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by the opinion of the most ancient, I will declare, knowing this, that for the most part all men, if they have first acquired the learning of some ancient account, are no longer willing to labor, devoting themselves to the search for truth, nor to learn some newer opinion about it, but always to them the more ancient thing seems to be both sound and honorable, while that which is contemporary with them is considered contemptible 8.6.10 and proceeds to the point of being ridiculous. In addition to this, the present inquiry is not about anything intellectual or intelligible or otherwise unseen, but about a river and a country; which time has had the power neither to change nor in any way to hide. 8.6.11 For experience is near at hand and sight is most sufficient for testimony, and I think that nothing will be a hindrance 8.6.12 to those who are zealous to find the truth. Herodotus of Halicarnassus, then, in the fourth book of his Histories says that the whole earth is one, but is considered to be divided into three parts and names, 8.6.13 Libya and Asia and Europe. And between Libya and Asia the Egyptian river Nile flows, and the Colchian Phasis divides Asia and Europe. But knowing that some think these things concerning the river Tanais, he also added this later on. 8.6.14 And it seemed to me not out of place to put the very words of Herodotus into my account, running somewhat as follows: “And I cannot guess for what reason three names have been assigned to one earth, taking their names from women, and for it as boundaries the Egyptian river Nile 8.6.15 was set and the Colchian Phasis. But some say the Maeetian river Tanais and the Cimmerian straits.” But also the tragic poet Aeschylus in Prometheus Unbound, at the very beginning of the tragedy, calls the river Phasis the boundary of the land of both Asia and Europe. 8.6.16 And this too will be said by me at present, that of these men who are wise in such matters, some think the Maeotian Lake produces the Euxine Sea, and that it proceeds on the left and on the right of the Lake, and for this reason the Lake is called the mother of the Sea. 8.6.17 and they say this, offering as proof, that from the so-called Hieron the outflow of this very Sea comes down towards Byzantium just like a river, and from this they think that this is the limit of the Sea. 8.6.18 But those who argue against this account declare that the whole sea is some one body coming from the Ocean and ending nowhere else, extending to the land of the Lazi, unless, they say, someone should call the difference in the names a difference, in that from this point 8.6.19 the sea has been named Pontus. And if the currents come down from the so-called Hieron to Byzantium, this is no matter. For the phenomena occurring in all straits seem to yield to no explanation, nor has anyone ever been capable of explaining them. 8.6.20 But also Aristotle of Stageira, a man wise in the highest degree, having come to Chalcis in Euboea for this very reason, and observing the strait there, which they name Euripus, and