Humanitext Reader

Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §7.1-7.5

Coastal Rivers and Distances from Trapezus to the Mogrus

Passage 7 of 25 · Greek

Summary

The author details the names and distances of numerous rivers encountered on the coastal voyage from Trebizond to Apsarus and further to the Mogrus river, noting their navigability.

§7.1Τραπεζοῦντος τόν τε Ὕσσον, ὅτου ἐπώνυμος Ὕσσου λιμήν, ὃς ἀπέχει Τραπεζοῦντος σταδίους ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν, καὶ τὸν Ὄφιν, ὃς ἀπέχει Ὕσσου λιμένος ἐς ἐνενήκοντα σταδίους μάλιστα καὶ ὁρίζει τὴν Κόλχων χώραν ἀπὸ τῆς Θιαννικῆς.
Trebizond, namely the Hyssus, after which the harbor of Hyssus is named, which is one hundred and eighty stades distant from Trebizond; and the Ophis, which is about ninety stades distant from the harbor of Hyssus and marks the boundary of the territory of the Colchians from Thiannice.
ἔπειτα τὸν Ψυχρὸν καλούμενον §7.2ποταμὸν διέχοντα ὅσον τριάκοντα σταδίους ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὄφιος.
Then the so-called Psychrus river, which is about thirty stades distant from the Ophis.
ἔπειτα τὸν Καλὸν ποταμόν· καὶ οὗτος τριάκοντα διέχει ἀπὸ τοῦ Ψυχροῦ.
Then the Calus river; and this is thirty stades distant from the Psychrus.
ἐχόμενος δέ ἐστιν ὁ Ῥίζιος ποταμός, ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσι σταδίους διέχων ἀπὸ τοῦ Καλοῦ.
Adjoining it is the Rhizius river, which is one hundred and twenty stades distant from the Calus.
§7.3καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τριάκοντα Ἄσκουρος ἄλλος ποταμός, καὶ Ἀδιηνός τις ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀσκούρου ἑξήκοντα·
And from this, at thirty stades, is another river, the Ascurus; and a certain Adienus, sixty stades from the Ascurus.
ἐνθένδε ἐς Ἀθήνας ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ ἑκατόν.
From there to Athens, one hundred and eighty stades.
ταῖς δὲ Ἀθήναις Ζάγατις ποταμὸς ἑπτὰ μάλιστα σταδίους ἀπʼ αὐτῶν διέχων πρόσκειται.
Adjacent to Athens is the Zagatis river, which is about seven stades distant from it.
ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν ὁρμηθέντες τὸν Πρύτανιν παρημείψαμεν, ἵναπερ καὶ τὰ Ἀγχιάλου βασίλειά ἐστιν.
Setting out from Athens, we passed by the Prytanis, where the palace of Anchialus also is located.
καὶ οὗτος ἀπέχει τεσσαράκοντα σταδίους ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν.
And this is forty stades distant from Athens.
§7.4τοῦ Πρυτάνεως δὲ ἔχεται ὁ Πυξίτης ποταμός· στάδιοι ἐνενήκοντα ἐν μέσῳ ἀμφοῖν.
Adjoining the Prytanis is the Pyxites river; there are ninety stades between the two.
καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πυξίτου ἐς Ἄρχαβιν ἄλλοι ἐνενήκοντα, ἀπὸ δὲ Ἀρχάβιος ἐς Ἄψαρον ἑξήκοντα.
And from the Pyxites to the Archabis is another ninety stades, and from the Archabis to Apsarus is sixty stades.
ἀπὸ δὲ Ἀψάρου ἄραντες τὸν Ἄκαμψιν παρημείψαμεν νύκτωρ, ἐς πεντεκαίδεκα σταδίους ἀπέχοντα τοῦ Ἀψάρου.
Setting sail from Apsarus, we passed by the Acampsis by night, which is about fifteen stades distant from Apsarus.
§7.5ὁ δὲ Βαθὺς ποταμὸς ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ πέντε ἀπέχει τούτου, καὶ ὁ Ἀκινάσης ἀπὸ τοῦ Βαθέος ἐνενήκοντα, ἐνενήκοντα δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ Ἀκινάσου ὁ Ἶσις.
The Bathys river is seventy-five stades distant from this, and the Acinasis is ninety stades from the Bathys, and the Isis is ninety stades from the Acinasis.
ναυσίποροι δέ εἰσιν ὅ τε Ἄκαμψις καὶ ὁ Ἶσις, καὶ αὔρας τὰς ἑωθινὰς ἰσχυρὰς ἐκπέμπουσιν.
Both the Acampsis and the Isis are navigable, and they blow strong morning breezes.
ἀπὸ δὲ Ἴσιος τὸν Μῶγρον παρημείψαμεν. ἐνενήκοντα στάδιοι μεταξὺ τοῦ Μώγρου εἰσὶν καὶ τοῦ Ἴσιος.
From the Isis we passed by the Mogrus; there are ninety stades between the Mogrus and the Isis.
καὶ οὗτος ναυσίπορος.
This river is also navigable.

Notes

  1. §7.1Τραπεζοῦντος — This is a genitive governed by the preposition `ἀπό` at the very end of the previous chunk (§6.4), representing a tight syntactic connection across the boundary. Consequently, the following accusatives beginning with `τόν τε Ὕσσον` function as the direct objects of the verb `παρημείψαμεν` in the preceding chunk.
  2. §7.1ὅτου ἐπώνυμος — The genitive of the relative pronoun `ὅστις` (`ὅτου`) acts as a complement to the adjective `ἐπώνυμος` (named after). In this relative clause, the copula `ἐστίν` is omitted, and `Ὕσσου λιμήν` serves as the subject.
  3. §7.3καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τριάκοντα Ἄσκουρος ἄλλος ποταμός — A nominal sentence where the verb `ἐστίν` or `ἀπέχει` is omitted. Although the numeral `τριάκοντα` lacks an explicit unit (stades), it is easily supplied from the continuous context. The subsequent clause `Ἀδιηνός τις...` shares the same elliptic structure.

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §7.1-7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:7.1-7.5

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.