Geography

​At any rate, from the Taurus toward the north many branches have arisen, one being that of the so-called Antitaurus; for indeed here also the branch enclosing Sophene in a valley situated between it and the Taurus was so named. And beyond the Euphrates near Armenia Minor, next after the Antitaurus toward the north, extends a great and many-branched mountain; and they call one part of it Paryadres, another the Moschian Mountains, and another by other names; and these enclose the whole of Armenia as far as the Iberians and the Albanians. Then other mountains rise toward the east, those lying above the Caspian Sea as far as Media, both Atropatene and Great Media; and they call all these parts of the mountains Parachoathras, both those as far as the Caspian Gates and still further toward the east those which connect with Aria. Thus indeed they call the northern mountains; but the southern ones, which extend toward the east beyond the Euphrates from Cappadocia and Commagene, at first are called by this very name, Taurus, bounding Sophene and the rest of Armenia from Mesopotamia; and some call them the Gordyaean Mountains. And among these is also Masion, the mountain lying above Nisibis and Tigranocerta. Then it rises higher and is called Niphates; and hereabouts, I suppose, are also the sources of the Tigris on the southern side of the mountainous tract; then from Niphates the ridge, extending more and more, forms the Zagrian mountain which bounds Media and Babylonia. And after the Zagrius, there succeeds above Babylonia both the mountainous country of the Elymaei and that of the Paraetaceni, and above Media that of the Cossaei. And in the middle lie Media and Armenia, enclosing many mountains and many tablelands, and likewise plains and large valleys, and also numerous tribes dwelling around them, mostly small, mountainous, and predatory. Thus, then, do we place within the Taurus both Media, to which belong also the Caspian Gates, and Armenia.

​According to us, then, these nations would be northern, since indeed they are within the Taurus; but Eratosthenes, having made the division into the southern and the northern parts and the so-called seals by him, calling some of them northern and others southern, declares the Caspian Gates to be the boundary of both climes. Reasonably, therefore, he would declare the regions further south than the Caspian Gates to be southern, of which are also Media and Armenia, and the more northern parts to be northern, this happening according to different arrangements. And perhaps he did not apply his mind to this, namely that nothing of either Armenia or Media is outside the Taurus toward the south.