The Roman historie containing such acts and occurrents as passed under Constantius, Iulianus, Iovianus, Valentinianus, and Valens, emperours. Digested into 18. bookes, the remains of 31. and written first in Latine by Ammianus Marcellinus: now translated newly into English. Wherunto is annexed the chronologie, serving in stead of a briefe supplement of those former 13. bookes, which by the iniurie of time are lost: together with compendious annotations and coniectures upon such hard places as occurre in the said historie. Done by Philemon Holland of the citie of Coventrie, Doctor in Physicke.

CHAP. VII. More of the same argument as before.

VPon these countries confine the Dahae, of all others the most fierce war∣riors; and the Chalybes, who were the first that digged up & wrought yron into steele. Beyond whom, the open lands are possessed by the Byzares, Tapites, Tibareni, Mossynaeci, Macrones and Philyres, people by no acquaintance knowne to us: and from them not farre stand the monuments or tombes of noblemen, wherein were enterred Stheneleus, Idmon, and Typhis. Of whom, the first was a companion of Hercules, wounded to death in the warre a∣gainst the Amazones; the second, an Augure or Soothsayer to the Argonauts; and the third, a most skilfull and expert pylot of the ship abovenamed, Argo. After you have passed beyond these parts before specified, you meet with the den or cave Alion, and the streame of Callichorus, sirnamed so upon this occasion: For that Liber or Bacchus having after three yeares vanquished the Indian nations, and being returned to those tracts, about the greene and shadie bankes of this river brought againe into ure the old songs and daunces ^t Orgia. Some are of opinion, That such sacred ceremonies and solemnities as these were called ^u Trieterica. Be∣yond these confines, are the populous and well frequented territories of the Ca∣maritae, and the river Phasis with roring streame commeth to the Colchi, the aun∣cient off-spring of the Aegyptians: where, among other cities, standeth * 1.1 Phasis, bearing the name of the river abovesaid; also * 1.2 Dioscurias, knowne even to this

day. The founders whereof, as we find in record, were Amphitus and Telchius, two Spartanes, the chariot-drivers to Castor and Pollux; of whom began the nation of the Hemiochi. Not farre removed from these, dwell the Achaei, who having fini∣shed a certaine former warre at Troy (I meane not that warre which was fought for the quarrell of Helena, as some authors have written) by reason of contrarie winds wandering, and driven into Pontus, finding nothing but hostilitie, and no where any assured place to set foot in, possessed themselves of the hill tops, alwaies full of snow: and thus being pent in, and hardened with the chilling cold of the weather, accustomed they were to get their living dangerously by robbing, and by that meanes grew afterwards beyond all measure fell and cruell. As touching the Cerceti, who joyne close unto them, there is no memorable matter written. At the backe of them dwell the inhabitants of the Cimmerian Bosporus, where are the Milesian cities, and the mother of them all, * 1.3 Panticapaeum: before which, runneth the river * 1.4 Hypanis, swelling as well with his owne water, as forraine streames run∣ning into him. Then a great way off, the Amazones stretching out in length even as farre as to the Caspian * 1.5 sea, inhabite about * 1.6 Tanais, which rising among the rocks of * 1.7 Caucasus, glideth by many winding turnes and reaches, and parting A∣sia from Europe, is hidden at last within the meeres of Maeotis. Neere unto this is the river * 1.8 Rha, on the sides whereof groweth a comfortable and holesom * 1.9 root, so named, good for many uses in Physicke. Beyond Tanais, there spread out in breadth the Sauromatae, through whome all the way run the rivers Maraccus, * 1.10 Rhombites, Theophanes, and Totordanes: although there be another nation also of the * 1.11 Sauromatae, farre distant from these, joyning hard upon the shore, which letting in the river Corax, sendeth it to the utmost maine sea. Neere unto this is the meere Maeotis, of an exceeding large circuit, out of the most plentifull veines whereof, by the straits Patares, a maine deale of water breaketh forth, and runneth into Pontus; in the right side of which are the Islands * 1.12 Phanagorus and * 1.13 Hermo∣nassa, reared by the industrious labour of the Greeks. About these marishes which lye furthest and utmost, there dwell many nations, in varietie of speech & customes unlike one another, namely, the Iaxamatę, Maeotae, Iazyges, Rhoxolani, Alani, Me∣lanchlaenae, and together with the Geloni, the Agathyrsi, among whom there is plentie of the * 1.14 Adamant stone: others also lye hidden beyond, because they are of all the rest furthest within. But neere to the left side of Maeotis lyeth * 1.15 Cherronesus, full of Colonies, inhabited by Greekes; whereby the men are quiet and still, set∣ting their minds upon tillage, and living upon the encrease of fruit, that the earth yeeldeth. From these, no great way off, are the Tauri disjoyned, and those divided into sundrie kingdomes: Among whom, for their exceeding crueltie, the Arinchi, Sinchi and Napaei most terrible (and by reason of their long licentious libertie the more cruell they be) have given name unto the unhospitall sea; which of the con∣trarie, by way of merriment and jeast, is called Pontus * 1.16 Euxinus, like as we tearme a foole ^x Euethes in Greeke, the night, Euphrone, and the furies, Eumenides. For, appeasing and pleasing their gods with offering men for sacrifice, and sacrificing strangers to Diana, who among them is named ^y Orsiloche, they used to fasten up∣on her temple walls the heads of men slaine, as the perpetuall monuments and te∣stimonies of valiant exploits. In this [byland] Taurica, the Island Leuca, without any inhabitants in it, is dedicated to Achilles. At which, if any happen by chaunce to arrive, after they have seene certaine tokens and remaines of antiquitie, the tem∣tained

ple also, and oblations consecrated to the said worthy prince, in the evening they go to shipboord againe: For they say, no man is able to stay there all night, with∣out daunger of his life. There also are rivers, and there breed white birds, like un∣to the ^z Halcyones: concerning the first originall of which fouls, and the battailes in Hellespontus, we will discourse in due time. Now, there be certaine cities with∣in this Taurica, among which the principal are Eupatoria, Dandace, and * 1.17 Theodo∣sia, besides other of smaller account, not stained or polluted with any sacrifices of mens bodies. Thus farre forth is thought the top of the bow to reach.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Polistonia. Vill•• novano.
• * 1.2

  Sava••opoli. C∣s••aldo.
• * 1.3

  Vospero. Nig. alluding to Bos∣phorium, which was the old name in Plini••.
• * 1.4

  Bog. Mercator.
• * 1.5

  called al••o Hyr∣canum, and hath at this day many names, according to sundry langua∣ges a••d countries that bound upō it.
• * 1.6

  Tana.
• * 1.7

  Albsor Nigr.
• * 1.8

  Volgha by some.
• * 1.9

  Rha-Ponticke: and not Rhabar∣ba••um or Rhew∣barbe: For this is purgative, the o∣ther rather bin∣ding.
• * 1.10

  Copa.
• * 1.11

  or Sarmatians, i. Tartarians, and Russians
• * 1.12

  Matriga Theueto.
• * 1.13

  Moncastro. Nigr.
• * 1.14

  Diamond.
• * 1.15

  sc. Taurica, Pero∣copsca, and Ges••∣ra. Pinet.
• * 1.16

  for Axînut.
• * 1.17

  Caffa.