Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/214

 200 STRABO. BOOK IT. lestial phenomena. We must however commence, as Hippar- chus does, with the southern regions. 35. He tells us that the people who dwell under the parallel of the Cinnamon Country, which he places at 3000 stadia south of Meroe, 1 and 8800 [north] of the equator, live nearly at equal distances between the equator and the summer tropic which passes by Syene ; for Syene is 5000 stadia [north] of Meroe. They are the first 2 for whom the whole [constellation] of the Lesser Bear is comprised within the Artie Circle, and to whom it is always visible. For the bright and most southern star, at the tip of the tail, is here contained within the Arctic Circle, and appears to touch the horizon. The Arabian Gulf lies eastward parallel to the said meri- dian. Its egress 3 into the Exterior Ocean is [in the same latitude as] the Cinnamon Country, the place where anciently they used to hunt the elephants. The parallel of the Cinna- mon Country on the one side 4 passes a little south of Tapro- bana, or perhaps over its southern extremit/'; and on the other side 5 over the most southern parts of Libya. 6 36. At Meroe and Ptolemais 7 in the Troglodytic the longest day consists of thirteen equinoctial hours. These cities are at nearly equal distances between the equator and Alexandria, the preponderance on the side of the equator being only 1800 stadia. The parallel of Meroe passes on one side 8 over un- known countries, and on the other 9 over the extremities of India. 10 At Syene, and at Berenice, which is situated on the Arabian Gulf and in the Troglodytic, at the summer sol- stice the sun is vertical, and the longest day consists of thirteen equinoctial hours and a half, and the whole of the Greater Bear appears within the Arctic Circle, with the exception of his thighs, the tip of his tail, and one of the stars composing his body. The parallel of Syene traverses on one side 11 the 1 Now Gherri, on the banks of the Nile. 2 i. e. they are the most southern of those for whom, &c. 3 Bab-el-mandeb, The Gate of Tears. 4 The east. 5 The west. 6 This passage proves that in Strabo's opinion the continent of Africa did not extend so far south as the equator, 7 This town was sometimes called Ptolemais Epitheras, having been built by Eumedes in the reign of Philadelphus for the chase of elephants and other wild animals. 8 On the west. 9 The east. 10 About Cape Comorin. 11 The east.