Geography

​And above Massyas is the so-called Royal Valley and the territory of Damascus, which is exceptionally praised. Damascus itself is a noteworthy city, almost the most famous of those in this region in the Persian period. And above it lie two hills called Trachones. Then, towards the parts of the Arabs and the Ituraeans mixed together, are rugged and impassable mountains, in which are also deep-mouthed caves, one of which is capable of receiving even four thousand men during the raids which happen to the Damascenes from many sides. However, the barbarians plunder for the most part the merchants from Arabia Felix; but this happens less now that the bandits under Zenodorus have been put down, owing to the good government of the Romans and the security provided by the soldiers maintained in Syria.

​Now all the country above Seleucis, extending towards Egypt and Arabia, is called Coele-Syria, but specifically the part bounded by Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Of the remainder, the coast from Orthosia as far as Pelusium is called Phoenicia, which is narrow and flat along the sea; while the interior above this as far as the Arabs, the territory between Gaza and Anti-Lebanon, is called Judaea.

​Since, therefore, we have traversed the region specifically called Coele-Syria, we shall now pass on to Phoenicia. Of this country, the parts from Orthosia to Berytus have already been described. After Berytus is Sidon, at a distance of about four hundred stadia; and in between are the river Tamyras, the grove of Asclepius, and the City of Lions. After Sidon is Tyre, the largest and oldest of the Phoenician cities, which rivals Sidon in size, fame, and antiquity as handed down by many myths. The poets indeed have celebrated Sidon more (and Homer does not even mention Tyre), but the colonies sent to Libya and Iberia, even as far as beyond the Pillars, extol Tyre more. At any rate, both are famous and illustrious, both in ancient times and now; and which of the two one should call the metropolis of Phoenicia is a matter of dispute between them both. Now Sidon is situated on the mainland upon a well-situated harbor.

​Tyre, however, is almost an entire island, inhabited in much the same way as Aradus, and it is connected to the mainland by a mole, which Alexander constructed when besieging it; it has two harbors, one closed and the other open, which they call the Egyptian harbor. Here they say that the houses have many storeys, even more so than those in Rome; wherefore, when earthquakes occur, they leave little of utterly destroying the city. It was also unfortunate in being captured by siege under Alexander;but it proved superior to such disasters and recovered itself both by its navigation, in which the Phoenicians in general are superior to all people of all times, and by its purple-dye works; for the Tyrian purple is by far established as the finest of all; and the fishing for the shellfish is near at hand, and other things suitable for dyeing are easily obtained; and although the great number of dye-works makes the city unpleasant to live in, it makes it rich through such industry. And they were declared autonomous not only by the kings, having spent but little, but also by the Romans who confirmed the kings’ decision. And Heracles is honored by them to excess. Of their power in navigation, the number and size of their colonies is a proof; such, then, are these people.