(Macrobius, _Sat._ i. 10; and the Life of
Sulla, c. 18.) It was accordingly in the winter of B.C. 66 that
Pompeius was in the mountains of the Caucasus. (Dion Cassius, 36. c.
36, 37.)]
[Footnote 267: I have kept the name Cyrnus, as it stands in the text
of Plutarch, though it is probably, an error of the transcribers. The
real name Cyrus could not be unknown to Plutarch. In the text of
Appianus (_Mithridatic War_, c. 103) the name is erroneously written
Cyrtus; in Dion Cassius, it is Cyrnus. The Cyrus, now the Cur, flows
from the higher regions of the Caucasus through Iberia and Albania,
and is joined by the Araxes, Aras, above the point where the united
stream enters the Caspian on the west coast. The twelve mouths are
mentioned by Appianus (c. 103). Compare Strabo, p. 491.]
[Footnote 268: In fact the Persians never subdued any of the mountain
tribes within the nominal limits of their dominions; and the Caucasus
was indeed not even within the nominal limits.
It is true that Alexander soon quitted Hyrkania, which lies on the
south-east coast of the Caspian; but when he was in Hyrkania he was
still a considerable distance from the Iberians. (Arrianus, iii. 23,
&c.)]
[Footnote 269: This is the Faz, or Reone, which enters the south-east
angle of the Euxine in the country of the Colchi.]
[Footnote 270: The Abas river is conjectured by some writers to be the
Alazonius, which was the boundary between Iberia and Albania, The Abas
is mentioned by Dion Cassius, 37.
Pages:
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430