§11.4.1Ἀλβανοὶ δὲ ποιμενικώτεροι καὶ τοῦ νομαδικοῦ γένους ἐγγυτέρω, πλὴν ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἄγριοι· ταύτῃ δὲ καὶ πολεμικοὶ μετρίως.
And the Albanians are more pastoral and closer to the nomadic race, except that they are not wild; and on this account they are also moderately warlike.
οἰκοῦσι δὲ μεταξὺ τῶν Ἰβήρων καὶ τῆς Κασπίας θαλάττης, πρὸς ἕω μὲν ἁπτόμενοι τῆς θαλάττης, πρὸς δύσιν δὲ ὁμοροῦντες τοῖς Ἴβηρσι·
They inhabit the region between the Iberians and the Caspian Sea, touching the sea on the east, and bordering on the Iberians on the west.
τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν πλευρῶν τὸ μὲν βόρειον φρουρεῖται τοῖς Καυκασίοις ὄρεσι (ταῦτα γὰρ ὑπέρκειται τῶν πεδίων, καλεῖται δὲ τὰ πρὸς τῇ θαλάττῃ μάλιστα Κεραύνια), τὸ δὲ νότιον ποιεῖ ἡ Ἀρμενία παρήκουσα, πολλὴ μὲν πεδιὰς πολλὴ δὲ καὶ ὀρεινή, καθάπερ ἡ Καμβυσηνή, καθʼ ἣν ἅμα καὶ τοῖς Ἴβηρσι καὶ τοῖς Ἀλβανοῖς οἱ Ἀρμένιοι συνάπτουσιν.
Of the remaining sides, the northern is guarded by the Caucasian mountains (for these lie above the plains, and the parts closest to the sea are especially called Ceraunia), while the southern side is formed by Armenia which stretches along it, being largely plain and largely mountainous as well, like Cambysene, where the Armenians border at the same time on both the Iberians and the Albanians.
§11.4.2ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ὁ διαρρέων τὴν Ἀλβανίαν καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ποταμοὶ οἱ πληροῦντες ἐκεῖνον ταῖς μὲν τῆς γῆς ἀρεταῖς προσλαμβάνουσι, τὴν δὲ θάλατταν ἀλλοτριοῦσιν.
And the Cyrus, which flows through Albania, and the other rivers that empty into it, contribute to the fertility of the land, but alienate the sea.
ἡ γὰρ χοῦς προσπίπτουσα πολλὴ πληροῖ τὸν πόρον, ὥστε καὶ τὰς ἐπικειμένας νησῖδας ἐξηπειροῦσθαι καὶ τενάγη ποιεῖν ἀνώμαλα καὶ δυσφύλακτα· τὴν δʼ ἀνωμαλίαν ἐπιτείνουσιν αἱ ἐκ τῶν πλημμυρίδων ἀνακοπαί.
For the silt, being deposited in large quantities, fills up the channel, so that even the adjacent islands are joined to the mainland and form shoals that are uneven and difficult to guard against; and the back-wash of the flood-tides increases this unevenness.
καὶ δὴ καὶ εἰς στόματα δώδεκά φασι μεμερίσθαι τὰς ἐκβολάς, τὰ μὲν τυφλὰ τὰ δὲ παντελῶς ἐπίπεδα ὄντα καὶ μηδὲ ὕφορμον ἀπολείποντα· ἐπὶ πλείους γοῦν ἢ ἑξήκοντα σταδίους ἀμφικλύστου τῆς ᾐόνος οὔσης τῇ θαλάττῃ καὶ τοῖς ποταμοῖς, ἅπαν εἶναι μέρος αὐτῆς ἀπροσπέλαστον, τὴν δὲ χοῦν καὶ μέχρι πεντακοσίων παρήκειν σταδίων θινώδη ποιοῦσαν τὸν αἰγιαλόν.
Indeed, they say that the outlets are divided into twelve mouths, some of which are blind, and others are completely shallow, leaving not even an anchorage; at any rate, although the shore is washed on both sides by the sea and the rivers for more than sixty stadia, every part of it is inaccessible, and the silt extends even as far as five hundred stadia, making the shore sandy.
πλησίον δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀράξης ἐμβάλλει τραχὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ἐκπίπτων· ἣν δὲ ἐκεῖνος προωθεῖ χοῦν πορευτὸν ποιῶν τὸ ῥεῖθρον, ταύτην ὁ Κῦρος ἀναπληροῖ.
And near it the Araxes also empties, rushing down rough from Armenia; and the silt which that river pushes forward, making its own channel navigable, the Cyrus receives and adds to its own.
