第8巻 第2章

Greek Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ Πόντος ἄρχεται μὲν ἐκ Βυζαντίου καὶ Καλχηδόνος, τελευτᾷ δὲ ἐς Κόλχων τὴν γῆν.

Dewing The Pontus, then, begins from Byzantium and Calchedon and ends at the land of Colchians.

Greek καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ ἐσπλέοντι Βιθυνοί τε καὶ οἱ αὐτῶν ἐχόμενοι Ὁνωριάται καὶ Παφλαγόνες ᾤκηνται, οἳ δὴ ἄλλα τε χωρία καὶ Ἡράκλειάν τε καὶ Ἄμαστριν ἐπιθαλασσίας πόλεις ἔχουσι, καὶ μετ’ αὐτοὺς οἱ Ποντικοὶ ἐπικαλούμενοι μέχρι ἐς Τραπεζοῦντα πόλιν καὶ τὰ ταύτης ὅρια. ἐνταῦθα πολίσματά τε ἄλλα ἐπιθαλασσίδια καὶ Σινώπη τε καὶ Ἀμισὸς οἰκεῖται, Ἀμισοῦ δὲ ἄγχιστα τό τε Θεμίσκουρον καλούμενον καὶ Θερμώδων ποταμός ἐστιν, οὗ δὴ τὸ τῶν Ἀμαζόνων στρατόπεδον γεγενῆσθαί φασιν. ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν Ἀμαζόνων γεγράψεταί μοι οὐ πολλῷ ὄπισθεν.

Dewing And as one sails into it, the land on the right is inhabited by the Bithynians, and next after them by the Honoriatae and the Paphlagonians, who have, besides other towns, the coast cities of Heraclea and Amastris;⁠ beyond them are the people called Pontici as far as the city of Trapezus⁠ and its boundaries. In that region are a number of towns on the coast, among which are Sinope and Amisus,⁠ and close to Amisus is the town called Themiscyra⁠ and the river Thermodon,⁠ where they say the army of the Amazons originated. But concerning the Amazons I shall write a little later.

Greek Τραπεζουντίων δὲ τὰ ὅρια διήκει ἔς τε κώμην Σουσούρμενα καὶ τὸ Ῥιζαῖον καλούμενον χωρίον, ὅπερ Τραπεζουντίων διέχει δυοῖν ἡμέραιν ὁδὸν διὰ τῆς παραλίας ἐς Λαζικὴν ἰόντι.

Dewing From here the territory of the Trapezuntines extends to the village of Susurmena and the place called Rhizaeum,⁠ which is two days' journey distant from Trapezus as one goes toward Lazica along the coast.

Greek Τραπεζοῦντος δέ μοι ἐπιμνησθέντι οὐ παριτέον τὸ πλείστῳ παραλόγῳ τῇδε ξυμβαῖνον. τὸ γὰρ μέλι ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς περὶ Τραπεζοῦντα χωρίοις πικρὸν γίνεται, ἐνταῦθα μόνον στασιαζομένης τῆς ἀμφ’ αὐτὸ δόξης.

Dewing But now that I have mentioned Trapezus, I must not omit the very strange thing which takes place there; for the honey which is produced in all the places around Trapezus is bitter,⁠ this being the only place where it is at variance with its established reputation.⁠

Greek τούτων δὲ δὴ τῶν χωρίων ἐν δεξιᾷ τὰ Τζανικῆς ὄρη πάντα ἀνέχει, ἐπέκεινά τε αὐτῶν Ἀρμένιοι Ῥωμαίων κατήκοοι ᾤκηνται.

Dewing On the right of these places rise all the mountains of Tzanica, and beyond them are the Armenians, who are subject to the Romans.

Greek Ἐκ τούτων δὲ τῶν Τζανικῶν ὀρῶν κάτεισι ποταμὸς Βόας ὄνομα, ὃς δὴ ἔς τε λόχμας παμπληθεῖς ἰὼν καὶ χώραν λοφώδη περιερχόμενος φέρεται μὲν ἄγχιστα τῶν Λαζικῆς χωρίων, ποιεῖται δὲ τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινον καλούμενον Πόντον, οὐ μέντοι Βόας καλούμενος.

Dewing Now from these mountains of Tzanica the Boas River⁠ descends, a stream which, after passing into innumerable jungles and traversing a mountainous region, flows along by the land of Lazica and empties into the Euxine Sea, as it is called, but no longer keeping the name of Boas.

Greek ἐπειδὰν γὰρ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐγγὺς ἵκηται, τὸ μὲν ὄνομα μεθίησι τοῦτο, ἑτέρας δὲ τὸ ἐνθένδε προσηγορίας μεταλαγχάνει, ἐκ τῶν οἱ ἐπιγινομένων ὄνομα κτώμενος.

