Geography

​And indeed, Iberia for the most part is well inhabited with cities and settlements, so that even their roofs are tiled, the construction of their dwellings is architectural, and there are marketplaces and other public places.

​Of this country, the parts in a circle are surrounded by the Caucasian mountains; for, as I said, fertile spurs project toward the south, enclosing the whole of Iberia and connecting with both Armenia and Colchis; and in the middle is a plain watered by rivers, and especially by the Cyrus, which is the greatest, which, having its source in Armenia, entering immediately into the aforementioned plain, and receiving also the Aragus flowing from the Caucasus and other waters, empties through a narrow river-pass into Albania; and being carried with abundant water between Albania and Armenia through plains very rich in pasture, and having received still more rivers, among which are the Alazonius, the Sandobanes, the Rhoetaces, and the Chanes, all of them navigable, it empties into the Caspian Sea. It was formerly called the Corus.

​Now, the more agricultural and peace-loving of the Iberians inhabit the plain, being equipped in the Armenian and Median fashion; but the mountainous country is occupied by the majority, who are warlike, living in the manner of the Scythians and Sarmatians, of whom they are both neighbors and kinsmen; nevertheless, they also engage in agriculture, and they assemble many tens of thousands of men both from themselves and from those peoples, whenever any disturbance arises.

​And there are four passes into the country; one through Sarapana, a Colchian fortress, and the narrow pass near it, through which the Phasis, which is crossed by a hundred and twenty bridges because of its winding course, flows down rough and violent into Colchis, the region being hollowed into ravines by many torrents during heavy rains. It has its source in the mountains lying above, being filled by many springs, and in the plains it receives other rivers besides, among which are the Glaucus and the Hippus; and being thus filled and becoming navigable, it empties into the Pontus, and has a homonymous city upon its banks and a lake nearby. Now, the pass from Colchis into Iberia is of this kind, being closed by rocks, fortresses, and torrent-like rivers.

​But from the nomads on the north there is a difficult ascent of three days, and after this a narrow river-valley along the river Aragus, having a road of four days’ journey for a single person, and a wall difficult to capture guards the end of the road; and from Albania, there is first an entrance cut through rock, and then through a marsh which is formed by the river falling down from the Caucasus. And from Armenia are the narrow passes on the Cyrus and those on the Aragus; for before they fall into one another, they have fortified cities situated upon rocks that are about sixteen stadia apart from each other, namely, Harmozice on the Cyrus, and Seusamora on the other river. Pompey used these passes first, having set out from the Armenians, and after him Canidius.

​And four classes of men inhabit the country; one, and the first, from which they appoint their kings, according to kinship and age, the eldest becoming king, while the second in rank administers justice and commands the army. The second is that of the priests, who also attend to matters of justice with their neighbors. The third is that of the soldiers and husbandmen. The fourth is that of the common people, who are royal slaves and perform all the services necessary for life. Their possessions are held in common by families, and the eldest rules and manages each property. Such, then, are the Iberians and their country.