The history of the warres of the Emperour Justinian in eight books : of the Persian, II, Vandall, II, Gothicke, IV / written in Greek by Procopivs of Caesarea ; and Englished by Henry Holcroft, Knight.

CHAP. I.

MY discourse hath hitherto been distributed and accommoda∣ted to the severall places where the actions were done, and is publisht throughout the whole Roman Empire. But now I cannot compile the same in that manner, nor insert into a History already publisht succeeding Occurrents; but must write in this Tract apart, touching these Enemies, and the Persians, what hath happened since the Edition of my Histo∣ry; and so the discourse thereof cannot be but mixt. The Occurrents untill the fourth yeare of the Quinquenniall Cessation between the Romans and the Persians, were formerly related. The yeare following a Persian Army invaded Lazica, under Chorsanes a Persian, and an ex∣perienced Commander, accompanied with Alans. This Army encamped it selfe in a Province of Lazica, named Mucheirisis, by which the River of Phasis runns, not navigable there, but to be past by Men and Horses; and they entrencht to the right hand of it some distance off.

But that the Readers may have a cleer notion of Lazica, and of the people a∣bout it, and not converse with things obscure to them, like men fighting with sha∣dows: I have thought it seasonable here to discourse, what kinde of people dwell upon the Euxine Sea; conceiving, that the Ancients who have written thereof, have not handled it exactly; speaking of Tzanians, whom they make to border with the Trapezuntians, and name Colchians; and calling the now Lazians by ano∣ther name; being in both mistaken. For the Tzanians are high in the Land, and border upon Armenia, having steep Mountaines in the way to it, a vast and desart Countrey, deep Torrents, and Hills thick with Wood, and unaccessible Valleys;

all which are between them and the Sea. Nor can the Colchians be other then the Lazians, seeing they dwell now upon the Phasis. They have onely changed their name, as many other Nations. And since those Writers many ages have innovated much, by the transplantations of people, and successions of Princes, and altered their names. All which I am to take notice of, omitting both fabulous and old ob∣solete things; as upon what part of the Euxine Sea the Poets bound Prometheus, (Histories and Fables being different workes) but to set downe punctually both names and things notorious in those parts.

This Sea begins at Constantinople, and Chalcedon, and ends in Lazica. Within it on the right hand is Bithynia; then Honorias, and Paphlagonia, where stand Heraclea and Amastris, Maritime Townes. Next to them are the Pontick Nations, to the borders of Trapezond, where are Sinope and Amisus, Sea townes; not far from Amisus is Themiscyrus, and the River Thermodon, where they say was the Ama∣zons Campe; of whom more anon. The territory of Trapezond reaches to Susur∣maena, and Rizaeum, which stands upon the coast in the way to Lazica, two dayes journey from Trapezond. In all the Territory of that City of Trapezond the Hony is bitter: To the right hand of these Cities are the Mountaines of Tzanica, beyond which is the Roman Armenia. From those Mountaines descends the River of Boas, through infinite Thickets, and a Woodland Countrey, into Lazica, and disimbogues into the Euxine Sea; then it quits the name of Boas, and takes that of Acampsis, because it bends not, nor yeilds to the current of the Sea. For the stream is so strong and troublous, that running farr into the Sea, the Ships sayling that way keep off at Sea, not able to hold on their course, and cut thorough that swift streame.

Next to Rizaeum are Mountaines dividing Lazica from Roman Land, and inha∣bited by free Nations, and a Village called Athens; not so called from a Colony of Athenians (as some suppose) but from Athenaea, in ancient time Lady of that Countrey, whose Tombe remaines to this day. Next to Athens is Archabis, and Apsarus an ancient City, three dayes journey from Rizaeum, in old time named Ap∣syrtus, from a man of that name slaine by the plots of Medea and Jason neer unto that place; but many ages and successions of men have corrupted the memory of that act, and changed the name into Absarus; on the East side of which City stands yet the Tombe of that Apsyrtus. It was anciently very populous, and had ex∣cellent Walls, and a Circus, and a Theatre, and such other Ornaments of a great City. But of those antiquities nothing now remaines but the Pavements: By this it appeares strange, that any should affirme that the Colchians were borderers to the Trapazuntians. For so may Jason be thought not to have fled home into Greece with Medea and the Golden fleece, but to have gone the quite contrary way to the Phasis and furthest Barbarians. In the Raigne of Tra••an some say a Roman Legion was there garrisoned even to Lazica, and Suania. But now the Inhabitants are subject neither to the Roman Emperour, nor King of Lazica: But onely that be∣ing Christians, the Bishops of Lazica, appoint them Preists. They are in amity with both, and convoy their Ambassadors to each in small Barks, which they use; but to this houre they will pay tribute to neither. To the right hand of this Coun∣trey are steep craggy Mountaines, and a Desert reaching very farre: Above it is Persarmenia, and the Roman Armenia, reaching as farr as Iberia. From the sayd Ab∣sarus to the City of Petra, and Marches of Lazica, is one dayes journey, where the Euxine Sea ends; which Sea makes there a halfe Moon, and the passage crossing the same is about sixty nine miles.

All behinde the end of the Euxine is Lazica, next to which is Scumia, and Sua∣nia, both subject to the Lazians. They have Princes still of their owne Nation; but when any of them dye, the King of Lazica appoints another in his roome. On one side of this Countrey are the M••s••hians, reaching almost to Iberia, to which they have been anciently Subjects, and dwell upon the Mountaines, which are not wilde nor barren, but abound with all commodities, and the people are good hus∣bands, especially for Vines. Over this Countrey hang very high Mountaines, thick with Wood, and hard to be past, extending almost to the Caucascan. Mountaines. Beyond them Eastward is Iberia, reaching to Persarmenia. Between these Moun∣taines descends the Phasis, springing from Mount Caucasus, and disimboguing into

the middle of the sayd halfe Moon at the end of the Euxine, whereupon some hold that it divides the two Continents, having Asia on the left hand, and Europe on the right. On Europe side are the Lazians dwellings, having on the other side no Towne nor Fortresse but Petra, lately built by the Romans. The Countrey people hold that the Golden Fleece was kept on Europe side, but in my opinion they are mistaken: For Jason had never gotten away with Medea and the golden Fleece un∣espyed by Aeetes; if the Kings Pallace, and Houses of the Colchians had not beene separated by the River from the place where the Fleece was kept; which may appear also by the Poems written on that subject. The Phasis (as I have sayd) thus en∣ters into the further end of the Euxine, and at one point of the sayd halfe Moone stands Petra on Asia side: Over against which, on Europe side, is Apsilia, a Coun∣trey of the Lazians; the people whereof are Christians, as all the rest before men∣tioned.

Notes

• Or Bishops 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.