extended to Pontus, and formed a considerable kingdom under
Mithridates.1
Quitting the river Harpasus,2 twenty parasangs, made in
four marches, brought the Greeks to a halting-place at some
villages, possibly near the present town of Ba'iburt,, in which
they remained three days to obtain provisions. From hence,
the country of apparently proceeding towards the western pass through the
andScytlllaris’ great northern chain, they made twenty parasangs in three
additional marches, to the rich and well-inhabited city of
Gymnias.3 Possibly this place may now be represented by
the small town of Gemeri on the Kara-su, an affluent of the
river Frat; in which case the distance thither being about 60
miles, would occupy seven or eight marches along the slopes of
the Paryadres, a braneh of the Taurus,4 or, as is stated, through
reach the city the country of the Scythinians. This appears to be the only
of Gymmas. ephemeral power, which commenced with the
Sacse or Scythians,6 on the banks of the Araxes ; from whence
the people extended their name and authority over Imiretia,
Colchis, Georgia, the Caucasus, Media, Persia, and even
Palestine; according to Herodotus6 the same people ruled
Asia during twenty-eight years.
The sea On leaving Gymnias, the guide furnished by the satrap of
from Mo'imt the district, delighted the Greeks by saying that he would
Theches. forfeit his head if he did not show them the sea in five
marches; and accordingly on the fifth day, on ascending the
holy mountain of Theches, the Greeks gave a tremendous shout
of surprise and delight on finding his promise realized. The
mountain alluded to may be the present Gaur Tagh;1, and
from thence to Tarabuzun, although the direct distance is not
great, the journey occupied five days with good horses. This
1 Compare Stephanus de Urbibus, pp. 101, 749, with Adelung’s Mithridates,
vol. I., p. 315, and Athenaeus, vol. V I., p. 13, according to Nicholas
o f Damas. et Orell, p. 136, and above, pp. 36, 55.
2 See Index Map. 8 Anabasis, lib. IV ., cap. vii.
4 See above, vol. I., pp. 286, 287.
5 Compare Diod. Sic., lib. I I ., cap. xxvi., with Herod., lib. I ., cap. cv.,
and Ouseley’s Oriental Collections, vol. I I ., p. 143.
6 Lib. I., cap. cvi.
7 From the summit of this mountain the writer saw the sea in 1831.
i Jidt -i.,, -P r>aa«ine- alone what was owing to the necessity ot passing g ^ in reality is Distance from j Gaur TAgh to
more a winding chasm than a mountain valley m the ordinary Tat&bazii„.
acceptation of the word; and it is scarcely necessary to
observe that the marches through the mountains of Kurdista
and Armenia often must have presented difficulties and caused
delays susceptible of the same kind of explanation.
Gaur Tagh is not, however, the only mountain in this part
of the country, from which the Euxine may be seen, for the
guide informed the author that it is also visible from three
other peaks, namely, the Zigani mountain, two hours N W. | | | | g g
of Godol; again, with a more extensive view, from Fililein, g g j g
two hours on the other side of Godol towards Gumish Khanah, from Karagui.
and, lastly, at the higher peak of Karagfil,1 three hours southward
of the latter. . .
The name of the first, | Infidel Mountain, and its position
with respect to Tarabuzun, claim for it the honour of representing
the holy Theches ; the localities also appear to correspond
to the description. Xenophon tells us that on the first
day they came to a river separating the Macromans from the
Scythinians; and on this, which disembogued into another The Greeks^
river the Macronians were drawn up to dispute the passage. by Macro-
A negotiation, followed by a treaty, produced however finend-”“ *.
ship with that people.2 . . . .
Eleven -or twelve miles N.N.W. of Gaur Tagh (visible
from thence) is the village of Damajula, which is situated near
the meeting of four valleys and two rivers. One of the latter
coming from the N.W. has remarkably steep banks rising
fifteen or twenty feet, with hills above, of difficult ascent on
the eastern side, and a chain of more accessible shoulders on
the opposite; both are covered with firs, and silver poplars
of small size. This valley would have been met during the
first day’s march from Gaur Tagh, and troops posted on the
opposite sides would be within speaking distance, although they
must have been completely separated by the difficult nature
of the ravine. Peace being concluded, the Greeks were con- e n t e n t e a
ducted by this people during the succeeding three marc es
through the remainder of their territory; no doubt follow-
1 See above, vol. I ., p. 287. * Anabasis, lib. IV ., cap. viii.v