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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster Copyright 1914 by the Commercial Museum Philadelphia The illustration on the title page is of a tetradrachm of Tiridates II in the Parthian Collection of the British Museum. PARTHIAN STATIONS BY 1 ISIDORE OF CHARAX AN ACCOUNT OF THE OVERLAND TRADE ROUTE BET\VEEN THE LEVANT AND INDIA IN THE FIRST CENTURY B. C. THE GREEK TEXT, WITH A TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY . BY WILFRED H. ·SCHOFF, A. M. Secretary of/he Commercial Museum, Philadelp)zia PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM 1914 2 II.IÂOPOT XAPAKHNOT I.TA8MOI IIAP8IKOI MECTO'IrOTap.{a~Ital Ba,8vÀ.Q)v{a~ CTxoîvot poa'. ,A'TT'OXXQ)vt(J.TI,8~CTxoîvotÀ."I" XaÀCOv{Tt8o~ CTxoîvot Ita'. M7}ô{a~ CTxoivot 1t,8'. K.a",fJaÔ7Jvr,~ CTxoîvot À.":. M7}ôla~ ~ IJ,veoCTxoîvot-)..7}" ~Pa"ltav7j~ M7}8{a~ CTxoîvot v,{. XoaP'1v7j~ uxoîvot dJ'. KOP.tCTl]v7j~CTxoîvot 117J'. ~Tpltav{a~ CTxoîvot E'. ,ACTTaVl]~ CTxoîvot E'. IIap8v7}~ CTxoîvot Itl. 'A'TT'avapltTtltTJvfr;CTxoîvot /tr. Map"lta~ CTxoîvot À.'. 'ApE{as CTxoîJXn À'. ,Avav~ CTxoîvot vl. Zapa'Y'YtA~ .uxoîvot Ita'. I.a/taCTTa~ CTxoîvot E7'. 'ApaX(l)u{a~ 'CTxoîvOl À~'. ~OP.OÛCTxoîvot (1)71"-/. MECTO'TT'OTap.{a~ItalBa,8vÀtd~ CTxoîvot poa'. l . utafJaV7'(JJVTOVA Q' , E v't'paT7}v '"" ' /taTa ,\ TO Z EV"fp.a,'TT'o/US ... ".ECTnv , ~'A''TT'ap.Eta," ;. 1 Eha. Âa.{apft, /trop.7}. 'A'TT'éx,Et8è' A'TT'aJl-Ela~Ita;' TOÛ Eùq>pdTov 'TT'omp.oiJ '/ CTXO{VJtft;· "1'. Eh", XdpaE I.{ôov, {mo ôè ~EXÀ1]v(l)v 'Av8EP.OVCTtà!; 'TT'oÀt~,CTxoîvot l· Jl'E8' ~v Kopala t7 il) BaTdvl], 0xvp(l)p.a, O"xoîvot 7'. 1 \ 'f 1r f;}"l( Lt - 1 ~. (1) 3 "- '- PARTHIAN STATIONS By ISIDORE OF CHARAX Through Mesopotamia and Babylonia 171 Schoeni " Apolloniatis 33 " ~ " Chalonitis . 21 " " Media 22 " " Cambadena 31 " " Upper Media. 38 " " Media Rhagiana 58 " " Choarena 19 " " Comisena 58 " " Hyrcania 60 " " Astauena 60 " " Parthyena 25 " " Apauarticena 27 " " -Margiana 30 " " Aria 30 " " Anaua 55 ', " Zarangiana 21 " " Sacastana 63 " " Arachosia 36 " Total 858 Schoeni Mesopotamia and Babylonia 171 Schoeni 1. For those who cross the Euphrates, next to Zeugma is the city of Apamia, and then the village of Daeara. 1t is 3 schoeni distant from Apamia and the river Euphrates. Then Charax Sidae, called by the Greeks the city of Anthemusias, 5 schoeni: beyond which is Coraea, in Batana, a fortified place: 3 schoeni. To the right of this place is Mannuorrha Auyreth, a fortified place, and a well, from which the inhabitants get drinking water, 5 schoeni. Then Commisimbela, a forti• fied place: by which flows the river Bilecha, 4 schoeni. Then 285423 4 'Ev &;tot~ Ta{rT''1~ Mavvovoppa Aùvpt,O, oxvpmp.a /Cal /Cp1]JI7],èg~~ apSouuw ol èryxwllLOL, UXOtvOL l. Eha Kop.p.ul'(p.{37JÀa 0xvp(J)p.a· 7rapapjJEÎ, Sè 7rOTap.à~ B{À7JXa, UX0Î,VOLS'. ElTa "AÀaryp.a 0xvp(J)p.a, UTa8p.o~ {3auLÀL/Cck, UX0Î,VOL ry'. p,eO' 3v "IxvaL 7rO"'-L~'E"'-À1}vt~, Ma/CeSov(J)v «riaua» /CEÎ,TaLS' È7rt Ba"'-'xa 7rOTap.ov, UX0Î,VOLry'. ElTa NL/C7JCPOpwv7f'ap' EùcppaT1}V 7roÀtç_ ~EÀÀ1}vt~, n(up.a ,AÀegavSpou (3auLÀÉ(J)~,O'XOîVOLl. JIEvOev7rapX7T'OTap.{a l''aÀd{3aOa, /Cwp.1}ép1}p.o~, O'X0Î,VOLS'. EÏTa Xoup.{3a.vt, /Cwp.7J, O'X0Î,vo~ a'· évOev 8LÀÀdSa MLppaoa, O'TaOp.o~{3aO'LÀL/CO~,UXOîVOLS'. ElTa S(l.O'{ÀELa, 'ApTÉP.LSO~ tEPOV,• 'Aaapetou "/CT"O'p.a,/c(J)P.07rOI\.l,~·evrauaa , ....