Page:Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea Translated.djvu/156

Rh here fixed on; and this intance would argue, that Herodotus ued a tadium coniderably greater than even the Olympic. Again, Herodotus lays, that the Propontis is 1400 tadia in length; but by the large map it meaures, including the Bofporus, which Herodotus ays belongs to it, 142.5 Englih miles. Say then, 142.5: 1400:: 69.5: 683 nearly, ftrange diproportion between two ditances o nearly connected.

The ame writer etimates the length of the Hellepont at 400 tadia; but it meaures, from Gallipoli to the opening into the Ægean ea, no more than 38 Englih miles, or about 331 Olympic tadia; though it winds o much, that Herodotus's calculation of the coure of the Strait may be nearly jut, and indicates, that he meaured on this occaion by the Olympic tadium. But the truth is, that the meaurements of Herodotus are in general o inaccurate, or o corrupted, as not to be depended on, and cannot be regarded as a foundation on which any tandard meaure can be etablifhed, and fully jutify the obervation of Dr. Blair, that "nothing is more common than to find a confuion of numbers in the ditances given us by ancient authors."

Mr. Rennel oberves truly on the ditance between Pia and Athens, as laid down by Herodotus, that the ditance from Heliopolis to the ea, which Herodotus decribes as equal to the other, is not in reality more than 80 Greek miles.

Let us then apply to Xenophon, who, as he travelled himelf, the