Niles. This extension of the horizon led Eratosthenes to take the oecumene a further 3,000 stades south of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Meroe&groupId=190&placeId=437">Meroe</a> (Berger, 416–17). The mountainous areas of the equatorial region also became known (§ 16 n.), and if he knew of high mountains, the <w lang="el-GR">Θεῶν ὄχημα</w>, on the west coast of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>, at the latitude of Ethiopia, and so perhaps to be regarded as part of a single chain (Pliny, Nat. hist. v. 10: this may be recording P.'s voyage; cf. 15. 7 n.; Hanno, Periplous, 16 (GGM, i. 13); cf. Ptol. Geog. iv. 6. 5–6; Pdech, Mthode, 589 n. 431), P. may have been confirmed in his belief that the equator was high. See further Cary and Warmington, 171–3; Thomson, 136–8; Pdech, Mthode, 589.

34.1.9 - 34.1.9

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">περὶ . . . τοὺς τροπικοὺς κύκλους</w>:</emph> the circles described in the heavens, for an observer directly beneath, by the sun's apparent movement at the time of the summer solstice (in either hemisphere; cf. Arist. Meteor. i. 6. 343 a 14); they correspond to the terrestrial tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">σχεδὸν ἐφ᾿ ἡμέρας τετταράκοντα</w>:</emph> the forty days around the solstice, when the sun is visibly in the neighbourhood of the tropic. A certain Philo, who visited Ethiopia, claimed that there the sun remained in the zenith for 45 days before the summer solstice, according to Strabo (ii. 1. 20, C. 77 = FGH, 670), who reports that Eratosthenes said much the same.

34.1.11 - 34.1.11

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἰσημερινοῦ κύκλου</w>:</emph> 'from the equinoctial circle' i.e. the (celestial) equator. There the daily change in the sun's position in the sky is quicker than at the tropics, since it is all in one direction, northward in spring and southward in autumn. <emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">μεγάλας . . . παραυξήσεις</w>:</emph> true only in spring. Paton adds 'increases or decreases'; but Manitius prints <w lang="el-GR">ὅθεν . . . παραυξήσεις</w> (and <w lang="el-GR">δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν . . . διαμένει</w> in § 10) in square brackets as insertions.

34.1.14 - 34.1.14

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὰς τοῖς ἀρκτικοῖς ὑποπιπτούσας</w>:</emph> 'lying under the arctic circles'; the plural is used, not because there was a different circle at each latitude, but because the antarctic circle is included. The polar regions lie under the arctic circle inasmuch as this includes the whole area of the heavens which it circumscribes.

34.1.15 - 34.1.15

<emph rend="bold"><w lang="el-GR">τὸ ποιεῖν . . . διοριζομένας</w>:</emph> cf. §§ 14–15 n.

Polybius, Histories

Bibliography

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Walbank Commentary

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