<head lang="la">VIII. Res Asiae</head><w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29fra%2Fths">Εὐφράτης</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnei">λαμβάνει</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="susta%2Fsews">συστάσεως</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29armeni%2Fas">Ἀρμενίας</w>, <w lemma="diarrei%3D">διαρρεῖ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> [<w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w>] <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Asuri%2Fas">Συρίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%3Ds">ἑξῆς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Ababulwni%2Fan">Βαβυλωνίαν</w>.
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29eruqra%5Cn">Ἐρυθρὰν</w> <w lemma="e%29mba%2Fllein">ἐμβάλλειν</w> <w lemma="qa%2Flattan">θάλατταν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsti">ἔστι</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto:">τοῦτο·</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="diw%2Fruci">διώρυξι</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="a%29gome%2Fnais">ἀγομέναις</w> <w lemma="proekdapana%3Dtai">προεκδαπανᾶται</w> <w lemma="pri%5Cn">πρὶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kbolh%5Cn">ἐκβολὴν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="qa%2Flattan">θάλατταν</w> <w lemma="pepoih%3Dsqai">πεποιῆσθαι</w>.
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fan">ὑπεναντίαν</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstois">πλείστοις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="potamw%3Dn">ποταμῶν</w>. <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllois">ἄλλοις</w> <w lemma="au%29%2Fcetai">αὔξεται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="r%28eu%3Dma">ῥεῦμα</w>, <w lemma="kaqw%5Cs">καθὼς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frwntai">διαφέρωνται</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgistoi">μέγιστοι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fn">μέν</w> <w lemma="ei%29si">εἰσι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="xeimw%3Dna">χειμῶνα</w>, <w lemma="tapeino%2Ftatoi">ταπεινότατοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%5Cn">ἀκμὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="qe%2Frous:">θέρους·</w>
<w lemma="ou%28%3Dtos">οὗτος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Dstos">πλεῖστος</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="r%28eu%2Fmati">ῥεύματι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="kuno%5Cs">κυνὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29pitolh%5Cn">ἐπιτολὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgistos">μέγιστος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Asuri%2Fan">Συρίαν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w>, <w lemma="ai%29ei%5C">αἰεὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="proi+w%5Cn">προϊὼν</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttwn">ἐλάττων</w>.
<w lemma="ai%29%2Ftion">αἴτιον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="au%29%2Fchsin">αὔξησιν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="surru%2Fsews">συρρύσεως</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="xeimerinw%3Dn">χειμερινῶν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fmbrwn">ὄμβρων</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29nath%2Fcews">ἀνατήξεως</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="xio%2Fnwn">χιόνων</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mei%2Fwsin">μείωσιν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29ktropa%5Cs">ἐκτροπὰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="merismo%5Cn">μερισμὸν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29rdeu%2Fseis">ἀρδεύσεις</w>.
<w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="bradei%3Dan">βραδεῖαν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="komidh%5Cn">κομιδὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmewn">δυνάμεων</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fte">ἅτε</w> <w lemma="katago%2Fmwn">καταγόμων</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntwn">ὄντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ploi%2Fwn">πλοίων</w>, <w lemma="tapeinota%2Ftou">ταπεινοτάτου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="braxu%2F">βραχύ</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="sunergou%2Fshs">συνεργούσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="r%28eu%2Fmatos">ῥεύματος</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fas">βίας</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="plou%3Dn">πλοῦν</w>.
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<head>Nature of the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Euphrates&groupId=138&placeId=377">Euphrates</a> River</head>The <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Euphrates&groupId=138&placeId=377">Euphrates</a> rises in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Armenia&groupId=366&placeId=308">Armenia</a> and flows through <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a> and the country beyond to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Babylonia&groupId=388&placeId=728">Babylonia</a>. It seems to discharge itself into the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Red Sea&groupId=223&placeId=474">Red Sea</a>; but in point of fact it does not do so: for its waters are dissipated among the ditches dug across the fields before it reaches the sea. Accordingly the nature of this river is the reverse of that of others. For in other rivers the volume of water is increased in proportion to the greater distance traversed, and they are at their highest in winter and lowest in midsummer; but this river is fullest of water at the rising of the dog-star, and has the largest volume of water in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Syria&groupId=995&placeId=502">Syria</a>, which continually decreases as it advances.<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note81">July 26.</note>The reason of this is that the increase is not caused by the collection of winter rains, but by the melting of the snows; and its decrease by the diversion of its stream into the land, and its subdivision for the purposes of irrigation.<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note82">The transport of the army of Antiochus in his eastern campaigns. See<foreign lang="la">supra,</foreign><ref target="b8c25" targOrder="U">8, 25</ref>.</note>It was this which on this occasion made the transport of the army slow, because as the boats were heavily laden, and the stream very low, the forces of the current did exceedingly little to help them down. . . .
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Walbank Commentary