§10.10.1κεῖται μὲν οὖν τῆς Ἰβηρίας κατὰ μέσην τὴν παραλίαν ἐν κόλπῳ νεύοντι πρὸς ἄνεμον λίβα· οὗ τὸ μὲν βάθος ἐστὶν ὡς εἴκοσι σταδίων, τὸ δὲ πλάτος ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ὡς δέκα· λαμβάνει δὲ διάθεσιν λιμένος ὁ πᾶς κόλπος διὰ τοιαύτην αἰτίαν.
It lies, then, in the middle of the coast of Iberia, in a gulf facing the southwest wind (Libs); its depth is about twenty stades, and its width at the entrance is about ten; and the whole gulf acquires the character of a harbor for the following reason.
§10.10.2νῆσος ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ κεῖται βραχὺν ἐξ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους εἴσπλουν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπολείπουσα.
An island lies at its mouth, leaving a narrow passage into it on either side.
§10.10.3ταύτης ἀποδεχομένης τὸ πελάγιον κῦμα συμβαίνει τὸν κόλπον ὅλον εὐδίαν ἴσχειν, πλὴν ἐφʼ ὅσον οἱ λίβες καθʼ ἑκάτερον τὸν εἴσπλουν παρεισπίπτοντες κλύδωνας ἀποτελοῦσι.
As this island breaks the force of the sea waves, it happens that the entire gulf remains calm, except in so far as the southwest winds, rushing in through each entrance, produce a swell.
§10.10.4τῶν γε μὴν ἄλλων πνευμάτων ἀκλυδώνιστος ὢν τυγχάνει διὰ τὴν περιέχουσαν αὐτὸν ἤπειρον.
From other winds, indeed, it is completely protected from waves by the surrounding mainland.
§10.10.5ἐν δὲ τῷ μυχῷ τοῦ κόλπου πρόκειται χερρονησίζον ὄρος, ἐφʼ οὗ κεῖσθαι συμβαίνει τὴν πόλιν, περιεχομένην θαλάττῃ μὲν ἀπʼ ἀνατολῶν καὶ μεσημβρίας, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν δύσεων λίμνῃ προσεπιλαμβανούσῃ καὶ τοῦ πρὸς ἄρκτον μέρους, §10.10.6ὥστε τὸν λοιπὸν τόπον μέχρι τῆς ἐπὶ θάτερα θαλάττης, ὃς καὶ συνάπτει τὴν πόλιν πρὸς τὴν ἤπειρον, μὴ πλέον ὑπάρχειν ἢ δυεῖν σταδίων.
At the head of the gulf there projects a peninsula-like hill, upon which the city happens to be situated, surrounded by the sea on the east and south, and on the west by a lagoon which also laps round its northern side, so that the remaining space, as far as the sea on the other side, which connects the city to the mainland, is not more than two stades in width.
§10.10.7ἡ δὲ πόλις αὐτὴ μεσόκοιλός ἐστι· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας πλευρὰν ἐπίπεδον ἔχει τὴν ἀπὸ θαλάττης πρόσοδον· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ περιέχεται λόφοις, δυσὶ μὲν ὀρεινοῖς καὶ τραχέσιν, ἄλλοις δὲ τρισὶ πολὺ μὲν χθαμαλωτέροις, σπιλώδεσι δὲ καὶ δυσβάτοις·
The city itself is hollow in the middle; on its southern side it has a level approach from the sea, while the rest is surrounded by hills, two of them mountainous and rugged, and three others much lower, but rocky and difficult to ascend.
§10.10.8ὧν ὁ μὲν μέγιστος ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνατολῆς αὐτῇ παράκειται, προτείνων εἰς θάλατταν, ἐφʼ οὗ καθίδρυται νεὼς Ἀσκληπιοῦ.
Of these, the largest lies adjacent to it on the east, extending into the sea, upon which is established a temple of Asclepius.
§10.10.9τούτῳ δʼ ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς δύσεως ἀντίκειται, παραπλησίαν θέσιν ἔχων, ἐφʼ οὗ καὶ βασίλεια κατεσκεύασται πολυτελῶς, ἅ φασιν Ἀσδρούβαν ποιῆσαι, μοναρχικῆς ὀρεγόμενον ἐξουσίας.
Opposite to this, on the west, is another hill with a similar position, upon which a magnificent palace has been built, which they say was made by Hasdrubal when he was aiming at monarchical power.
§10.10.10αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ τρεῖς τῶν ἐλαττόνων βουνῶν ὑπεροχαὶ τὸ πρὸς ἄρκτον αὐτῆς μέρος περιέχουσι.
The remaining three eminences of the smaller hills enclose its northern side.
§10.10.11καλεῖται δὲ τῶν τριῶν ὁ μὲν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς νεύων Ἡφαίστου, τούτῳ δʼ ὁ συνεχὴς Ἀλήτου — δοκεῖ δʼ οὗτος εὑρετὴς γενόμενος τῶν ἀργυρείων μετάλλων ἰσοθέων τετευχέναι τιμῶν — ὁ δὲ τρίτος προσαγορεύεται Κρόνου.
Of these three, the one facing east is called the hill of Hephaestus; the one next to it, the hill of Aletes—who is said to have received divine honors for having discovered the silver mines—while the third is called the hill of Cronus.
§10.10.12συμβαίνει δὲ τὴν λίμνην τῇ παρακειμένῃ θαλάττῃ σύρρουν γεγονέναι χειροποιήτως χάριν τῶν θαλαττουργῶν.
It so happens that the lagoon has been connected with the adjacent sea by artificial means for the sake of the maritime workers.
§10.10.13κατὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ διείργοντος αὐτὰς χείλους διακοπὴν γέφυρα κατεσκεύασται πρὸς τὸ καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια καὶ τὰς ἁμάξας ταύτῃ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παρακομιδὴν τῶν ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἀναγκαίων.
And over the channel which cuts through the dividing neck of land a bridge has been constructed, so that both beasts of burden and wagons can transport from the country the necessary provisions.