The Geography

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...but from the Stone Tower to the Seres, not to accept it in a similar way because the same reason cannot be brought there; but through the whole distance, whether it be less or more, the quality and impression of the air is similar. As if someone, because he cannot be caught in a theft, should neglect justice, against the documents of philosophy itself.

Whence the first distance, which is from the Euphrates to the Stone Tower (eight hundred and seventy-six schoini), we contract on account of the flexions of the journey to only eight hundred schoini; stadia truly twenty-four thousand. Which is believed to be so on account of the particular dimensions of the journey and the frequent approaches of the regions which that journey possesses. That it has many diversions is manifest from those things which Marinus himself places. For the traversing from the crossing of the Euphrates near Hierapolis through Mesopotamia to the Tigris, and hence through the Garamaeans [Note: likely Garamantis, referring to a route through northern Persia/Media] the journey of Assyria and the Medes to Ecbatana and the Caspian Gates. Furthermore, of Parthia to Hecatompylos, it is right to take through the parallel of Rhodes. For this circle is written through the said regions.

But the way from Hecatompylos to the city of Hyrcania must decline toward the north. The city of Hyrcania being placed almost in the middle of the parallels of Smyrna and the Hellespont. For the parallel of Smyrna is designated under the region of Hyrcania itself; truly that of the Hellespont through the southern shores of the Hyrcanian Sea [Caspian Sea], which are a little more northern than the city of the Hyrcanians itself, named after its region. Then the journey from this to Margian Antioch, first through the north, looks to the south when Aria is under the same parallel where the Caspian Gates are situated.

Afterward it inclines to the north, when Antioch is situated near the parallel of the Hellespont, from which the approach to Bactra is extended toward the rising of the sun. Afterward one goes to the ascent of the mountains of the Comedi toward the north. Furthermore, the way which egresses these mountains and leads to the valley which receives the plains tends to the south. For the northern parts of these mountains, and those which are more western where the ascent is, he places under the parallel of Byzantium; those truly which are southern and tend toward the rising of the sun, under the parallel of the Hellespont. For he hands down that the mountains themselves are extended clearly toward the rising of the sun, declining in some way to the south.

Thence he says Panticotachinus [?] as far as the Stone Tower tends equally to the north. For having egressed the valley, the Stone Tower receives them, as he says; from which the mountains which proceed to the rising sun are joined to Imaus, which is extended from the Palimbrothi [Note: likely Palibothra] to the north. Therefore, the sixty degrees being collected which are noted through twenty-four thousand stadia, with forty-five and a fourth degrees (for so many are comprised from the Stone Tower to the Seres), the entire distance from the Euphrates to the Seres in the Rhodian parallel is gathered as one hundred and five and a fifth degrees.

There are gathered furthermore from the dimensions which he himself supposes under the same parallel other degrees, as will be said. First from the meridian noted through the Fortunate Isles as far as the Sacred Promontory of Hispania, two and a half degrees. Then to the mouths of the river Baetis [Note: OCR vetij]; after these from the Baetis to the narrows of the Atlantic Sea and Calpe similarly two and a half degrees in each distance. Hence from the aforesaid narrows as far as Caralis of Sardinia, twenty-five degrees. From Caralis truly to Lilybaeum of Sicily, four and a half. From Lilybaeum to Pachynus, three. And soon from Pachynus to Taenarus of Laconia, ten. Thence to Rhodes, eight and a fourth. From Rhodes to Issus, eleven and a fourth. From hence from Issus to the Euphrates, two and a half. Therefore the degrees of this entire distance are gathered as seventy-two. Wherefore the whole longitude of the earth known to us—that is, from the designated meridian, or terminated from the last setting of the Fortunate Isles as far as the Seres—is noted as one hundred and seventy-seven and a fourth degrees.

[Term: The same emendation from navigations.]

[Initial C]
ONE COULD conjecture that there is as much space of longitude even from the distances which are treated by Marinus by sailing from India as far as the Gulf of the Sinae and Cattigara: but the reasoning of the bays and the inequality...

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