Strabo - The Geography of Strabo (Vol.1-3)

The Lesser Syrtes 781is about 1600 stadia in circumference. On either side of its mouth lie the islands of Meninx 782and Kerkina. 783The Greater Syrtes 784is (according to Eratosthenes) 5000 stadia in circuit, and in depth 1800, from the Hesperides 785to Automala, 786and the frontier which separates the Cyrenaic from the rest of Libya. According to others, its circumference is only 4000 stadia, its depth 1500 stadia, and the breadth at its mouth the same.

The Sea of Sicily washes Italy, from the Strait of Rhegium 787to Locris, 788and also the eastern coast of Sicily from Messene 789to Syracuse 790and Pachynus. 791On the eastern side it reaches to the promontories of Crete, surrounds the greater part of Peloponnesus, and fills the Gulf of Corinth. 792On the north it advances to the Iapygian Promontory, 793the mouth of the Ionian Gulf, 794the southern parts of Epirus, 795as far as the Ambracic Gulf, 796and the continuation of the coast which forms the Corinthian Gulf, near the Peloponnesus.

The Ionian Gulf forms part of what we now call the Adriatic. 797Illyria forms its right side, and Italy as far as the recess where Aquileia is situated, the left.

The Adriatic stretches north and west; it is long and narrow, being in length about 6000 stadia, and its greatest breadth 1200. There are many islands situated here opposite the coasts of Illyria, such as the Absyrtides, 798Cyrictica, 799and the Libyrnides, 800also Issa, 801Tragurium, 802the Black Corcyra, 803and Pharos. 804Opposite to Italy are the Islands of Diomede. 805The Sea of Sicily is said to be 4500 stadia from Pachynus to Crete, and the same distance to Tænarus in Laconia. 806From the extremities of Iapygia to the bottom of the Gulf of Corinth the distance is less than 3000 stadia, while from Iapygia to Libya it is more than 4000. In this sea are the Islands of Corcyra 807and Sybota, 808opposite the coasts of Epirus; and beyond these, opposite the Gulf of Corinth, Cephallenia, 809Ithaca, Zacynth, 810and the Echinades. 811

21. Next to the Sea of Sicily, are the Cretan, Saronic, 812and Myrtoan Seas, comprised between Crete, Argia, 813and Attica. 814Their greatest breadth, measured from Attica, is 1200 stadia, and their length not quite double the distance. Within are included the Islands of Cythera, 815Calauria, 816Ægina, 817Salamis, 818and certain of the Cyclades. 819Adjacent to these are the Ægæan Sea, 820the Gulf of Melas, 821the Hellespont, 822the Icarian and Carpathian Seas, 823as far as Rhodes, Crete, Cnidus, and the commencement of Asia. [In these seas] are the Cyclades, the Sporades, and the islands opposite Caria, Ionia, and Æolia, as far as the Troad, namely, Cos, 824Samos, 825Chios, 826Lesbos, 827and Tenedos; 828likewise on the Grecian side as far as Macedonia and the borders of Thrace, Eubœa, 829Scyros, 830Peparethus, 831Lemnos, 832Thasos, 833Imbros, 834Samothracia, 835and numerous others, of which it is our intention to speak in detail. The length of this sea is about 4000 stadia, or rather more, 836its breadth about 2000. 837It is surrounded by the coast of Asia above mentioned, and by those of Greece from Sunium 838northwards to the Thermaic Gulf 839and the Gulfs of Macedonia, 840and as far as the Thracian Chersonesus. 841

22. Here too is the strait, seven stadia in length, which is between Sestos 842and Abydos, 843and through which the Ægæan and Hellespont communicate with another sea to the north, named the Propontis, 844and this again with another called the Euxine. This latter is, so to speak, a double sea, for towards its middle are two projecting promontories, one to the north, on the side of Europe, and the other opposite from the coast of Asia, which leave only a narrow passage between them, and thus form two great seas. The European promontory is named Criu-metopon; 845that of Asia, Carambis. 846They are distant from each other about 2500 stadia. 847The length of the western portion of this sea 848from Byzantium to the outlets of the Dnieper is 3800 stadia, its breadth 2000. Here is situated the Island of Leuca. 849The eastern portion is oblong and terminates in the narrow recess in which Dioscurias is situated. In length it is 5000 stadia, or rather more, and in breadth about 3000. The entire circumference of the Euxine is about 25,000 stadia. Some have compared the shape of its circumference to a Scythian bow when bent, the string representing the southern portions of the Euxine, (viz. the coast, from its mouth to the recess in which Dioscurias is situated; for, with the exception of Carambis, the sinuosities of the shore are but trifling, so that it may be justly compared to a straight line,) and the remainder [of the circumference representing] the wood of the bow with its double curve, the uppermost very much rounded, the lower more in a straight line. So this sea forms two gulfs, the western much more rounded than the other.

23. To the north of the eastern Gulf of the Pontus, is the Lake Mæotis, whose perimeter is 9000 stadia or rather more. It communicates with the Euxine by means of the Cimmerian Bosphorus, 850and the Euxine with the Propontis 851by the Thracian Bosphorus, for such is the name given to the Strait of Byzantium, which is four stadia in breadth. The length of the Propontis from the Troad to Byzantium is stated to be 1500 stadia. Its breadth is about the same. It is in this sea that the Island of the Cyziceni 852is situated, with the other islands around it.

24. Such and so great is the extent of the Ægæan Sea towards the north. 853Again, starting from Rhodes, the [Mediterranean] forms the seas of Egypt, Pamphylia, and Issus, extending in an easterly direction from Cilicia to Issus, a distance of 5000 stadia, along the coasts of Lycia, Pamphylia, and the whole of Cilicia. From thence Syria, Phœnicia, and Egypt surround the sea to the south and west as far as Alexandria. The Island of Cyprus is situated in the Gulfs of Issus and Pamphylia, close to the Sea of Egypt. The passage between Rhodes and Alexandria from north [to south] is about 4000 stadia; 854sailing round the coasts it is double this distance. Eratosthenes informs us that, although the above is the distance according to some mariners, others avow distinctly that it amounts to 5000 stadia; while he himself, from observations of the shadows indicated by the gnomon, calculates it at 3750.

That part of the Mediterranean Sea which washes the coasts of Cilicia and Pamphylia together with the right side of the Euxine, the Propontis, and the sea-coast beyond this as far as Pamphylia, form a kind of extensive Chersonesus, the isthmus of which is also large, and reaches from the sea near Tarsus 855to the city of Amisus, 856and thence to the Themiscyran 857plain of the Amazons. In fact the whole region within this line as far as Caria and Ionia, and the nations dwelling on this side the Halys, 858is entirely surrounded by the Ægæan and the aforementioned parts of the Mediterranean and Euxine Seas. 859This is what we call Asia properly, 860although the whole continent bears the same name.

25. To speak shortly, the southernmost point of Our Sea is the recess of the Greater Syrtes; 861next to this Alexandria in Egypt, and the mouths of the Nile; while the most northerly is the mouth of the Dnieper, or if the Mæotis be considered to belong to the Euxine, (and it certainly does appear to form a part of it,) the mouth of the Don. The Strait at the Pillars is the most westerly point, and the most easterly is the said recess, in which Dioscurias 862is situated; and not, as Eratosthenes falsely states, the Gulf of Issus, 863which is under the same meridian as Amisus 864and Themiscyra, and, if you will have it so, Sidene as far as Pharnacia. 865Proceeding thence in an easterly direction to Dioscurias, the distance by sea is above 3000 stadia, as will be seen more plainly in my detailed account of those countries. Such then is the Mediterranean.