§13.4.14ὑπερβαλοῦσι δὲ τὴν Μεσωγίδα τὴν μεταξὺ Καρῶν τε καὶ τῆς Νυσαΐδος, ἥ ἐστι χώρα κατὰ τὰ τοῦ Μαιάνδρου πέραν μέχρι τῆς Κιβυράτιδος καὶ τῆς Καβαλίδος, πόλεις εἰσὶ πρὸς μὲν τῇ Μεσωγίδι καταντικρὺ Λαοδικείας Ἱερὰ πόλις, ὅπου τὰ θερμὰ ὕδατα καὶ τὸ Πλουτώνιον, ἄμφω παραδοξολογίαν τινὰ ἔχοντα·
For those who cross the Mesogis, which lies between the Carians and the territory of Nysa—which is the region on the far side of the Maeander as far as Cibyratis and Cabalis—there are cities: near the Mesogis, directly opposite Laodiceia, is Hierapolis, where are the hot waters and the Plutonion, both having a sort of miraculous nature.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὕδωρ οὕτω ῥᾳδίως εἰς πῶρον μεταβάλλει πηττόμενον ὥστʼ ὀχετοὺς ἐπάγοντες φραγμοὺς ἀπεργάζονται μονολίθους, τὸ δὲ Πλουτώνιον ὑπʼ ὀφρύι μικρᾷ τῆς ὑπερκειμένης ὀρεινῆς στόμιόν ἐστι σύμμετρον ὅσον ἄνθρωπον δέξασθαι δυνάμενον, βεβάθυνται δʼ ἐπὶ πολύ·
For the water so easily solidifies and changes into tufa that by leading it through channels they construct monolithic barriers; and the Plutonion is a moderate opening under a small brow of the overhanging mountainous country, capable of receiving a man, but reaching to a great depth.
πρόκειται δὲ τούτου δρυφάκτωμα τετράγωνον ὅσον ἡμιπλέθρου τὴν περίμετρον· τοῦτο δὲ πλῆρές ἐστιν ὁμιχλώδους παχείας ἀχλύος ὥστε μόγις τοὔδαφος καθορᾶν.
In front of it is a square railing, about half a plethron in circumference; this is full of a misty, thick gloom, so that one can hardly see the ground.
τοῖς μὲν οὖν κύκλῳ πλησιάζουσι πρὸς τὸν δρύφακτον ἄλυπός ἐστιν ὁ ἀήρ, καθαρεύων ἐκείνης τῆς ἀχλύος ἐν ταῖς νηνεμίαις· συμμένει γὰρ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου· τῷ δʼ εἴσω παριόντι ζῴῳ θάνατος παραχρῆμα ἀπαντᾷ·
Now, for those who approach the railing around it, the air is harmless, being free from that gloom in calm weather, for the gloom remains inside the enclosure; but for any animal that enters inside, death meets it instantly.
ταῦροι γοῦν εἰσαχθέντες πίπτουσι καὶ ἐξέλκονται νεκροί, ἡμεῖς δὲ στρουθία ἐπέμψαμεν καὶ ἔπεσεν εὐθὺς ἐκπνεύσαντα·
Bulls, at any rate, when led in, fall and are dragged out dead, and we ourselves sent in sparrows and they fell immediately, having breathed their last.
οἱ δʼ ἀπόκοποι Γάλλοι παρίασιν ἀπαθεῖς, ὥστε καὶ μέχρι τοῦ στομίου πλησιάζειν καὶ ἐγκύπτειν καὶ καταδύνειν μέχρι ποσοῦ συνέχοντας ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τὸ πνεῦμα· ἑωρῶμεν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ὄψεως ὡς ἂν πνιγώδους τινὸς πάθους ἔμφασιν, εἴτʼ ἐπὶ πάντων οὕτω πεπηρωμένων τοῦτο εἴτε μόνων τῶν περὶ τὸ ἱερόν, καὶ εἴτε θείᾳ προνοίᾳ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐνθουσιασμῶν εἰκός, εἴτε ἀντιδότοις τισὶ δυνάμεσι τούτου συμβαίνοντος.
But the castrated Galli pass in without harm, so as even to approach the opening, lean over, and dive down to a certain depth, holding their breath for the most part; for we could see from their appearance a sort of indication of a suffocating condition, whether this happens to all who are thus mutilated, or only to those associated with the temple, and whether it occurs by divine providence, as is likely in cases of divine possession, or by certain antidotes.
