Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/271

 u. xi. c. xiii. 3, 4. MEDIA. 263 They have powerful neighbours in the Armenians and Parthians, by whom they are frequently plundered ; they re- sist however, and recover what has been taken away, as they recovered Symbace 1 from the Armenians, who were defeated by the Romans, and they themselves became the friends of Caesar. They at the same time endeavour to conciliate the Parthians. 3. The summer palace is at Gazaka, situated in a plain ; the winter palace 2 is in Vera, a strong fortress which Antony besieged in his expedition against the Parthians. The last is distant from the Araxes, which separates Armenia and Atropatene, 2400 stadia, according to Dellius, the friend of Antony, who wrote an account of the expedition of Antony against the Parthians, which he himself accompanied, and in which he held a command. The other parts of this country are fertile, but that towards the north is mountainous, rugged, and cold, the abode of the mountain tribes of Cadusii Amardi, Tapyri, Curtii, and other similar nations, who are migratory, and robbers. These peo- ple are scattered over the Zagrus and Niphates. The Curtii in Persia, and Mardi, (for so they call the Amardi,) and those in Armenia, and who bear the same name at present, have the same kind of character. 4. The Cadusii have an army of foot soldiers not inferior in number to that of the Ariani. They are very expert in throwing the javelin. In the rocky places the soldiers en- gage in battle on foot, instead of on their horses. The ex- pedition of Antony was harassing to the army, not by the nature of the country, but by the conduct of their guide, Artavasdes, king of the Armenii, whom Antony rashly made his adviser, and master of his intentions respecting the war, when at the same time that prince was contriving a plan for his destruction. Antony punished Artavasdes, but too late ; the latter had been the cause of many calamities to the Romans, in conjunction with another person; he made the march from the Zeugma on the Euphrates to the borders of Atropatene to exceed 8000 stadia, or double the distance of the direct course, [by leading the army] over mountains, and places where there were no roads, and by a circuitous route. 1 It is uncertain whether this is a place, or a district. 2 Adopting Groskurd's emendation