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Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §14.1-14.5

Coastal Voyage from the Parthenios to the Halys

Passage 14 of 25 · Greek

Summary

Entering the region of Paphlagonia, the text records the locations, distances, and nature of various cities, anchorages, and harbors along the coast from the Parthenios River to the Halys River.

§14.1τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦδε ἤδη Παφλαγονία.
The region from this point onward is already Paphlagonia.
ἀπὸ Παρθενίου ἐς Ἄμαστριν πόλιν Ἑλληνίδα στάδιοι ἐνενήκοντα· ὅρμος ναυσίν.
From the Parthenios to the Greek city Amastris is ninety stades; there is an anchorage for ships.
ἐνθένδε ἐς Ἐρυθίνους ἑξήκοντα.
From there to Erythinoi is sixty (stades).
καὶ ἀπὸ §14.2Ἐρυθίνων ἐς Κρῶμναν ἄλλοι ἐξήκοντα.
And from Erythinoi to Cromna is another sixty (stades).
ἐνθένδε ἐς Κύτωρον ἐνενήκοντα.
From there to Cytoros is ninety (stades).
ὅρμος ναυσὶν ἐν Κυτώρῳ.
There is an anchorage for ships in Cytoros.
καὶ ἀπὸ Κυτώρου ἐς Αἰγιαλοὺς ἑξήκοντα.
And from Cytoros to Aigialoi is sixty (stades).
ἐς δὲ Θύμηνα ἐνενήκοντα.
And to Thymena is ninety (stades).
καὶ ἐς Κάραμβιν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατόν.
And to Carambis is one hundred and twenty (stades).
§14.3ἐνθένδε ἐς Ζεφύριον ἑξήκοντα.
From there to Zephyrion is sixty (stades).
ἀπὸ δὲ Ζεφυρίου ἐς Ἀβώνου τεῖχος, πόλιν σμικράν, πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν· ὅρμος ναυσὶν οὐκ ἀσφαλής, σαλεύοιεν δʼ ἂν ἀπαθεῖς, εἰ μὴ μέγας χειμὼν κατάσχοι.
And from Zephyrion to Abonouteichos, a small city, is one hundred and fifty (stades); there is an anchorage for ships, but not safe, though they might ride at anchor without damage, unless a great storm should break out.
ἀπὸ δὲ Ἀβώνου τείχους ἐς Αἰγινήτην ἄλλοι πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν.
And from Abonouteichos to Aiginetes is another one hundred and fifty (stades).
ἐνθένδε ἐς Κίνωλιν ἐμπόριον ἄλλοι ἑξήκοντα.
From there to the market-town Cinolis is another sixty (stades).
καὶ ἐν Κινώλι σαλεύοιεν ἂν νῆες ὥρᾳ ἔτους.
And in Cinolis ships might ride at anchor depending on the season of the year.
ἀπὸ δὲ Κινώλιος ἐς Σιεφάνην §14.4ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν· ὅρμος ναυσὶν ἀσφαλής.
And from Cinolis to Stephane is one hundred and eighty (stades); there is a safe anchorage for ships.
ἀπὸ δὲ Στεφάνης ἐς Ποταμοὺς πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν.
And from Stephane to Potamoi is one hundred and fifty (stades).
ἐνθένδε ἐς Λεπτὴν ἄκραν ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσιν.
From there to Lepte cape is one hundred and twenty (stades).
ἀπὸ δὲ Λεπτῆς ἄκρας ἐς Ἁρμένην ἑξήκοντα· λιμὴν αὐτόθι.
And from Lepte cape to Harmene is sixty (stades); there is a harbor there.
καὶ §14.5Ξενοφῶν τῆς Ἁρμένης ἐμνημόνευσεν.
And Xenophon also made mention of Harmene.
καὶ ἔνθεν ἐς Σινώπην στάδιοι τεσσαράκοντα· Σινωπῆς Μιλησίων ἄποικοι.
And from there to Sinope is forty stades; the Sinopians are colonists of the Milesians.
ἀπὸ δὲ Σινώπης ἐς Κάρουσαν πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν· σάλος ναυσίν.
And from Sinope to Carousa is one hundred and fifty (stades); an open roadstead for ships.
ἐνθένδε ἐς Ζάγωρα ἄλλοι αὖ πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν.
From there to Zagora is another one hundred and fifty (stades).
ἐνθένδε ἐς τὸν Ἅλυν ποταμὸν τριακόσιοι.
From there to the river Halys is three hundred (stades).

Notes

  1. 14.1τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦδε — The neuter plural article τὰ functions substantively to refer to 'the region' or 'the territory.' Although the subject is neuter plural, the predicate noun Παφλαγονία is feminine singular, and the omitted copula (ἐστί) agrees with the feminine singular predicate, establishing the geographical transition.
  2. 14.3σαλεύοιεν δʼ ἂν ἀπαθεῖς, εἰ μὴ μέγας χειμὼν κατάσχοι — This is a future less vivid condition (potential/hypothetical) consisting of εἰ with the optative (κατάσχοι) in the protasis, and ἄν with the optative (σαλεύοιεν ἂν) in the apodosis. The subject refers back to the 'ships,' and the adjective ἀπαθεῖς is a nominative plural functioning predicatively ('without suffering damage,' 'unharmed').
  3. 14.3ὥρᾳ ἔτους — A dative of time when, ὥρᾳ ('in the season'), restricted by the genitive ἔτους ('of the year'). It means 'in the [favorable/summer] season of the year,' indicating that the anchorage is safe only during specific times of the year.
  4. 14.5Σινωπῆς Μιλησίων ἄποικοι — The manuscript reading Σινωπῆς is generally understood as a corruption of the nominative plural Σινωπεῖς ('the Sinopians'), or representing a confusion of case for 'the inhabitants of Sinope.' The genitive Μιλησίων ('of the Milesians') depends on the noun ἄποικοι ('colonists').

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §14.1-14.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:14.1-14.5

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