Dewing For when it gets near the sea it loses this name and thereafter bears another, which it acquires from the character which it now displays.

Greek Ἄκαμψιν γὰρ αὐτὸν τὸ λοιπὸν καλοῦσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι, τούτου δὴ ἕνεκα, ὅτι δὴ κάμψαι αὐτὸν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἀναμιχθέντα ἀμήχανά ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ ξὺν ῥύμῃ τοσαύτῃ καὶ ὀξύτητι τοῦ ῥοῦ τὰς ἐκβολὰς ποιεῖται, ταραχὴν τοῦ ῥοθίου πολλὴν ἐπίπροσθεν ἐργαζόμενος, ὥστε ὡς πορρωτάτω τῆς θαλάσσης ἰὼν ἄπορον ποιεῖται τὸν ταύτῃ διάπλουν· οἵ τε ναυτιλλόμενοι ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Πόντου, εἴτε Λαζικῆς εὐθὺ πλέοντες εἴτε καὶ ἐνθένδε ἀπάραντες, οὐκέτι ἑξῆς διαπλεῖν δύνανται.

Dewing This name which the natives apply to it for the rest of its course is Acampsis, and they so name it, obviously, because it is impossible to force a way through it⁠ after it has entered the sea, since it discharges its stream with such force and swiftness, causing a great disturbance of the water before it, that it goes out for a very great distance into the sea and makes it impossible to coast along at that point. And those who are navigating in that part of the Pontus, whether sailing toward Lazica or even putting out from there, are not able to hold a straight course in their voyage;

Greek κάμψαι γὰρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸν ῥοῦν οὐδαμῆ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ πορρωτάτω μὲν ἀναγόμενοι τοῦ ἐκείνῃ πελάγους, ἐπὶ μέσον δέ που τὸν Πόντον ἰόντες, οὕτω δὴ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι τῆς τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἐκβολῆς δύνανται. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἀμφὶ ποταμὸν Βόαν τοιαῦτά ἐστι.

Dewing for they are quite unable to push through the river's current, but they must needs put out to a very great distance into the sea there, going somewhere near the middle of the Pontus, and only in this way can they escape the force of the river's discharge. So much, then, may be said regarding the Boas River.

Greek Μετὰ δὲ τὸ Ῥιζαῖον αὐτονόμων ἀνθρώπων ὅροι ἐκδέχονται, οἳ δὴ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Λαζῶν μεταξὺ ᾤκηνται. καὶ κώμη τις, Ἀθῆναι ὄνομα, ἐνταῦθα οἰκεῖται, οὐχ ὅτι Ἀθηναίων ἄποικοι, ὥσπερ τινὲς οἴονται, τῇδε ἱδρύσαντο, ἀλλὰ γυνή τις Ἀθηναία ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις κυρία ἐγεγόνει τῆς χώρας, ἧσπερ ὁ τάφος ἐνταῦθα καὶ εἰς ἐμέ ἐστι.

Dewing Beyond Rhizaeum there is found a territory occupied by independent peoples, who live between the Romans and the Lazi. And there is a certain village there named Athenae,⁠ not as some suppose, because colonists from Athens settled there, but because a certain woman named Athenaea in early times ruled over the land, and the tomb of this woman is there even to my day.

Greek μετὰ δὲ Ἀθήνας Ἄρχαβίς τε οἰκεῖται καὶ Ἀψαροῦς, πόλις ἀρχαία, ἣ τοῦ Ῥιζαίου διέχει ὁδῷ ἡμερῶν τριῶν μάλιστα.

Dewing By Athenae are Archabis and Apsarus,⁠ an action city which is about three days' journey from Rhizaeum.

Greek αὕτη Ἄψυρτος τὸ παλαιὸν ὠνομάζετο, ὁμώνυμος τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ διὰ τὸ πάθος γεγενημένη. ἐνταῦθα γάρ φασιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς Μηδείας τε καὶ Ἰάσονος τὸν Ἄψυρτον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀφανισθῆναι, καὶ δι’ αὐτὸ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τὸ χωρίον λαβεῖν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ἀπέθνησκε, τὸ δὲ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ὠνομάζετο.

Dewing This was called Apsyrtus in ancient times, having come to be named after the man on account of his catastrophe. For in that place the natives say that Apsyrtus was removed from the world by the plot of Medea and Jason, and that from this circumstance the place received its name; for he died on that spot and the place was named after him.

