The Geography

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...constrained the latitude toward the winter tropic, no reason being provided for such a great contradiction if one admits the number of days and the series of traversings and navigations which he himself expresses. But noticing this, he only diminished the number of daily stadia, and does this against measure and custom, because he arrives at the desired and opportune parallel.

It ought to have been done otherwise. For a daily traversing, and that which is possible, was easily to be believed; but the equality of the journeys or navigations, or that they went entirely through a straight line, ought least to have been assented to... It was necessary to know that the same latitude was extended beyond the equinoctial. But this itself from a more certain mode—namely, the observation of those things which it was for the heavens to know—was fair. Which he would have explored most diligently if he had clearly considered from mathematics what happens in those regions.

Since, however, this consideration was not held, it remains that I should observe more simply the quantity of the substance which exceeds the equinoctial, as reason dictates. This is held through the genera and forms and colors of the animals dwelling there. From which it seems to follow that the parallel of the region of Agisymba of the Ethiopians is whatever it is: it reaches toward the winter tropic, but is terminated around the equinoctial. For among us, in places opposite to those (that is, under the summer tropic), the colors of the Ethiopians are not held, nor are there rhinoceroses or elephants; but in places not much more southern, they are moderately blackened, as those who inhabit within Syene... [Note: referring to the Triacontaschoinos]. ...whom Marinus himself describes as being Garamantes, who are neither in the summer tropic itself nor more northern than the same tropic, but he relates them to be far more southern. But in places around Meroe, they are abundantly black, and there first the Ethiopians appear, where the genus of elephants and monstrous animals is nourished.

[Term: That Ethiopians are not to be placed more [south] than the parallel opposite the parallel through Meroe.]

[Initial M]
WHEREFORE now as far as can be well seen: that is, as far as the tradition of those sailing thither narrates, he describes the Ethiopians of the region of Agisymba and the others which are situated in the same parallel in the opposite parallel through Meroe. That will be in a site distant from the equinoctial toward the south by sixteen degrees and a third and a twelfth; truly eight thousand and two hundred stadia roughly. In which way the entire latitude of the same habitable world is gathered at seventy-nine degrees and a third and a twelfth, or at most eighty; truly forty thousand stadia.

The distance indeed between Great Leptis and Garama, as Flaccus and Maternus handed down, is placed at five thousand and four hundred stadia. For a twenty-day journey, a second journey and corrected after the first journey, so that it is directed entirely to the south or north, although the first journey was thirty days due to flexions. He mentions that they exposed the number of stadia of each day because they traversed that journey more often. Which was noticed not so much beautifully but necessarily on account of some diversions. Just as one must doubt regarding rare, great, and not yet rightly explored distances, so it is fair to believe those which are neither great nor rare, but traversed more often by many.

[Term: Those things concerning longitude poorly edited by Marinus.]

[Initial D]
TO WHAT space, therefore, the site of our habitable world can suitably be extended in latitude is manifest to us from these things. In longitude, indeed, Marinus notes between two meridians a space containing eleven hours. To us, however, it seems the distance toward the rising of the sun is shown more than is fitting; which, if it be contracted according to what is due, will be seen not to be able to constitute a full twelve hours...

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