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Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §20.1-20.3

From Beautiful Harbor via the Borysthenes to the Ister

Passage 20 of 25 · Greek

Summary

Describes the distances and geographical features between various points starting from the Beautiful Harbor to the river Borysthenes, passing through Olbia and Odessus, and reaching the Psilon mouth of the river Ister.

§20.1ἐκ δὲ Καλοῦ λιμένος ἐς Ταμυράκην τριακόσιοι·
From the Beautiful Harbor to Tamyrace is three hundred [stades].
ἔσω δὲ τῆς Ταμυράκης λίμνη ἐστὶν οὐ μεγάλη.
Inside Tamyrace there is a lake, not a large one.
καὶ ἔνθεν ἐς τὰς ἐκροὰς τῆς λίμνης ἄλλοι τριακόσιοι.
And from there to the outlets of the lake is another three hundred [stades].
ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐκροῶν τῆς λίμνης ἐς Ἠϊόνας στάδιοι ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ τριακόσιοι.
From the outlets of the lake to Eiones is three hundred and eighty stades.
καὶ ἔνθεν ἐς ποταμὸν Βορυσθένην πεντήκοντα §20.2καὶ ἑκατόν.
And from there to the river Borysthenes is one hundred and fifty [stades].
κατὰ δὲ τὸν Βορυσθένην ἄνω πλέοντι πόλις Ἑλλὰς ἄνομα Ὀλβία πεπόλισται.
For those sailing up the Borysthenes, a Greek city named Olbia has been founded.
ἀπὸ δὲ Βορυσθένους σθένους ἐπὶ νῆσον σμικράν, ἐρήμην καὶ ἀνώνυμον, στάδιοι ἑξήκοντα.
From the Borysthenes to a small, deserted, and nameless island is sixty stades.
καὶ ἔνθεν ἐς Ὀδησσὸν ὀγδοήκοντα.
And from there to Odessus is eighty [stades].
ἐν Ὀδησσῷ ὅρμος ναυσίν.
In Odessus there is an anchorage for ships.
ἀπὸ δὲ Ὀδησσοῦ ἔχεται Ἰστριανῶν λιμήν. στάδιοι ἐς αὐτὸν πεντήκοντα καὶ διακόσιοι.
Next to Odessus is the harbor of the Istrians; the distance to it is two hundred and fifty stades.
§20.3ἐνθένδε ἔχεται Ἰσιακῶν λιμήν. στάδιοι ἐς αὐτὸν πεντήκοντα.
Next from here is the harbor of the Isiaci; the distance to it is fifty stades.
καὶ ἔνθεν ἐς τὸ Ψιλὸν καλούμενον στόμα τοῦ Ἴστρου διακόσιοι καὶ χίλιοι.
And from there to the mouth of the Ister called Psilon is one thousand two hundred [stades].
τὰ δὲ ἐν μέσῳ ἔρημα καὶ ἀνώνυμα.
The intermediate parts are deserted and nameless.

Notes

  1. §20.2ἄνομα — The form ἄνομα in the manuscripts is interpreted as a scribal error or orthographic variant for ὄνομα (named, by name), functioning as an accusative of specification.
  2. §20.2πλέοντι — Dative of reference (or dative of person judging) of the present participle, meaning 'for one who is sailing up'.
  3. §20.2Βορυσθένους σθένους — A clear case of ditography in the manuscript transmission; it is read and translated simply as the genitive of the proper noun, Βορυσθένους.

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §20.1-20.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:20.1-20.3

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