Greek ἀλλὰ πολὺς ἄγαν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιρρεύσας ὁ χρόνος καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἀναρίθμοις διαδοχαῖς ἐνακμάσας αὐτὸς διαφθεῖραι μὲν τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπιβολὴν ἴσχυσεν ἐξ ὧν τὸ ὄνομα ξύγκειται τοῦτο, ἐς δὲ τὸν νῦν φαινόμενον τρόπον μεταρρυθμῆσαι τὴν προσηγορίαν τῷ τόπῳ.

Dewing But an extremely long time has elapsed since these events, while countless generations of men have flourished, and the mere passage of time has thus availed to efface from memory the succession of incidents from which this name arose and to transform the name of the place to the form in which it appears at the present.

Greek τούτου δὲ τοῦ Ἀψύρτου καὶ τάφος ἐς τῆς πόλεως τὰ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιόν ἐστιν. αὕτη πόλις ἦν τὸ παλαιὸν πολυάνθρωπος, καὶ τείχους μὲν αὐτὴν περιέβαλε μέγα τι χρῆμα, θεάτρῳ δὲ καὶ ἱπποδρόμῳ ἐκαλλωπίζετο καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν οἷσπερ πόλεως μέγεθος δείκνυσθαι εἴωθε. νῦν δὲ δὴ αὐτῶν ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἀπολέλειπται, ὅτι μὴ τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐδάφη.

Dewing There is also a tomb of this Apsyrtus to the east of the city. This was a populous city in ancient times, and a great expanse of wall surrounded it, while it was adorned with a theatre and hippodrome and all the rest of those things by which the size of a city is commonly indicated. But at the present nothing of these is left except the foundations of the buildings.

Greek Ὥστε εἰκότως θαυμάσειεν ἄν τις τῶν Κόλχους φαμένων Τραπεζουντίοις ὁμόρους εἶναι. ταύτῃ μὲν γὰρ καὶ τὸ δέρας ξὺν τῇ Μηδείᾳ συλήσας Ἰάσων οὐκ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὰ πάτρια ἤθη φυγὼν φαίνοιτο, ἀλλ’ ἔμπαλιν ἐπὶ Φᾶσίν τε ποταμὸν καὶ τοὺς ἐνδοτάτω βαρβάρους.

Dewing It is now clear that one might with good reason wonder at those who assert that the Colchians are adjacent to the Trapezuntines. For on this hypothesis it would appear that after Jason in company with Medea had captured the fleece, he actually did not flee toward Hellas and his own land, but backward to the Phasis River and the barbarians in the most remote interior.

Greek λέγουσι μὲν οὖν ὡς κατὰ τοὺς Τραϊανοῦ τοῦ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοκράτορος χρόνους κατάλογοι Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν ἐνταῦθά τε καὶ μέχρι ἐς Λαζοὺς καὶ Σαγίνας ἵδρυντο.

Dewing Now they say that in the time of the Roman Emperor Trajan detachments of Roman soldiers were stationed there and as far as the Lazi and Saginae.

Greek τὰ δὲ νῦν ἄνθρωποι ἐνταῦθα οἰκοῦσιν οὔτε τοῦ Ῥωμαίων οὔτε τοῦ Λαζῶν βασιλέως κατήκοοι ὄντες, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Χριστιανοῖς οὖσιν οἱ Λαζῶν ἐπίσκοποι τοὺς ἱερεῖς καθίστανται σφίσι.

Dewing But at the present time people live there who are neither subjects of the Romans nor of the king of the Lazi, except indeed that the bishops of the Lazi appoint their priests, seeing they are Christians.

Greek καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔνσπονδοί τε καὶ φίλοι ἀμφοτέροις ἐθέλοντες εἶναι, τοὺς ἐξ ἑκατέρων παρὰ τοὺς ἑτέρους ἀεὶ στελλομένους παραπέμψειν διηνεκῶς ὡμολόγησαν· ὃ δὴ φαίνονται καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ δρῶντες.

Dewing And wishing, as they do, to live in peace and friendship with both peoples, they have made a permanent agreement to provide an escort for those who from time to time travel from the one country to the other; and it appears that they have been doing this even down to my time.

Greek ἀκάτοις γὰρ ἰδίαις τοὺς παρὰ θατέρου βασιλέως ἐς τὸν ἕτερον στελλομένους ἀγγέλους ναυτιλλόμενοι παραπέμπουσι. φόρου μέντοι ὑποτελεῖς οὐδαμῆ γεγένηνται ἐς τόδε τοῦ χρόνου.

Dewing For they escort the messengers despatched from the one king to the other, sailing in boats of their own. However, they have become in no way tributary down to the present time.

