bsequently became diminished and suffered great disasters,
owing to the arrogance of its ambitious monarchs, who carried their
licentious inroads into distant countries. First, in consequence of the
conduct of Cyrus, who crossed the Bosphorus with a fabulous host, but
was wholly destroyed by Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, who thus
terribly avenged her sons.

8. After him, when Darius, and subsequently Xerxes, changed the use[140]
of the elements and invaded Greece, they had nearly all their forces
destroyed by land and sea, and could scarcely escape in safety
themselves. I say nothing of the wars of Alexander, and of his leaving
the sovereignty over the whole nation by will to his successor.

9. Then, a long time after these events, while our republic was under
consuls, and was afterwards brought under the power of the Caesars, that
nation was constantly warring with us, sometimes with equal fortune;
being at one time defeated, and at another victorious.

10. Now I will in a few words describe the situation and position of the
country as well as I can. It is a region of great extent both in length
and breadth, entirely surrounding on all sides the famous Persian gulf
with its many islands. The mouth of this gulf is so narrow that from
Harmozon, the promontory of Carmania, the opposite headland, which the
natives call Maces, is easily seen.

11. When the strait between these capes is passed, and the water becomes
wider, they are navigable up to the city Teredon, where, after having
suffered a great diminution of its waters, the Euphrates falls into the
sea. The entire gulf, if measured round the shore, is 20,000 furlongs,
being of a circular form as if turned in a lathe. And all round its
coasts are towns and villages in great numbers; and the vessels which
navigate its waters are likewise very numerous.

12. Having then passed through this strait we come to the gulf of
Armenia on the east, the gulf of Cantichus on the south, and on the west
to a third, which they call Chalites.[141] These gulfs, after washing
many islands, of which but few are known, join the great Indian Ocean,
which is the first to receive the glowing rising of the sun, and is
itself of an excessive heat.

13. As the pens of geographers delineate it, the whole of the region
which we have been speaking of is thus divided. From the north to the
Caspian gates it borders on the Cadusii, and on many Scythian tribes,
and on the Arimaspi, a fierce on