Geography

​Thus, while Lesser Armenia was held at different times by different rulers according as the Romans wished, it was finally held by Archelaus. As for the Tibareni and Chaldaei, extending as far as Colchis, Pharnacia, and Trapezus, they are ruled by Pythodoris, a woman of prudent character and capable of presiding over state affairs. She is the daughter of Pythodorus of Tralles, and became the wife of Polemon and co-ruled with him for a time, and then succeeded to the rule when he died among the barbarians around Sindice called the Aspurgiani. She had two sons and a daughter by Polemon; the daughter was given in marriage to Cotys the Sapaean, but on his being treacherously murdered she was left a widow, having children by him, the eldest of whom is now ruler. Of the sons of Pythodoris, one as a private citizen assists his mother in administering the empire, while the other has recently been established as king of Greater Armenia. She herself married Archelaus and remained with him until his end, and is now a widow, holding the places mentioned and others more beautiful than those, of which we shall speak next.

​For Sidene and Themiscyra are adjacent to Pharnacia. Above these lies Phanaroea, which contains the best part of Pontus; for it is planted with olives, produces good wine, and possesses all other excellences, being protected on the east by Paryadres, which runs parallel to its length, and on the west by Lithrus and Ophlimus. It is a valley of considerable length and width; and through it flows the Lycus from Armenia, and the Iris from the narrows near Amaseia. Both rivers meet about the middle of the valley, and at their junction is situated a city, which he who first laid its foundations called Eupatoria after himself, but Pompey, finding it half-finished, added territory and inhabitants to it and named it Magnopolis. Now this city lies in the middle of the plain, but close to the very foot of Paryadres is situated Cabeira, about one hundred and fifty stadia more to the south than Magnopolis, which is as far as Amaseia is more to the west of it. At Cabeira the palace of Mithridates had been built, as well as the water-mill, the preserves for wild beasts, the nearby hunting grounds, and the mines.

​And here is also the place called Kainon Chorion, a fortified and precipitous rock, distant from Cabeira less than two hundred stadia; it has on its summit a spring that bubbles up much water, and at its foot a river and a deep ravine. The height of the rock above the neck of land is extraordinary, so that it cannot be taken by siege; and it has been wonderfully fortified, except for the part which the Romans threw down. The country all around is so covered with forest, mountainous, and waterless, that it is impossible to encamp within a distance of one hundred and twenty stadia. Here Mithridates had his most precious treasures, which now lie in the Capitolium, dedicated by Pompey. This whole country Pythodoris holds, as it is adjacent to the barbarian country held by her, and also Zelitis and Megalopolitis. As for Cabeira, which Pompey organized into a city and called Diospolis, she built additional structures, renamed it Sebaste, and uses the city as her royal residence. It has also the temple of Men of Pharnaces, and Ameria, a village-city which has many temple-slaves and a sacred territory, the fruits of which are always enjoyed by the priest. The kings held this temple in such exceedingly high honor that they declared this royal oath: “By the fortune of the king” and “By the Men of Pharnaces.” And this too is a temple of the Moon (Men), just like the one among the Albanians and those in Phrygia, namely, that of Men in the place of the same name, and that of Ascaeus near Antioch near Pisidia, and that in the territory of the Antiochians.