Greek τούτων δὲ τῶν χωρίων ἐν δεξιᾷ ὄρη τε λίαν ἀπότομα ἀποκρέμαται καὶ χώρα ἔρημος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διήκει. καὶ αὐτῆς ὕπερθεν οἱ Περσαρμένιοι καλούμενοι ᾤκηνται, καὶ Ἀρμένιοι οἳ Ῥωμαίων κατήκοοί εἰσι μέχρι ἐς τοὺς Ἰβηρίας ὅρους διήκοντες.

Dewing On the right of these places very abrupt mountains tower overhead and a barren land extends to an indefinite distance. And beyond this the so‑called Persarmenians dwell, as well as the Armenians who are subject of the Romans, extending as far as the confines of Iberia.

Greek Ἐκ δὲ Ἀψαροῦντος πόλεως ἐς Πέτραν τε πόλιν καὶ τοὺς Λαζῶν ὅρους, οὗ δὴ τελευτᾷ ὁ Εὔξεινος Πόντος, μιᾶς ἐστὶν ἡμέρας ὁδός. ἀπολήγων δὲ ὁ Πόντος ἐνταῦθα μηνοειδῆ τίθεται τὴν ἀκτήν.

Dewing From the city of Apsarus to Petra and the boundary of Lazica, where the Euxine Sea reaches its limit, is a journey of one day. Now as this sea comes to an end here, its coast takes the form of a crescent.

Greek καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῦ μηνοειδοῦς τούτου διάπλους ἐς πεντήκοντά τε καὶ πεντακοσίους μάλιστα σταδίους διήκει, τὰ δὲ αὐτοῦ ὄπισθεν ξύμπαντα Λαζική τέ ἐστι καὶ ὠνόμασται.

Dewing And the distance across this crescent amounts to about five hundred and fifty stades,⁠ while the entire country behind it is Lazica and is known under this name.

Greek μετὰ δὲ αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὴν μεσόγαιαν Σκυμνία τε καὶ Σουανία ἐστί. ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ἔθνη Λαζῶν κατήκοα τυγχάνει ὄντα. καὶ ἄρχοντας μὲν οἱ τῇδε ἄνθρωποι τῶν ὁμογενῶν τινὰς ἔχουσιν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὶ ἐπιγένηται ἡ τέλειος ἡμέρα τοῦ βίου, ἕτερον αὐτοῖς ἀντικαθίστασθαι πρὸς τοῦ Λαζῶν βασιλέως ἐς ἀεὶ εἴθισται.

Dewing Behind them in the interior are Scymnia and Suania; these nations happen to be subjects of the Lazi. Indeed, although these peoples do have magistrates of their own blood, still, whenever any of the magistrates reaches the end of his life, it is always customary for another one to be appointed in his place balcony the king of the Lazi.

Greek ταύτης δὲ τῆς χώρας ἐκ πλαγίου μὲν παρ’ αὐτὴν μάλιστα τὴν Ἰβηρίαν Μέσχοι Ἰβήρων ἐκ παλαιοῦ κατήκοοι ᾤκηνται,

Dewing At the side of this land and bordering upon Iberia proper for the most part dwell the Meschi, who have been from ancient times subjects of the Iberians, having their dwellings of the mountains.

Greek τὰ οἰκία ἐν ὄρεσιν ἔχοντες. ὄρη δὲ τὰ Μέσχων οὐ σκληρὰ οὐδὲ καρπῶν ἄφορά ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ εὐθηνοῦσιν ἀγαθοῖς ἅπασιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ Μέσχοι γεωργοὶ δεξιοὶ καὶ ἀμπελῶνες τυγχάνουσιν ἐκεῖ ὄντες.

Dewing But the mountains of the Meschi are not rough nor unproductive of crops, but they abound in all good things, since the Meschi, for their part, are skilful farmers and there are actually vineyards in their country.

Greek ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ χώρᾳ ὄρη ἐπίκεινται ἄγαν τε ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἀμφιλαφῆ καὶ δεινῶς ἄβατα. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἄχρι ἐς τὰ Καυκάσια ὄρη διήκει· ὄπισθεν δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον Ἰβηρία ἐστί, μέχρι ἐς Περσαρμενίους διήκουσα.

Dewing However, this land is hemmed in by mountains which are very lofty and covered you forests so that they are exceedingly difficult to pass through. And these mountains extend as far as the Caucasus, while behind them toward the east is Iberia, extending as far as Persarmenia.

Greek Διὰ δὲ τῶν ὀρῶν ἃ ταύτῃ ἀνέχει, Φᾶσις ποταμὸς κάτεισιν, ἐκ τῶν Καυκασίων ἀρχόμενος καὶ κατὰ μέσον τὸ μηνοειδὲς τοῦ Πόντου ἐκβάλλει.

Dewing Now through the mountains which rise here the Phasis River emerges, having its source in the Caucasus and its mouth at the middle of the crescent of the Pontus.

Greek ταύτῃ τε ἤπειρον ἑκατέραν αὐτὸν διορίζειν τινὲς οἴονται. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ κατιόντος τοῦ ῥοῦ Ἀσία ἐστί, τὰ δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ Εὐρώπη ὠνόμασται.

Dewing Because of this some consider that it forms the boundary between the two continents; for the land on the left as one goes down this stream is Asia, but that on the right is named Europe.

Greek κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν τῆς Εὐρώπης μοῖραν ξύμπαντα Λαζῶν τὰ οἰκία ξυμβαίνει εἶναι, ἐπὶ θάτερα δὲ οὔτε πόλισμα οὔτε ἄλλο τι ὀχύρωμα οὔτε κώμην τινὰ λόγου ἀξίαν Λαζοὶ ἔχουσι, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι Πέτραν Ῥωμαῖοι ἐνταῦθα ἐδείμαντο πρότερον.

Dewing Now it so happens that all the habitations of the Lazi are on the European side, while on the opposite side there is neither fortress nor stronghold nor any village of consequence held by the Lazi, except indeed the city of Petra which the Romans built there in earlier times.

Greek κατὰ ταύτην δέ που τὴν Λαζικῆς μοῖραν ἀπέκειτο, ὥσπερ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι λέγουσι, καὶ τὸ δέρας ἐκεῖνο, οὗπερ ἕνεκα οἱ ποιηταὶ τὴν Ἀργὼ ἀποτετορνεῦσθαι μυθολογοῦσι. λέγουσι δὲ ταῦτα, ἐμὴν γνώμην, ἀληθιζόμενοι ἥκιστα.

Dewing It was somewhere in this part of Lazica, as the inhabitants say, that the famous fleece was placed for safe keeping, that fleece on account of which, as the poets tell the tale, the Argo was fashioned. But in saying this they are, in my opinion, not telling the truth at all.

Greek οὐ γὰρ ἄν, οἶμαι, λαθὼν τὸν Αἰήτην Ἰάσων ἐνθένδε ἀπηλλάσσετο ξὺν τῇ Μηδείᾳ τὸ δέρας ἔχων, εἰ μὴ τά τε βασίλεια καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τῶν Κόλχων οἰκία τοῦ χωρίου διείργετο Φάσιδι ποταμῷ, ἵνα δὴ τὸ δέρας ἐκεῖνο κεῖσθαι ξυνέβαινεν, ὃ δὴ καὶ οἱ ποιηταὶ παραδηλοῦσιν οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀναγραψάμενοι.

Dewing For I think that Jason would not have eluded Aeetes and got away from there with the fleece in company with Medea, unless both the palace and the other dwellings of the Colchians had been separated by the Phasis River from the place in which that fleece was lying; indeed the poets who have recorded the story imply that this was the case.

Greek ὁ μὲν οὖν Φᾶσις τῇδε φερόμενος, ᾗπέρ μοι δεδιήγηται, ἐς αὐτόν που λήγοντα ἐκβάλλει τὸν Εὔξεινον Πόντον. τοῦ δὲ μηνοειδοῦς κατὰ μὲν τὴν μίαν ἀρχήν, ἣ τῆς Ἀσίας ἐστί, Πέτρα ἡ πόλις ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα, ἐν δὲ δὴ τῇ ἀντιπέρας ἀκτῇ κατὰ τὴν τῆς Εὐρώπης μοῖραν Ἀψιλίων ἡ χώρα ἐστί·

Dewing So the Phasis, flowing as I have said, empties into the Euxine Sea approximately at the very point where it comes to an end. Now at the one end of the crescent, that, namely, which is in Asia, was the city of Petra, while on the opposite coast which forms a part of erupt the territory is held by the Apsilii;

Greek Λαζῶν δὲ κατήκοοί εἰσι καὶ Χριστιανοὶ γεγόνασιν ἐκ παλαιοῦ οἱ Ἀψίλιοι, ὥσπερ καὶ τἄλλα ξύμπαντα ἔθνη ὧνπερ ἐμνήσθην ἐς τόδε τοῦ λόγου.

Dewing these Apsilii are subjects of the Lazi and have been Christians from ancient times, just as all the other nations which I have mentioned up to this point in my narrative.