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she gives birth, he no longer approaches her. For this reason their country is not populous, both because of their lack of food and their natural continence. They say that the river is most difficult to cross because of the so-called "tooth-tyrant." For it is an amphibious animal, extremely large, living in the river and able to swallow an entire elephant whole; which on the days of the crossing of those men disappears by divine command. Moreover, there are also serpents in those more desolate places, exceedingly large, 70 cubits in size and very thick and most frightful, and appearing, they openly declare the wisdom and glory of the creator. And again, scorpions are found that are a cubit long, and ants a palm's breadth. Therefore those desert places are difficult to traverse and uninhabited on account of the most fearsome beasts and venomous creatures. Elephants are very numerous in those regions, so that they even travel in herds to graze. Indeed, the great Caesarius, brother of the great Gregory, explaining in summary the various nations and customs and their manner and law, says the following: "For in each country and among nations, for some there is a written law and for others, custom; for ancestral traditions seem a law to those without a law. Of these, first are the Seres, 1.270 dwelling at the end of the earth, who have as their law the ancestral custom not to fornicate or commit adultery or steal or revile or murder or do evil at all. Indeed, among the Bactrians, that is, the Brahmans, the law is ancestral education and piety: not to eat meat or drink wine or be lustful or to practice any kind of evil, because of their great fear and faith in God, even though the neighboring Indians fearlessly do the opposite. But in the more inland parts of these regions, there are man-eaters who kill and eat their visitors, like the Cabes. For others, the Chaldeans and Babylonians, the law is full of licentiousness and shameful acts. And another law among the Gelians: for women to farm and build and do men's work, but also to fornicate as they wish, not being prevented at all by their own men. Among whom there are also very warlike women who hunt the not-so-strongest of the beasts, and they rule over and dominate their own men. In Britain many men sleep with one woman and many women are companions to one man. The Amazons do not have men, but like the irrational animals, once a year around the vernal equinox they go beyond their borders, and mingling with the neighboring men, they consider that time a kind of festival and a great celebration; from which, having conceived, they all return homeward. At the time of giving birth, they kill the male, but the female they bring to life and nurse and raise carefully." Alexander, however, after his return 1.271 from the Brahmans, on reaching Egypt, founded the great Alexandria in his own name, which was formerly called Rhacotis. * Whose lake he desired to see on account of the myths told about it. Therefore he disregarded many portents and dreams, and despised the knowledge of the Chaldeans, and crossing to the aforementioned lake with a few ships, he lost the diadem from his head, when a great rain and storm broke out, and with difficulty he swam to the land. And immediately, having received a poison from Cassander his own general, he was torn apart. And so he who had achieved so many successes passed from life, having enjoyed his reign for twelve years and six months, and having lived in all for thirty-two years. And once, going up from Jerusalem to Persia, he took some of the Jews for an alliance, among whom was a certain preeminent man, by name Mosomachus, most excellent in spirit and a most accurate archer; who, as they were traveling the road to Babylon, and as a certain soothsayer was observing the birds and holding everyone back, asked the reason for the people's delay. And the bird-diviner