§11.4.3τάχα μὲν οὖν τῷ τοιούτῳ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲν δεῖ θαλάττης· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῇ γῇ χρῶνται κατʼ ἀξίαν, πάντα μὲν ἐκφερούσῃ καρπὸν καὶ τὸν ἡμερώτατον, πᾶν δὲ φυτόν· καὶ γὰρ τὰ ἀειθαλῆ φέρει·
Perhaps, then, such a race of men has no need of the sea; for they do not even use their land to its full value, though it produces every fruit, even the most cultivated, and every plant; for it even bears evergreen trees.
τυγχάνει δʼ ἐπιμελείας οὐδὲ μικρᾶς
"
ἀλλὰ τάγʼ ἄσπαρτα καὶ ἀνήροτα πάντα φύονται,
"
καθάπερ οἱ στρατεύσαντές φασι, Κυκλώπειόν τινα διηγούμενοι βίον·
And it receives not even a little care, "but all things grow unsown and unplowed," as those who made campaigns there say, describing a kind of Cyclopean life.
πολλαχοῦ γὰρ σπαρεῖσαν ἅπαξ δὶς ἐκφέρειν καρπὸν ἢ καὶ τρίς, τὸν δὲ πρῶτον καὶ πεντηκοντάχουν, ἀνέαστον καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ σιδήρῳ τμηθεῖσαν ἀλλʼ αὐτοξύλῳ ἀρότρῳ.
For in many places, they say, the ground, having been sown once, yields fruit twice or even thrice, and the first crop even fifty-fold, and that too without being left fallow and without being cut with iron, but with a plough made entirely of wood.
ποτίζεται δὲ πᾶν τὸ πεδίον τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου καὶ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου μᾶλλον τοῖς ποταμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὕδασιν ὥστʼ ἀεὶ ποώδη φυλάττειν τὴν ὄψιν· διὰ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ εὔβοτόν ἐστι· πρόσεστι δὲ καὶ τὸ εὐάερον ἐκείνων μᾶλλον.
And the entire plain is watered by rivers and other waters better than that of Babylon or Egypt, so that it always keeps a grassy appearance; for this reason it is also very rich in pasture; and moreover, it has a better climate than those countries.
ἄσκαφοι δʼ αἱ ἄμπελοι μένουσαι διὰ τέλους, τεμνόμεναι δὲ διὰ πενταετηρίδος, νέαι μὲν διετεῖς ἐκφέρουσιν ἤδη καρπόν, τέλειαι δʼ ἀποδιδόασι τοσοῦτον ὥστʼ ἀφιᾶσιν ἐν τοῖς κλήμασι πολὺ μέρος.
The vines, remaining undug to the end, and being pruned only every five years, bear fruit already at two years old when young, and when mature they yield so much that they leave a large portion of it on the branches.
εὐερνῆ δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ βοσκήματα παρʼ αὐτοῖς τά τε ἥμερα καὶ τὰ ἄγρια.
Their cattle also, both tame and wild, thrive well.
§11.4.4καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι κάλλει καὶ μεγέθει διαφέροντες, ἁπλοῖ δὲ καὶ οὐ καπηλικοί· οὐδὲ γὰρ νομίσματι τὰ πολλὰ χρῶνται, οὐδὲ ἀριθμὸν ἴσασι μείζω τῶν ἑκατόν, ἀλλὰ φορτίοις τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ποιοῦνται· καὶ πρὸς τἆλλα δὲ τὰ τοῦ βίου ῥᾳθύμως ἔχουσιν.
The people also are outstanding in beauty and size, and are simple and not commercial-minded; for they do not use coin for the most part, nor do they know any number greater than a hundred, but make their exchanges by bartering goods; and they are easygoing with respect to the other affairs of life.
ἄπειροι δʼ εἰσὶ καὶ μέτρων τῶν ἐπʼ ἀκριβὲς καὶ σταθμῶν, καὶ πολέμου δὲ καὶ πολιτείας καὶ γεωργίας ἀπρονοήτως ἔχουσιν· ὅμως δὲ καὶ πεζοὶ καὶ ἀφʼ ἵππων ἀγωνίζονται, ψιλοί τε καὶ κατάφρακτοι, καθάπερ Ἀρμένιοι.
They are also inexperienced in precise measures and weights, and are thoughtless regarding war, government, and agriculture; nevertheless, they fight both on foot and on horseback, both as light-armed troops and as clad in complete armor, like the Armenians.