ve made as follows:--a ship completes on an
average in a long day a distance of seventy thousand fathoms, and in
a night sixty thousand. Now we know that to the river Phasis from the
mouth of the Sea (for it is here that the Pontus is longest) is a voyage
of nine days and eight nights, which amounts to one hundred and eleven
myriads 85 of fathoms; and these fathoms are eleven thousand one hundred
furlongs. Then from the land of the Sindians to Themiskyra on the river
Thermodon (for here is the broadest part of the Pontus) it is a voyage
of three days and two nights, which amounts to thirty-three myriads 86
of fathoms or three thousand three hundred furlongs. This Pontus then
and also the Bosphorus and the Hellespont have been measured by me thus,
and their nature is such as has been said: and this Pontus also has a
lake which has its outlet into it, which lake is not much less in size
than the Pontus itself, and it is called Maiotis and "Mother of the
Pontus."

87. Dareios then having gazed upon the Pontus sailed back to the bridge,
of which Mandrocles a Samian had been chief constructor; and having
gazed upon the Bosphorus also, he set up two pillars 8601 by it of white
stone with characters cut upon them, on the one Assyrian and on the
other Hellenic, being the names of all the nations which he was leading
with him: and he was leading with him all over whom he was ruler. The
whole number of them without the naval force was reckoned to be seventy
myriads 87 including cavalry, and ships had been gathered together to
the number of six hundred. These pillars the Byzantians conveyed to
their city after the events of which I speak, and used them for the
altar of Artemis Orthosia, excepting one stone, which was left standing
by the side of the temple of Dionysos in Byzantion, covered over with
Assyrian characters. Now the place on the Bosphorus where Dareios made
his bridge is, as I conclude, 8701 midway between Byzantion and the
temple at the mouth of the Pontus.

88. After this Dareios being pleased with the floating bridge rewarded
the chief constructor of it, Mandrocles the Samian, with gifts tenfold;
88 and as an offering from these Mandrocles had a painting made of
figures to present the whole scene of the bridge over the Bosphorus and
king Dareios sitting in a prominent seat and his army crossing over;
this he caused to be painted and dedicated it as an offering in the
temple of Hera, with the following inscription: