Plutarch in his confused notions of
geography appears to consider the Thermodon as a Caucasian river. He
also places them near the Leges, a name which resembles that of the
Lesghians, one of the present warlike tribes of the Caucasus. On
antient medals the Amazons are represented with a short vest reaching
to the knee, and one breast bare. Their arms were a crescent shield,
the bow and arrow, and the double axe, whence the name Amazonia was
used as a distinctive appellation for that weapon (Amazonia securis,
Horat. _Od._ iv. 4).]
[Footnote 273: The Caspian sea or lake was also called the Hyrkanian,
from the province of Hyrkania which bordered on the south-east coast.
The first notice of this great lake is in Herodotus (i. 203).]
[Footnote 274: The Elymaei were mountaineers who occupied the
mountainous region between Susiana and Media. Gordyene was in the most
south-eastern part of Armenia. Tigranocerta was in Gordyene. Appianus
says that in his time Sophene and Gordyene composed the Less Armenia
(_Mithridatic War_, c. 105). In the territory of Arbela, where the
town of Arbil now is, Alexander had defeated Darius, the last king of
Persia.]
[Footnote 275: Another Greek woman, as we may infer from the name. The
story of the surrender of the fort by Stratonike is told by Appianus
(_Mithridatic War_, c. 107) with some additional particulars. Dion
Cassius (37. c. 7) names this fort Symphorium.
Pages:
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432