§11.10.1ἡ δʼ Ἀρία καὶ ἡ Μαργιανὴ κράτιστα χωρία ἐστὶ ταύτῃ, τῇ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ὀρῶν ἐγκλειόμενα τῇ δʼ ἐν πεδίοις τὰς οἰκήσεις ἔχοντα.
Aria and Margiana are the best districts in this part of the world, being enclosed on one side by the mountains and having their dwellings in the plains on the other.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ὄρη νέμονται σκηνῖταί τινες, τὰ δὲ πεδία ποταμοῖς διαρρεῖται ποτίζουσιν αὐτὰ τὰ μὲν τῷ Ἀρίῳ τὰ δὲ Μάργῳ.
Now the mountains are inhabited by certain tent-dwellers, while the plains are traversed by rivers which water them, some parts by the Arius and others by the Margus.
ὁμορεῖ δὲ ἡ Ἀρία τῇ Βακτριανῇ καὶ τὴν ὑποστᾶσαν ὄρει τῷ ἔχοντι τὴν Βακτριανήν· διέχει δὲ τῆς Ὑρκανίας περὶ ἑξακισχιλίους σταδίους.
Aria borders on Bactria and on the country that lies at the foot of the mountain which holds Bactria; and it is about six thousand stadia distant from Hyrcania.
συντελὴς δʼ ἦν αὐτῇ καὶ ἡ Δραγγιανὴ μέχρι Καρμανίας, τὸ μὲν πλέον τοῖς νοτίοις μέρεσι τῶν ὀρῶν ὑποπεπτωκυῖα, ἔχουσα μέντοι τινὰ τῶν μερῶν καὶ τοῖς ἀρκτικοῖς πλησιάζοντα τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀρίαν·
Drangiana was also under the same administration with Aria as far as Carmania, lying for the most part under the southern parts of the mountains, although it has some parts that approach the northern regions near Aria.
καὶ ἡ Ἀραχωσία δὲ οὐ πολὺ ἄπωθέν ἐστι, καὶ αὕτη τοῖς νοτίοις μέρεσι τῶν ὀρῶν ὑποπεπτωκυῖα καὶ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰνδοῦ ποταμοῦ τεταμένη, μέρος οὖσα τῆς Ἀριανῆς.
Arachosia, too, is not far distant, and this also lies under the southern parts of the mountains and extends as far as the Indus River, being a part of Ariana.
μῆκος δὲ τῆς Ἀρίας ὅσον δισχίλιοι στάδιοι, πλάτος δὲ τριακόσιοι τοῦ πεδίου·
The length of Aria is about two thousand stadia, and the width of its plain is three hundred stadia.
πόλεις δὲ Ἀρτακάηνα καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρεια καὶ Ἀχαΐα, ἐπώνυμοι τῶν κτισάντων.
Its cities are Artacaena, Alexandria, and Achaea, named after their founders.
εὐοινεῖ δὲ σφόδρα ἡ γῆ· καὶ γὰρ εἰς τριγονίαν παραμένει ἐν ἀπιττώτοις ἄγγεσι.
The land produces excellent wine; for indeed, it keeps for three generations in unpitched vessels.
§11.10.2παραπλησία δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ Μαργιανή, ἐρημίαις δὲ περιέχεται τὸ πεδίον.
Margiana is very similar, but its plain is surrounded by deserts.
θαυμάσας δὲ τὴν εὐφυΐαν ὁ Σωτὴρ Ἀντίοχος τείχει περιέβαλε κύκλον ἔχοντι χιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων σταδίων, πόλιν δὲ ἔκτισεν Ἀντιόχειαν.
Antiochus Soter, admiring its fertility, enclosed it with a wall fifteen hundred stadia in circumference, and founded the city of Antiochia.
εὐάμπελος δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἡ γῆ· φασὶ γοῦν τὸν πυθμένα εὑρίσκεσθαι πολλάκις δυσὶν ἀνδράσι περιληπτόν, τὸν δὲ βότρυν δίπηχυν.
This land also is rich in vines; at any rate, they say that the trunk of the vine is often found to be as thick as two men can clasp, and the cluster of grapes is two cubits long.