wishing to investigate accurately the natural cause, how and in what manner the currents of this strait sometimes flow from the west, and sometimes from the rising of the sun, and accordingly it happens that all the ships sail here, but if ever, when the stream is going from the rising sun, and the sailors have begun from here to sail with the inflow of the current, as was their custom, the current should go against it, which is accustomed to happen there often, these ships immediately turn back to where they set out from, while the others sail from the west to the other side, although scarcely any wind has blown on them, but there being a deep calm and stillness there—the Stagirite, considering and turning these things over for a long time, dying with difficulty in his perplexity, came to the measure of his life. 8.6.21 But nevertheless, also in the strait that separates Italy and Sicily, many unexpected things are wont to happen. For it seems that the current goes there from the sea called the Adriatic. 8.6.22 And yet the advance of the sea occurs from the Ocean and Gades. But also frequent whirlpools suddenly there from

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παλαιοτάτων δόξῃ, ἐγὼ δηλώσω, ἐκεῖνο εἰδὼς ὡς ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἄνθρωποι ἅπαντες, ἤν τινος φθάσωσι λόγου ἀρχαίου πεποιημένοι τὴν μάθησιν, οὐκέτι ἐθέλουσι τῇ τῆς ἀληθείας ζητήσει ἐμφιλοχωροῦντες ταλαιπωρεῖν, οὐδὲ νεωτέραν τινὰ μεταμαθεῖν ἀμφ' αὐτῷ δόξαν, ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ αὐτοῖς τὸ μὲν παλαιότερον ὑγιές τε δοκεῖ καὶ ἔντιμον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ κατ' αὐτοὺς εὐκαταφρόνητον νομίζεται 8.6.10 εἶναι καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ γελοιῶδες χωρεῖ. πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τανῦν οὐ περὶ νοερῶν ἢ νοητῶν τινος ἢ ἀφανῶν ἄλλως γίγνεται ζήτησις, ἀλλὰ περὶ ποταμοῦ τε καὶ χώρας· ἅπερ ὁ χρόνος οὔτε ἀμείβειν οὔτε πη ἀποκρύψασθαι 8.6.11 ἴσχυσεν. ἥ τε γὰρ πεῖρα ἐγγὺς καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἐς μαρτυρίαν ἱκανωτάτη, οὐδέν τε παρεμποδισθήσεσθαι οἶμαι 8.6.12 τοῖς τὸ ἀληθὲς εὑρέσθαι ἐν σπουδῇ ἔχουσιν. ὁ τοίνυν Ἁλικαρνασεὺς Ἡρόδοτος ἐν τῇ τῶν ἱστοριῶν τετάρτῃ φησὶ μίαν μὲν εἶναι τὴν γῆν ξύμπασαν, νομίζεσθαι δὲ εἰς μοίρας τε καὶ προσηγορίας τρεῖς διαιρεῖσθαι, 8.6.13 Λιβύην τε καὶ Ἀσίαν καὶ Εὐρώπην. καὶ αὐτῶν Λιβύης μὲν καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας Νεῖλον τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ποταμὸν μεταξὺ φέρεσθαι, τὴν δὲ δὴ Ἀσίαν τε καὶ Εὐρώπην διορίζειν τὸν Κόλχον Φᾶσιν. εἰδὼς δέ τινας ἀμφὶ Τανάϊδι ποταμῷ ταῦτα οἴεσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο ἐν ὑστέρῳ 8.6.14 ἐπεῖπε. καί μοι οὐκ ἄπο καιροῦ ἔδοξεν εἶναι αὐτὰ τοῦ Ἡροδότου τὰ γράμματα τῷ λόγῳ ἐνθεῖναι ὧδέ πη ἔχοντα «Οὐδὲ ἔχω συμβαλέσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μιῇ ἐούσῃ «γῇ ὀνόματα τριφάσια κέαται, ἐπωνυμίην ἔχοντα γυ»ναικῶν, καὶ ὁρίσματα αὐτῇ Νεῖλός τε ὁ Αἰγύπτιος 8.6.15 «ποταμὸς ἐτέθη καὶ Φᾶσις ὁ Κόλχος. οἱ δὲ Τάναϊν «ποταμὸν τὸν Μαιήτην καὶ πορθμήια τὰ Κιμμέρια «λέγουσιν.» ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τραγῳδοποιὸς Αἰσχύλος ἐν Προμηθεῖ τῷ Λυομένῳ εὐθὺς ἀρχόμενος τῆς τραγῳδίας τὸν ποταμὸν Φᾶσιν τέρμονα καλεῖ γῆς τε τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ τῆς Εὐρώπης. 8.6.16 Κἀκεῖνο δέ μοι ἐν τῷ παρόντι εἰρήσεται, ὡς τούτων δὴ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα σοφῶν οἱ μὲν τὴν Μαιῶτιν οἴονται Λίμνην ἀπεργάζεσθαι τὸν Εὔξεινον Πόντον, καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, τὸ δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς Λίμνης χωρεῖν, μητέρα τε διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ Πόντου κα8.6.17 λεῖσθαι τὴν Λίμνην. ταῦτά τέ φασι τεκμηριούμενοι, ὅτι δὴ ἐκ τοῦ καλουμένου Ἱεροῦ ἡ τούτου δὴ τοῦ Πόντου ἐκροὴ ἐπὶ Βυζαντίου καθάπερ τις ποταμὸς κάτεισι, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πέρας εἶναι τοῦτο τοῦ Πόντου 8.6.18 οἴονται. οἱ δὲ τοῦ λόγου κατηγοροῦντες ἀποφαίνουσιν ὅτι δὴ μία τις ἐξ Ὠκεανοῦ ξύμπασα ἡ θάλασσα οὖσα καὶ οὐδαμῆ ἑτέρωθι ἀπολήγουσα ἐς γῆν τὴν Λαζῶν κατατείνει, πλήν γε εἰ μή τις, φασὶ, τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασι διαλλάσσον ἑτερότητα εἴπῃ, ὅτι δὴ τὸ ἐνθένδε 8.6.19 ἡ θάλασσα Πόντος ὠνόμασται. εἰ δὲ τὰ ῥεύματα ἐκ τοῦ Ἱεροῦ καλουμένου κάτεισιν ἐς Βυζάντιον, οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρᾶγμα. τὰ γὰρ ἐν πορθμοῖς ἅπασι ξυμπίπτοντα πάθη οὐδενὶ λόγῳ φαίνεται εἴκοντα, οὐδέ τις αὐτὰ 8.6.20 φράσαι πώποτε ἱκανὸς γέγονεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Σταγειρίτης Ἀριστοτέλης, σοφὸς ἀνὴρ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα, ἐν Χαλκίδι τῇ τῆς Εὐβοίας τούτου δὴ ἕνεκα γεγονὼς, κατανοῶν τε τὸν ταύτῃ πορθμὸν, ὅνπερ Εὔριπον ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ λόγον τὸν φυσικὸν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς διερευνᾶσθαι βουλόμενος, ὅπως δὴ καὶ ὅντινα τρόπον ἐνίοτε μὲν τὰ τοῦ πορθμοῦ τούτου ῥεύματα ἐκ δυσμῶν φέρεται, ἐνίοτε δὲ ἐξ ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν, καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα πλεῖν τὰ πλοῖα ξύμπαντα ἐνταῦθα ξυμβαίνει, ἢν δέ ποτε τοῦ ῥοῦ ἐξ ἀνίσχοντος ἡλίου ἰόντος, ἀρξαμένων τε τῶν ναυτῶν ἐνθένδε ξὺν τῇ τοῦ ῥοθίου ἐπιρροῇ ναυτίλλεσθαι, ᾗπερ εἰώθει, ἀπ' ἐναντίας αὐτοῦ τὸ ῥεῦμα ἴῃ, ὅπερ πολλάκις ἐνταῦθα φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι, ἀναστρέφει μὲν τὰ πλοῖα ταῦτα εὐθὺς ἔνθεν ὥρμηται, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἐκ δυσμῶν ἐπὶ θάτερα πλεῖ, καίπερ αὐτοῖς τῶν ἀνέμων τινὸς ὡς ἥκιστα ἐπιπνεύσαντος, ἀλλὰ γαλήνης τε βαθείας τινὸς καὶ νηνεμίας ἐνταῦθα οὔσης, ταῦτα ὁ Σταγειρίτης ἐννοῶν τε καὶ ἀνακυκλῶν ἐπὶ χρόνου μῆκος, δυσθανατῶν ἐπὶ ξυννοίᾳ ἀφίκετο ἐς τὸ 8.6.21 μέτρον τοῦ βίου. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ κἀν τῷ τὴν Ἰταλίαν τε καὶ Σικελίαν διείργοντι πορθμῷ πολλὰ τῷ παραλόγῳ γίνεσθαι πέφυκε. δοκεῖ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδριατικοῦ 8.6.22 καλουμένου πελάγους τὸ ῥεῦμα ἐκεῖσε ἰέναι. καίτοι ἐξ Ὠκεανοῦ καὶ Γαδείρων ἡ τῆς θαλάσσης πρόοδος γίνεται. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἴλιγγοι ἐξαπιναίως ἐνταῦθα συχνοὶ ἀπ'