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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §3.41.1-3.41.4

Lands beyond Cape Tauri and the Giant Sea Monsters

Passage 202 of 406 · Greek

Summary

This section describes the geographical features, wild flora and fauna of the coastal regions from Ptolemais to the Tauri promontories, as well as the harmless giant sea monsters in the deep sea, marking this as the limit of Troglodytica.

§3.41.1ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων τῶν τόπων τὸν μὲν ἀπὸ Πτολεμαΐδος παράπλουν ἕως τῶν Ταύρων ἀκρωτηρίων προειρήκαμεν, ὅτε Πτολεμαίου τὴν τῶν ἐλεφάντων θήραν ἀπηγγείλαμεν·
From these regions, we have already spoken of the coastal voyage from Ptolemais as far as the promontories of Tauri, when we reported on the elephant hunt of Ptolemy.
ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν Ταύρων ἐπιστρέφει μὲν ἡ παράλιος πρὸς τὰς ἀνατολάς, κατὰ δὲ τὴν θερινὴν τροπὴν αἱ σκιαὶ πίπτουσι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν ἐναντίως ταῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν ἄχρι πρὸς ὥραν δευτέραν.
But from Tauri the coast turns toward the east, and at the summer solstice the shadows fall toward the south, contrary to those in our regions, until the second hour.
§3.41.2ἔχει δὲ καὶ ποταμοὺς ἡ χώρα, ῥέοντας ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν τῶν προσαγορευομένων Ψεβαίων.
And the land also has rivers flowing from the mountains called Psebaean.
διείληπται δὲ καὶ πεδίοις μεγάλοις φέρουσι μαλάχης καὶ καρδάμου καὶ φοίνικος ἄπιστα μεγέθη· ἐκφέρει δὲ καὶ καρποὺς παντοίους, τὴν μὲν γεῦσιν ἔχοντας νωθράν, ἀγνοουμένους δὲ παρʼ ἡμῖν.
And it is also intersected by great plains bearing unbelievable sizes of mallow, cress, and date-palms; and it also produces all kinds of fruits, having a dull taste and being unknown among us.
§3.41.3ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὴν μεσόγειον ἀνατείνουσα πλήρης ἐστὶν ἐλεφάντων καὶ ταύρων ἀγρίων καὶ λεόντων καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων παντοδαπῶν θηρίων ἀλκίμων.
The region stretching toward the interior is full of elephants, wild bulls, lions, and many other powerful beasts of every kind.
ὁ δὲ πόρος νήσοις διείληπται καρπὸν μὲν οὐδένα φερούσαις ἥμερον, ἐκτρεφούσαις δʼ ὀρνέων ἴδια γένη καὶ ταῖς προσόψεσι θαυμαστά.
And the channel is intersected by islands which bear no cultivated fruit, but breed peculiar kinds of birds that are wonderful in their appearance.
§3.41.4ἡ δʼ ἑξῆς θάλαττα βαθεῖα παντελῶς ἐστι, καὶ κήτη φέρει παντοδαπὰ παράδοξα τοῖς μεγέθεσιν, οὐ μέντοι λυποῦντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐὰν μή τις ἀκουσίως αὐτῶν ταῖς λοφιαῖς περιπέσῃ·
The sea next to it is entirely deep, and bears all kinds of sea monsters, extraordinary in their size, which, however, do not harm men unless one should accidentally fall upon their fins.
οὐ δύνανται γὰρ διώκειν τοὺς πλέοντας, ὡς ἂν κατὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς θαλάττης ἄρσιν ἀμαυρουμένων αὐτοῖς τῶν ὀμμάτων ὑπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἥλιον φέγγους.
For they are unable to pursue those who sail, since their eyes are darkened by the light of the sun upon their rising out of the sea.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τὰ μέρη τῆς Τρωγλοδυτικῆς ἔσχατα γνωρίζεται, περιγραφόμενα ταῖς ἄκραις ἃς ὀνομάζουσι Ψεβαίας.
These parts of Troglodytica, then, are recognized as the outermost, being bounded by the promontories which they call Psebaean.

Notes

  1. 3.41.1ταῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν — “Those in our regions.” The definite article ταῖς refers back to the previously mentioned αἱ σκιαί (shadows).
  2. 3.41.4ὡς ἂν ... ἀμαυρουμένων αὐτοῖς τῶν ὀμμάτων — A construction where ὡς ἂν is followed by a genitive absolute (ἀμαυρουμένων ... τῶν ὀμμάτων). The addition of ἄν to the particle ὡς imparts a potential or hypothetical nuance to the participle (“as they would be darkened” or “as if they were darkened”).

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §3.41.1-3.41.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:3.41.1-3.41.4

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