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τέκῃ, οὐκέτι προσεγ γίζει αὐτῇ. διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ πολυάνθρωπός ἐστιν ἡ χώρα αὐτῶν, διά τε τὴν ὀλιγοδείαν καὶ τὴν φυσικὴν ἐγκράτειαν. τὸν δὲ ποτα μόν φασι δυσπερατότατον εἶναι διὰ τὸν λεγόμενον ὀδοτύραννον. ζῷον γάρ ἐστιν ἀμφίβιον, μέγιστον λίαν, ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ διαιτώμενον καὶ δυνάμενον ἐλέφαντα καταπιεῖν ὁλόκληρον· ὃ ἐν ταῖς μὲν ἡμέραις τῆς περαιώσεως τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων ἀφανὲς γίνεται κατὰ θείαν πρόσταξιν. οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ καὶ δράκοντές εἰσιν ἐν τοῖς ἐρημοτέροις τόποις ἐκείνοις μέγιστοι σφόδρα, πηχῶν οʹ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ πάχος πολὺ καὶ φρικωδέστατον, καὶ τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ δημιουργοῦ καὶ δόξαν φαινόμενοι προφανῶς ἐκδιηγοῦνται. καὶ οἱ μὲν σκορπίοι πάλιν εὑρίσκονται πηχυαῖοι, οἱ δὲ μύρμηκες παλαιστιαῖοι. διὸ καὶ δυσδιόδευτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐρημικοὶ τόποι ἐκεῖνοι καὶ ἀοίκητοι διὰ τὰ φοβερώτατα θηρία τε καὶ ἰοβόλα. ἐλέφαν τες δὲ γίνονται κατὰ τὰς χώρας ἐκείνας πλεῖστοι, ὡς καὶ ἀγεληδὸν παραπορευόμενοι βόσκεσθαι. Ἀμέλει γέ τοι καὶ ὁ μέγας Καισάριος, ἀδελφὸς τοῦ μεγά λου Γρηγορίου, διαφόρων ἐθνῶν καὶ ἠθῶν καὶ τρόπον τε καὶ νό μον ἐξηγούμενος ἐν ἐπιτομῇ τοιάδε φάσκει "ἐν γὰρ ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ καὶ ἔθνεσιν, ἐν τοῖς μὲν ἔγγραφος νόμος ἐστὶν ἐν τοῖς δὲ ἡ συνή θεια· νόμος γὰρ ἀνόμοις τὰ πάτρια δοκεῖ. ὧν πρῶτοι Σῆρες, 1.270 τὸ ἄκρον τῆς γῆς οἰκοῦντες, νόμον ἔχουσι τὸ πατρῷον ἔθος, μὴ πορνεύειν ἢ μοιχεύειν ἢ κλέπτειν ἢ λοιδορεῖν ἢ φονεύειν ἢ κακουρ γεῖν τὸ σύνολον. νόμος δὴ παρὰ Βακτριανοῖς ἤτοι Βραχμάναις ἡ ἐκ προγόνων παιδεία καὶ εὐσέβεια, μὴ κρεωφαγεῖν ἢ οἰνοποτεῖν ἢ λαγνεύειν ἢ παντοίαν κακίαν διαπράττεσθαι διὰ πολὺν φόβον θεοῦ καὶ πίστιν, καίτοι γε τῶν παρακειμένων αὐτοῖς Ἰνδῶν τἀναν τία διαπραττομένων ἀδεῶς. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐνδοτέροις μέρεσι τούτων ἀνθρωποβοροῦντες καὶ τοὺς ἐπιξενουμένους ἀναιροῦντες κατ εσθίουσιν, ὡς Κάβες. ἑτέροις νόμος Χαλδαίοις καὶ Βαβυλωνίοις ἀσελγείας ἀνάμεστος καὶ αἰσχρουργίας. ἄλλος δὲ παρὰ Γηλαίοις νόμος, γυναῖκας γεωργεῖν καὶ οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ τὰ ἀνδρῶν πράττειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πορνεύειν ὡς ἂν βούλωνται, μὴ κωλυομένας παντελῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν αὐτῶν. ἐν αἷς ὑπάρχουσι καὶ πολεμικώταται καὶ θηρῶσαι τὰ μὴ λίαν ἰσχυρότατα τῶν θηρίων, ἄρχουσι δὲ τῶν οἰκείων ἀνδρῶν καὶ κυριεύουσιν. ἐν Βρεττανίᾳ δὲ πλεῖστοι ἄνδρες μιᾷ συγκαθεύδουσι γυναικὶ καὶ πολλαὶ γυναῖκες ἑνὶ ἑταιρίζονται ἀνδρί. Ἀμαζόνες δὲ ἄνδρας οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα ἅπαξ τοῦ ἔτους περὶ τὴν ἐαρινὴν ἰσημερίαν ὑπερόριοι γίνονται, καὶ μιγνύμεναι τοῖς γειτνιῶσιν ἀνδράσιν ὡς πανήγυρίν τινα καὶ μεγάλην ἑορτὴν τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἡγοῦνται· ἐξ ὧν καὶ κατὰ γα στρὸς συλλαβοῦσαι παλινδρομοῦσιν οἴκαδε πᾶσαι. τῷ δὲ καιρῷ τῆς ἀποκυήσεως τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν φθείρουσι, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ ζῳογονοῦσι καὶ τιθηνοῦσιν ἐπιμελῶς καὶ ἐκτρέφουσιν." Ὁ μέντοι γε Ἀλέξανδρος μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βραχμάνων ὑπο 1.271 στροφὴν καταλαβὼν τὴν Αἴγυπτον κτίζει τὴν μεγάλην Ἀλεξάν δρειαν εἰς ἴδιον ὄνομα, πάλαι Ῥακάστην λεγομένην. * ἧς ἐπεθύ μησε τὴν λίμνην θεάσασθαι διὰ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ μυθευόμενα. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν τέρατα καὶ ὀνείρατα παρεκρούσατο, τῆς τε τῶν Χαλ δαίων γνώσεως κατεφρόνησε, καὶ σὺν ὀλίγαις ναυσὶν ἐπὶ τὴν εἰρη μένην λίμνην διαβὰς τό τε τῆς κεφαλῆς διάδημα ἀπέβαλεν, ὄμ βρου καὶ λαίλαπος καταρραγέντος πολλοῦ, καὶ μόλις ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν διενήξατο. καὶ παραχρῆμα ὑπὸ Κασάνδρου τοῦ ἰδίου στρατηγοῦ φάρμακον δεξάμενος ἐσπαράχθη. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τοσούτοις κατορ θώμασι τὸν βίον μετήλλαξε, δυσὶ καὶ δέκα χρόνοις πρὸς μησὶν ἓξ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπολαύσας, βιώσας δὲ τὰ πάντα ἔτη δύο καὶ τριά κοντα. Ἀνερχόμενος δέ ποτε ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς Περσίδα ἔλαβέ τινας τῶν Ἰουδαίων πρὸς συμμαχίαν, ἐν οἷς ἦν τις ὑπερέχων, ὀνόματι Μοσόμαχος, κατὰ ψυχὴν μὲν ἄριστος τοξότης δὲ εὐστο χώτατος· ὃς διιόντων τὴν ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα ὁδόν, καὶ μάντεώς τινος ὀρνιθευομένου καὶ πάντας ἐπέχοντος, ἠρώτησε τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς παραμονῆς τοῦ λαοῦ. καὶ ὁ ὀρνεοσκόπος