§1.1.9̔́ιππαρχος δʼ οὐ πιθανός ἐστιν ἀντιλέγων τῇ δόξῃ ταύτῃ, ὡς οὔθʼ ὁμοιοπαθοῦντος τοῦ ὠκεανοῦ παντελῶς οὔτʼ, εἰ δοθείη τοῦτο, ἀκολουθοῦντος αὐτῷ τοῦ σύρρουν εἶναι πᾶν τὸ κύκλῳ πέλαγος τὸ Ἀτλαντικόν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὁμοιοπαθεῖν μάρτυρι χρώμενος Σελεύκῳ τῷ Βαβυλωνίῳ.
Hipparchus is not convincing when he opposes this opinion, arguing that the ocean is neither entirely subject to uniform affection nor, even if this were granted, does it follow from this that the whole surrounding Atlantic sea is confluent, using Seleucus of Babylon as a witness to its not being subject to uniform affection.
ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν μὲν πλείω λόγον περὶ τοῦ ὠκεανοῦ καὶ τῶν πλημμυρίδων εἰς Ποσειδώνιον ἀναβαλλόμεθα καὶ Ἀθηνόδωρον, ἱκανῶς * διακρατήσαντας τὸν περὶ τούτων λόγον· πρὸς δὲ τὰ νῦν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον λέγομεν, ὅτι πρός τε τὴν ὁμοιοπάθειαν οὕτω βέλτιον νομίσαι, τά τε οὐράνια συνέχοιτʼ ἂν κρεῖττον ταῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀναθυμιάσεσιν, εἰ πλεῖον εἴη τὸ ὑγρὸν περικεχυμένον.
But we postpone the longer discussion concerning the ocean and the tides to Posidonius and Athenodorus, who have sufficiently maintained the argument concerning these things; but for the present we say this much: that regarding uniform affection, it is better to think so, and the celestial bodies would be better held together by the exhalations from there, if the moisture poured around were greater.
§1.1.10ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ ἔσχατα καὶ τὰ κύκλῳ τῆς οἰκουμένης οἶδε καὶ φράζει σαφῶς ὁ ποιητής, οὕτω καὶ τὰ τῆς θαλάττης τῆς ἐντός.
Just as, then, the poet knows and clearly describes the outermost parts and the surroundings of the inhabited world, so also does he know the things of the inner sea.
περιέχει γὰρ ταύτην ἀπὸ στηλῶν ἀρξαμένοις Λιβύη τε καὶ Αἴγυπτος καὶ Φοινίκη, ἑξῆς δὲ ἡ πέριξ τῆς Κύπρου, εἶτα Σόλυμοι καὶ Λύκιοι καὶ Κᾶρες, μετὰ δὲ τούτους ἡ μεταξὺ Μυκάλης καὶ τῆς Τρῳάδος ᾐὼν καὶ αἱ προκείμεναι νῆσοι· ὧν ἁπάντων μέμνηται, καὶ ἐφεξῆς τῶν περὶ τὴν Προποντίδα καὶ τοῦ Εὐξείνου μέχρι Κολχίδος καὶ τῆς Ἰάσονος στρατείας.
For, beginning from the Pillars, Libya, Egypt, and Phoenicia surround it, and next the region around Cyprus, then the Solymi, Lycians, and Carians, and after these the coast between Mycale and the Troad, and the islands lying off them; all of which he mentions, and next the places around the Propontis and the Euxine as far as Colchis and the expedition of Jason.
καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸν Κιμμερικὸν Βόσπορον οἶδε τοὺς Κιμμερίους εἰδώς, οὐ δήπου τὸ μὲν ὄνομα τῶν Κιμμερίων εἰδὼς αὐτοὺς δὲ ἀγνοῶν, οἳ κατʼ αὐτὸν ἢ μικρὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ μέχρι Ἰωνίας ἐπέδραμον τὴν γῆν τὴν ἐκ Βοσπόρου πᾶσαν.
Furthermore, he knows the Cimmerian Bosporus, since he knows the Cimmerians, not indeed knowing the name of the Cimmerians but being ignorant of themselves, who in his time or a little before him overran all the land from the Bosporus as far as Ionia.
αἰνίττεται γοῦν καὶ τὸ κλίμα τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν ζοφῶδες ὄν, καὶ ὡς φησίν
ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμένοι· οὐδέ ποτʼ αὐτοὺς ἠέλιος φαέθων ἐπιλάμπεται, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ νὺξ ὀλοὴ τέταται. γνωρίζει δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἴστρον, μεμνημένος γε Μυσῶν, ἔθνους Θρᾳκίου παροικοῦντος τὸν Ἴστρον.