τὸ δὲ τῆς ἀπολιθώσεως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ποταμῶν φασι συμβαίνειν καίπερ ὄντων ποτίμων.
They say that this petrifying quality also occurs in the rivers at Laodiceia, even though they are drinkable.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ πρὸς βαφὴν ἐρίων θαυμαστῶς σύμμετρον τὸ κατὰ τὴν Ἱερὰν πόλιν ὕδωρ, ὥστε τὰ ἐκ τῶν ῥιζῶν βαπτόμενα ἐνάμιλλα εἶναι τοῖς ἐκ τῆς κόκκου καὶ τοῖς ἁλουργέσιν· οὕτω δʼ ἐστὶν ἄφθονον τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ὕδατος ὥστε ἡ πόλις μεστὴ τῶν αὐτομάτων βαλανείων ἐστί.
The water of Hierapolis is also wonderfully suited for the dyeing of wool, so that things dyed with the roots rival those dyed with coccus or with purple; and the abundance of water is so great that the city is full of natural baths.
§13.4.15μετὰ δὲ τὴν Ἱερὰν πόλιν τὰ πέραν τοῦ Μαιάνδρου.
After Hierapolis are the parts on the far side of the Maeander.
τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ Λαοδίκειαν καὶ Ἀφροδισιάδα καὶ τὰ μέχρι Καρούρων εἴρηται· τὰ δʼ ἑξῆς ἐστι τὰ μὲν πρὸς δύσιν ἡ τῶν Ἀντιοχέων πόλις τῶν ἐπὶ Μαιάνδρῳ, τῆς Καρίας ἤδη· τὰ δὲ πρὸς νότον ἡ Κιβύρα ἐστὶν ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἡ Σίνδα καὶ ἡ Καβαλὶς μέχρι τοῦ Ταύρου καὶ τῆς Λυκίας.
The region around Laodiceia, Aphrodisias, and as far as Carura has already been described; the parts next in order are, to the west, the city of the Antiocheians on the Maeander, which is already in Caria; and to the south, Cibyra the Great, Sinda, and Cabalis as far as the Taurus and Lycia.
ἡ μὲν οὖν Ἀντιόχεια μετρία πόλις ἐστὶν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ κειμένη τῷ Μαιάνδρῳ κατὰ τὸ πρὸς τῇ Φρυγίᾳ μέρος, ἐπέζευκται δὲ γέφυρα· χώραν δʼ ἔχει πολλὴν ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα τοῦ ποταμοῦ πᾶσαν εὐδαίμονα, πλείστην δὲ φέρει τὴν καλουμένην Ἀντιοχικὴν ἰσχάδα· τὴν δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ τρίφυλλον ὀνομάζουσιν· εὔσειστος δὲ καὶ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος.
Antioch is a city of moderate size, situated on the Maeander itself on the side towards Phrygia, and a bridge has been built over it; it has much land on either side of the river, all of it fertile, and it produces in greatest abundance the so-called Antiochian dried fig, which they also call 'triple-leaved'; and this place too is subject to earthquakes.
σοφιστὴς δὲ παρὰ τούτοις ἔνδοξος γεγένηται Διοτρέφης, οὗ διήκουσεν Ὑβρέας ὁ καθʼ ἡμᾶς γενόμενος μέγιστος ῥήτωρ.
Among them arose Diotrephes, a famous sophist, whose lectures Hybreas attended, who became the greatest orator of our time.
§13.4.16Σολύμους δʼ εἶναί φασι τοὺς Καβαλεῖς· τῆς γοῦν Τερμησσέων ἄκρας ὁ ὑπερκείμενος λόφος καλεῖται Σόλυμος, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ Τερμησσεῖς Σόλυμοι καλοῦνται.
They say that the Cabaleis are Solymi; at any rate, the hill overhanging the citadel of the Termessians is called Solymus, and the Termessians themselves are called Solymi.
πλησίον δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ Βελλεροφόντου χάραξ καὶ ὁ Πεισάνδρου τάφος τοῦ υἱοῦ πεσόντος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Σολύμους μάχῃ.
Nearby is also the rampart of Bellerophon and the tomb of his son Peisandros, who fell in the battle against the Solymi.
ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ λεγομένοις ὁμολογεῖται· περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Βελλεροφόντου φησὶν οὕτως
"
δεύτερον αὖ Σολύμοισι μαχέσσατο κυδαλίμοισι. "
περὶ δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ
"
Πείσανδρον δέ οἱ υἱὸν Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο
μαρνάμενον Σολύμοισι κατέκτανεν. "
ἡ δὲ Τερμησσός ἐστι Πισιδικὴ πόλις ἡ μάλιστα καὶ ἔγγιστα ὑπερκειμένη τῆς Κιβύρας.
These things agree also with what is said by the poet; for about Bellerophon he speaks thus: 'Secondly, again, he fought with the glorious Solymi.' And about his son: 'And his son Peisandros was slain by Ares, insatiable of war, as he fought with the Solymi.' Termessus is a Pisidian city situated most directly and closely above Cibyra.
§13.4.17λέγονται δὲ ἀπόγονοι Λυδῶν οἱ Κιβυρᾶται τῶν κατασχόντων τὴν Καβαλίδα· ὕστερον δὲ Πισιδῶν τῶν ὁμόρων ἐποικησάντων καὶ μετακτισάντων εἰς ἕτερον τόπον εὐερκέστατον ἐν κύκλῳ σταδίων περὶ ἑκατόν.
The Cibyratae are said to be descendants of the Lydians who occupied Cabalis; and later, when the neighboring Pisidians settled there and relocated them to another place, which was very well fortified, about a hundred stadia in circumference.
ηὐξήθη δὲ διὰ τὴν εὐνομίαν, καὶ αἱ κῶμαι παρεξέτειναν ἀπὸ Πισιδίας καὶ τῆς ὁμόρου Μιλυάδος ἕως Λυκίας καὶ τῆς Ῥοδίων περαίας·
It grew because of its good laws, and its villages extended from Pisidia and the neighboring Milyas as far as Lycia and the Peraea of the Rhodians.
προσγενομένων δὲ τριῶν πόλεων ὁμόρων, Βουβῶνος Βαλβούρων Οἰνοάνδων, τετράπολις τὸ σύστημα ἐκλήθη, μίαν ἑκάστης ψῆφον ἐχούσης, δύο δὲ τῆς Κιβύρας· ἔστελλε γὰρ αὕτη πεζῶν μὲν τρεῖς μυριάδας ἱππέας δὲ δισχιλίους·
When three neighboring cities, Bubon, Balbura, and Oenoanda, were added, the union was called Tetrapolis, each having one vote, but Cibyra having two; for the latter could send out thirty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.
ἐτυραννεῖτο δʼ ἀεί, σωφρόνως δʼ ὅμως· ἐπὶ Μοαγέτου δʼ ἡ τυραννὶς τέλος ἔσχε, καταλύσαντος αὐτὴν Μουρηνᾶ καὶ Λυκίοις προσορίσαντος τὰ Βάλβουρα καὶ τὴν Βουβῶνα·
It was always ruled by tyrants, but nevertheless moderately; the tyranny ended under Moagetes, when Murena dissolved it and annexed Balbura and Bubon to the Lycians.
οὐδὲν δʼ ἧττον ἐν ταῖς μεγίσταις ἐξετάζεται διοικήσεσι τῆς Ἀσίας ἡ Κιβυρατική.
Nonetheless, the Cibyratic district is reckoned among the greatest jurisdictions of Asia.
τέτταρσι δὲ γλώτταις ἐχρῶντο οἱ Κιβυρᾶται, τῇ Πισιδικῇ τῇ Σολύμων τῇ Ἑλληνίδι τῇ Λυδῶν· δὲ οὐδʼ ἴχνος ἐστὶν ἐν Λυδίᾳ.
The Cibyratae used four languages: the Pisidian, the Solymian, the Greek, and the Lydian; but of the Lydian, not even a trace remains in Lydia.
ἴδιον δʼ ἐστὶν ἐν Κιβύρᾳ τὸ τὸν σίδηρον τορεύεσθαι ῥᾳδίως.
A peculiar feature in Cibyra is that iron is easily chased.
Μιλύα δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ Τερμησσὸν στενῶν καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ Ταύρου ὑπερθέσεως διʼ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ Ἴσινδα παρατείνουσα ὀρεινὴ μέχρι Σαγαλασσοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἀπαμέων χώρας.
Milyas is the mountainous region extending from the passes near Termessus and the passage through them into the interior of the Taurus, as far as Isinda, and reaching to Sagalassus and the territory of the Apameians.