• ' "Ll ~~Ep,Lpap.LOo~eUTLOL(J)PUS, ,~" ~... 1: ICa"I\.WOIS7T'e~pa"TaL, ....III ',1,. oe E',I,.'lJ~paT7J~, "vafI UTEVOX(J)pOUP.EVO~V7rEp"I\.U~yTa ,..... ' y. ' 7T'Eota' OÉpou~ P.ÉVTOLvaua'Yeî nt 7rÀoia. EZTa 'AXXav "(J)p.d7ro}\L~, O'X0Î,vo"S'··éVOEV B1}ovav, 'ApTÉP.LS~ lep~v, O'X0Î,VOtS'. Eha <l>a~Lrya ICWJ.L7J7rpO~T(p EùcppaTy' ÀÉYOLTO ô' ~v €À"'-7JVLUTtI1-EU07T'OptICDV, uICoî,IOLs', 'A7rà 'AvnoxEla~ ë~ Tovrou UXOîVOL pIC"~ÈVTEvOevÔf È7r1, ~EÀev/CEtaV Tt,V 7rpj" T(p T{ryptôt O'X0Î,VOtp'. IIapaICEtTaL Sf Til <1> aÀLya "(J)p.(;"roÀL~N a{3ary!t(), Kat 7rapxppEÎ, aÙTilv 7rOTa11- ~~ , A{3ovpa~ , ~ èJ.L!3a~~EtEl~ Tàv EùcppaT1}v' è"eî(}Ev ôUI,!3a{:JeLTà O'TprJ,T07reôael" Tt,V /CaTa p(J)p,a{o~ 7rÉpav. Eha "AO'tXa ICooI1-1},O'xoîvot S'· évBev Âoûpa. NtICavopo~ 7rOÀL~, «rlaua Ma/CESov(J)IJ,{nro Sf fEÀ~1]v(J)v Eüp(J)7ro" ICa~EîTat,.O'xoîvot ~'. Eha MÉppav 0xvp(J)I1-'l, /c(J)}L071'O"'-t~,uX0Î,VOt l. EITa rtSSà.v 7rO"'-'~,uxoîvot l. EZra B'1~ECTt Bt/~,\a8a, UXOîVOL". "EvBev vfjO'o~/CaTa Tàv EùcppaT7JV, 0X0'iVOt ~'. ÈVTav(}a rya'a ~v <l>paaTou TOV a7roO'cpagavTo~ Ta" 7ra"'-"'-aIC{Sa~,'éhE' T '1ptSaT'I~ cpuyà~ ~v ElJ'É- !3aÀEv. EITa' AvaOto vi}O'o" /CaTa TOV Eù4>paT1}V O'TaU(J)v S', èv V , ,. 1::' Ll' '" r.:Jt..... f;}' ... ' - , , E' ,l,.' JI () 7roÀt", UXOtVOf,O' }LEU 1}V'Otl\.afJow V'YJO'O"«ara TOV lJ~paT1}V, ev a rya'a IIapO(J)v, O'X0Î,VOf,ff. Eha "1'av V1}O'07roÀt~,O'X0Î,VOf,L{3'. Eha ',Ae{7ro~t", évOa aucpaÀT{nôE" 7r1}rya!,O'X0'iVOtts', "EvOEv BEO'1]xaVa 7r&~f,,,,Èv V lEpOV 'ATap'Yan, uxoîvot f,ff. ElTa NEa7rO~t~ 7rapa TOV Eùcppan/V. uX0Î,VOf, ,,/3', "EvOev Sta{3alJ7'(J)vTOV EùcppaT1}V ICa' Nap• l1-a~xav brt ~EÀ€V"etav Tt,V 7rpa" T(p T{'YptSt, O'X0Î,VOt 0'. "AXp~ TOUTOUMEO'07rOTap.{a/Ca, Ba{3uÀCc>v{a· lCat ElO'tv a7rO Z€U'Yp.aTo~ axpt ~EÀEVIC€{a~uX0'iVOt poa', 5 Alagma, a fortified place, a royal station, 3 schoeni; beyond which is Ichnae, a Greek city, founded by the Macedonians: it is situated on the river Balicha: 3 schoeni. Then Nice• phorium by the Euphrates, a Greek city, founded by King Alexander, 5 schoeni. Farther on, by the river, is Galabatha, a deserted village, 4 schoeni. Then the village of Chum bana, l schoenus; farther on Thillada Mirrhada, a royal statio: l, 4 schoeni. \ Then a royal place; a temple of Artemis, foundcd by Darius, a small town; close by is the canal of Semiramis, and the Euphrates is dammed with rocks, in order that by being thus checked it may overflow the fields; but also in summer it wrecks the boats; to this place, 7 schoeni. Then Allan, a walled village, 4 schoeni. Then Phaliga, a village on • the Euphrates (that means in Greek half-way), 6 schoeni. From Antioch to this place, 120 schoeni; and from thence to Seleucia, which is on the Tigris, 100 schoeni. Nearby Phaliga is the walled village of Nabagath, and by it flows the river Aburas, which empties into the Euphrates; there "thelegions cross over to the Roman territory beyond the river. Then the village of Asich, 4 schoeni; beyond which is the city of Dura Nicanoris, founded by the Macedonians, also called by the Greeks Europus, 6 schoeni. Then Merrha, a fortified place, a walled village, 5 schoeni. Then the city of Giddan, 5 schoeni. Then Belesi Biblada, 7 schoeni. Beyond is an island in the Euphrates, 6 schoeni; there was the treasure of Phra• ates, who eut the throats of his concubines, when Tiridates who was exiled, invaded [the land].