At any rate, he hints also at the climate of their country as being gloomy, and as he says: "covered in mist and cloud; and never does the shining sun look down on them, but a deadly night is stretched over them." And he also knows the Ister, since he mentions the Mysians, a Thracian tribe dwelling along the Ister.
καὶ μὴν καὶ τὴν ἑξῆς παραλίαν οἶδε, Θρᾳκίαν οὖσαν μέχρι Πηνειοῦ, Παίονάς τε ὀνομάζων καὶ Ἄθω καὶ Ἀξιὸν καὶ τὰς προκειμένας τούτων νήσους.
Furthermore, he knows the next coast, which is Thracian as far as the Peneus, naming the Paeonians, Athos, Axius, and the islands lying off these.
ἑξῆς δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν Ἑλλήνων παραλία μέχρι Θεσπρωτῶν, ἧς ἁπάσης μέμνηται.
And next is the coast of the Greeks as far as the Thesprotians, of all of which he makes mention.
καὶ μὴν καὶ τὰ τῆς Ἰταλίας ἄκρα οἶδε, Τεμέσην καλῶν καὶ Σικελούς, καὶ τὰ τῆς Ἰβηρίας ἄκρα καὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν αὐτῶν, ἣν ἀρτίως ἔφαμεν.
And indeed, he knows the extremities of Italy, calling Temesa and the Sicels, and the extremities of Iberia and their prosperity, which we mentioned just now.
εἰ δέ τινα ἐν τοῖς μεταξὺ διαλείμματα φαίνεται, συγγνοίη τις ἄν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ γεωγραφῶν ὄντως πολλὰ παρίησι τῶν ἐν μέρει.
And if some gaps appear in the intervening places, one might excuse it; for indeed even the true geographer passes over many of the details.
συγγνοίη δʼ ἂν καὶ εἰ μυθώδη τινὰ προσπέπλεκται τοῖς λεγομένοις ἱστορικῶς καὶ διδασκαλικῶς, καὶ οὐ δεῖ μέμφεσθαι.
And one might also excuse it if some mythical elements are interwoven with what is told historically and instructively, and one must not blame him.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀληθές ἐστιν, ὅ φησιν Ἐρατοσθένης, ὅτι ποιητὴς πᾶς στοχάζεται ψυχαγωγίας, οὐ διδασκαλίας· τἀναντία γὰρ οἱ φρονιμώτατοι τῶν περὶ ποιητικῆς τι φθεγξαμένων πρώτην τινὰ λέγουσι φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ποιητικήν.
For neither is it true what Eratosthenes says, that every poet aims at entertainment, not instruction; on the contrary, the wisest of those who have uttered anything about poetry say that poetry is a kind of primary philosophy.
ἀλλὰ πρὸς Ἐρατοσθένη μὲν αὖθις ἐροῦμεν διὰ πλειόνων, ἐν οἷς καὶ περὶ τοῦ ποιητοῦ πάλιν ἔσται λόγος.
But we shall speak against Eratosthenes again at greater length, in which there will also be a discussion about the poet again.
§1.1.11νυνὶ δὲ ὅτι μὲν Ὅμηρος τῆς γεωγραφίας ἦρξεν, ἀρκείτω τὰ λεχθέντα.
For the present, let what has been said suffice to show that Homer began geography.
φανεροὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐπακολουθήσαντες αὐτῷ ἄνδρες ἀξιόλογοι καὶ οἰκεῖοι φιλοσοφίας, ὧν τοὺς πρώτους μεθʼ Ὅμηρον δύο φησὶν Ἐρατοσθένης, Ἀναξίμανδρόν τε Θαλοῦ γεγονότα γνώριμον καὶ πολίτην καὶ Ἑκαταῖον τὸν Μιλήσιον· τὸν μὲν οὖν ἐκδοῦναι πρῶτον γεωγραφικὸν πίνακα, τὸν δὲ Ἑκαταῖον καταλιπεῖν γράμμα, πιστούμενον ἐκείνου εἶναι ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης αὐτοῦ γραφῆς.
And clear also are those remarkable men who followed him and were close to philosophy, of whom Eratosthenes says the first two after Homer were Anaximander, who was an acquaintance and fellow-citizen of Thales, and Hecataeus the Milesian; and that the former was the first to publish a geographical map, while Hecataeus left a treatise, which is believed to be his from his other writing.