Pliny
The Natural History
Translated with Copious Notes and Illustrations by the late
John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. and H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Late Scholar of Clare Hall, Cambridge
Published by Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden, London, 1855
The chapter numbers do not correspond with more recent translations of Pliny, therefore I have used only the book number and chapter title with each excerpt and have appended the current Loeb references in parentheses. All footnotes for these excerpts are from the nineteenth century translation.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book III – Chapter: The first region of Italy; the Tiber; Rome.
(Refer to Book III. 57 - 58 in Loeb edition..)
The circumstances which we are enabled to publish on this subject for the information of the world are very remarkable. Theophrastus, the first foreigner who treated of the affairs of Rome with any degree of accuracy (for Theopompus, before whose time no Greek writer had made mention of us, only stated the fact that the city had been taken by the Gauls, and Clitarchus, the next after him, only spoke of the embassy that was sent by the Romans to Alexander) – Theophrastus, I say, following something more than mere rumour, had given the circuit of the island of Circeii as being eighty stadia, in the volume which he wrote during the archonship of Nicodorus at Athens, being the 440th year of our city.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book IV – Chapter: The Hellespont – The Lake Maeotis.
(Refer to Book IV. 75 - 76 in Loeb edition..)
The entrance of these Straits is called the Hellespont; over it Xerxes, the king of the Persians, constructed a bridge of boats, across which he led his army. A narrow channel extends thence a distance of eighty-six miles, as far as Priapus*, a city of Asia, at which Alexander the Great passed over.
*The modern Caraboa, according to Brotier, stands on its site. Priapus was the tutelary divinity of Lampsacus in this vicinity.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: The Cities of Egypt.
(Refer to Book V. 62 - 63 in Loeb edition..)
With the greatest justice, however, we may lavish our praises upon Alexandria, built by Alexander the Great on the shores of the Egyptian Sea, upon the soil of Africa, at twelve miles’ distance from the Canopic Mouth and near Lake Mareotia; the spot having previously borne the name of Rhacotes. The plan of this city was designed by the architect Dinochares*, who is memorable for the genius which he displayed in many ways. Building the city upon a wide space of ground fifteen miles in circumference, he formed it in the circular shape of a Macedonian chlamys, uneven at the edge, giving it an angular projection on the right and left; while at the same time he devoted one-fifth part of the site to the royal palace.
*Or Dinocrates. He was the architect of the new temple of Diana at Ephesus, which was built after the destruction of the former one by Herostratus. It was this architect who formed a design of cutting Mount Athos into a statue of Alexander, with a city in the right hand and a reservoir of the mountain streams in the left.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: Phoenice.
(Refer to Book V. 76 in Loeb edition..)
We next come to the city of Tyre, formerly an island, separated from the mainland by a channel of the sea, of great depth, 700 paces in width, but now joined to it by the works which were thrown up Alexander when besieging it, - the Tyre so famous in ancient times for its offspring, the cities to which it gave birth, Leptis, Utica, and Carthage, - that rival of the Roman sway, that thirsted so eagerly for the conquest of the whole earth; Gades, too, which she founded beyond the limits of the world.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: Syria upon the Euphrates.
(Refer to Book V. 86 in Loeb edition..)
Arabia, above mentioned, has the cities of Edessa, formerly called Antiochia, and, from the name of its fountain Callirhoe, and Carrhae, memorable for the defeat of Crassus there. Adjoining to this is the praefecture of Mesopotamia, which derives its origin from the Assyrians, and in which are the towns of Anthemusia and Nicephorium;* after which come the Arabians, known by the name of Praetavi, with Singara for their capital.
*Now Rakkah, a fortified town of Mesopotamia, on the Euphrates, near the mouth of the river Bilecha. It was built by order of Alexander the Great, and completed probably by Seleucus. It is supposed to have been the same place as Callinicum, the fortifications of which were repaired by Justinian. Its name was changed in later times to Leontopolis by the Emperor Leo.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: Caria.
(Refer to Book V. 107 - 108 in Loeb edition..)
Upon the Gulf of Doris we have Leucopolis, Hamaxitos, Eleus, and Euthene. We then come to Pitaium, Eutane, and Halicarnassus, towns of Caria. To the jurisdiction of this last place six towns were appended by Alexander the Great, Theangela, Sibde, Medmasa, Euralium, Pedasus, and Telmissus. Harlicarnassus lies between two gulfs, those of Ceramus and Iasus.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: Ionia.
(Refer to Book V. 116 - 117 in Loeb edition..)
After leaving Ephesus there is another Mantium, belonging to the Colophonians, and in the interior Colophon itself, past which the river Haesus flows. After this we come the temple of the Clarian Apollo, and Lebedos: the city of Notium once stood here. Next comes the Promontory of Coryceium, and then Mount Mimas, which projects 150 miles into the sea, and as it approaches the mainland sinks down into extensive plains. It was at this place that Alexander the Great gave orders for the plain to be cut through, a distance of seven miles and a half, for the purpose of joining the two gulfs and making an island of Erythrae* and Mimas.
*The site of this place is now known as Ritri, on the south side of a small peninsula, which projects into the bay of Erythrae. The ruins are considerable.
Near Erythrae formerly stood the towns of Pteleon, Helos, and Dorion; we now find the river Aleon, Corynaeum, a Promontory of Mount Mimas, Clazomenae, Parthenie, and Hippi, known by the name of Chytrophoria, when it formed a group of islands; these were united to the continent by the same Alexander, by means of a causeway* two stadia in length.
*This was probably the same causeway that was observed by Chandler in the neighborhood of Vouria, the site of ancient Clazomenae.
Excerpt from Natural History, Book V – Chapter: The Hellespont and Mysia.
(Refer to Book V. 141 - 142 in Loeb edition..)
The tide of the Hellespont now begins to run with greater violence, and the sea beats against the shore, undermining with its eddies the barriers that stand in its way, until it has succeeded in separating Asia from Europe. At the spot is the promontory which we have already mentioned as Trapeza; ten miles distant from which is the city of Abydos, when the straits are only seven stadia wide; then the town of Percote; Lampsacus, at first called Pitysa; the colony of Parium, which Homer calls by the name of Adrastia; the town of Priapos; the river Aesepus; Zelia; and the Propontis, that being the name given to the tract of sea where it enlarges. We then come to the river Granicus, and the harbour of Artace, where a town formerly stood. Beyond this is an island which Alexander joined to the continent, and upon which is Cyzicus*, a city of the Milesians which was formerly called Arctonnesos, Dolionis and Dindymis; above it are the heights of Mount Dindymus.
*Its ruins are called by the Turks Bal Kiz, probably meaning “Old Cyzicus.” There are many subterraneous passages, and the ruins are of considerable extent. Its temples and storehouses appear to have been built on a scale of great magnificence.