The histories of Herodotus;

226 HERODOTUS—BOOK IV, MELPOMENE [43-46
which a Samian detained: though I know his name, I purposely
conceal it.
A great part of Asia was explored under the direction of
Darius. He being desirous to know in what part the Indus,
which is the second river that produces crocodiles, discharges
itself into the sea, sent in ships both others on whom he could
rely to make a true report, and also Scylax of Caryanda. They
accordingly, setting out from the city of Caspatyrus and the
country of Pactyice, sailed down the river toward the east
and sunrise to the sea : then sailing on the sea westward, they
arrived in the thirtieth month at that place where the King
of Egypt despatched the PhcEnicians, whom I before mentioned,
to sail round Libya. After these persons had sailed
round, Darius subdued the Indians, and frequented this sea.
Thus the other parts of Asia, except toward the rising sun,
are found to exhibit things similar to Libya.
Whether Europe is surrounded by water either toward the
east or toward the north has not been fully discovered by
but in length it is known to extend beyond both
any man ;
the other continents. Nor can I conjecture for what reason
three different names have been given to the earth, which is
but one, and those derived from the names of women ; nor
why the Egyptian river Nile and the Colchian Phasis have
been assigned as boundaries to it (some say the Mseotian river
Tanais, and the Cimmerian Porthmeia) ; nor can I learn the
names of those who made this division, nor whence they derived
the appellations. Libya is said by most of the Greeks
to take its name from a native woman of the name of Libya
and Asia, from the wife of Prometheus. But the Lydians
claim this name, saying that Asia was so called after Asius,
son of Cotys, son of Manes, and not after Asia, the wife of
Prometheus ; from whom also a tribe in Sardis is called the
Asian tribe. Whether Europe, then, is surrounded by water
is known by no man ; nor is it clear whence it received this
name, nor who gave it, unless we will say that the region received
the name from the Tyrian Europa, but was before
without a name, like the others ; yet she evidently belonged
to Asia, and never came into that country which is now called
Europe by the Grecians; but only passed from Phoenicia to
Crete, and from Crete to Lycia. Thus much may suffice for
this subject, for we shall adopt the names in common use.
The Euxine Sea, to which Darius led an army of all countries,
except the Scythians, exhibits the most ignorant nations
: for we are unable to mention any one nation of those
on this side the Pontus that has any pretensions to intelli-
;