§5.35.1ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ περὶ τῶν Ἰβήρων διήλθομεν, οὐκ ἀνοίκειον εἶναι διαλαμβάνομεν περὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ μετάλλων ἀργυρείων διελθεῖν· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ χώρα σχεδόν τι πλεῖστον καὶ κάλλιστον ἔχει μεταλλευόμενον ἄργυρον καὶ πολλὰς τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις παρέχεται προσόδους.
Since we have traversed the matters concerning the Iberians, we consider it not inappropriate to discuss the silver mines in it; for this country has almost the greatest amount and the finest quality of mined silver, and provides many revenues for those who work it.
§5.35.2εἴρηται μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν ταῖς πρὸ ταύτης βίβλοις ἐν ταῖς περὶ Ἡρακλέους πράξεσι τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν ὄρη τὰ καλούμενα Πυρηναῖα· ταῦτα δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸ ὕψος καὶ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος ὑπάρχει διάφορα τῶν ἄλλων· παρήκει γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν μεσημβρίαν θαλάττης σχεδὸν ἄχρι πρὸς τὸν ὑπὸ τὰς ἄρκτους ὠκεανόν, διείργοντα δὲ τὴν Γαλατίαν καὶ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν, ἔτι δὲ τὴν Κελτιβηρίαν, παρεκτείνει σταδίους ὡς τρισχιλίους.
Now, we have already spoken in the books prior to this, in the account of the deeds of Heracles, about the mountains in Iberia called Pyrenees; and these are superior to the others both in height and in size; for they extend from the southern sea almost up to the ocean under the northern Bears, and separating Gaul and Iberia, and also Celtiberia, they stretch out for about three thousand stades.
§5.35.3πολλῶν δʼ ὄντων ἐν αὐτοῖς δρυμῶν καὶ πυκνῶν τοῖς δένδρεσι, φασὶν ἐν τοῖς παλαιοῖς χρόνοις ὑπό τινων νομέων ἀφέντων πῦρ κατακαῆναι παντελῶς ἅπασαν τὴν ὀρεινὴν χώραν· διὸ καὶ συχνὰς ἡμέρας συνεχῶς πυρὸς ἐπιφλέγοντος καῆναι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὰ μὲν ὄρη διὰ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς κληθῆναι Πυρηναῖα, τὴν δʼ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς κατακεκαυμένης χώρας ἀργύρῳ ῥυῆναι πολλῷ, καὶ χωνευθείσης τῆς φύσεως, ἐξ ἧς ὁ ἄργυρος κατασκευάζεται, ῥύακας γενέσθαι πολλοὺς ἀργύρου καθαροῦ.
And since there are many forests on them and thick with trees, they say that in ancient times, because some shepherds set fire to them, the entire mountainous region was completely burned down; and therefore, since a fire raged continuously for many days, the surface of the earth was burned, and the mountains, because of what had happened, were named Pyrenees, and the surface of the burned land flowed with much silver, and since the substance from which silver is produced was melted, there arose many streams of pure silver.
§5.35.4τῆς δὲ τούτου χρείας ἀγνοουμένης παρὰ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις, τοὺς Φοίνικας ἐμπορίαις χρωμένους καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς μαθόντας ἀγοράζειν τὸν ἄργυρον μικρᾶς τινος ἀντιδόσεως ἄλλων φορτίων. διὸ δὴ τοὺς Φοίνικας μετακομίζοντας εἴς τε τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τἄλλα πάντα ἔθνη μεγάλους περιποιήσασθαι πλούτους. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο δὲ τοὺς ἐμπόρους διατεῖναι τῆς φιλοκερδίας, ὥστε ἐπειδὰν καταγόμων ὄντων τῶν πλοίων περιττεύῃ πολὺς ἄργυρος, ἐκκόπτειν τὸν ἐν ταῖς ἀγκύραις μόλιβδον, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀργύρου τὴν ἐκ τοῦ μολίβδου χρείαν ἀλλάττεσθαι.
And since the use of this was unknown among the natives, the Phoenicians, who engaged in trade and learned of what had happened, bought the silver in exchange for some small return of other wares; wherefore indeed, the Phoenicians, by transporting it to Greece and Asia and all other nations, acquired great wealth; and to such an extent did the merchants go in their greed, that whenever, because the ships were fully loaded, there was still much silver left over, they would cut out the lead in the anchors, and replace the utility of the lead with the silver.
§5.35.5διόπερ ἐπὶ πολλοὺς χρόνους οἱ Φοίνικες διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐμπορίας ἐπὶ πολὺ λαβόντες αὔξησιν ἀποικίας πολλὰς ἀπέστειλαν, τὰς μὲν εἰς Σικελίαν καὶ τὰς σύνεγγυς ταύτης νήσους, τὰς δʼ εἰς τὴν Λιβύην καὶ Σαρδόνα καὶ τὴν Ἰβηρίαν.
Therefore, for a long time, the Phoenicians, having grown greatly through such trade, sent out many colonies, some to Sicily and the islands near it, and others to Libya, Sardinia, and Iberia.