herodotus

which the Hellenes say formerly moved backwards and forwards; andtaking his seat at the temple[83] he gazed upon the Pontus, which is asight well worth seeing. Of all seas indeed it is the most marvellousin its nature. The length of it is eleven thousand one hundredfurlongs,[84] and the breadth, where it is broadest, three thousandthree hundred: and of this great Sea the mouth is but four furlongsbroad, and the length of the mouth, that is of the neck of water whichis called Bosphorus, where, as I said, the bridge of ships had beenmade, is not less than a hundred and twenty furlongs. This Bosphorusextends to the Propontis; and the Propontis, being in breadth fivehundred furlongs and in length one thousand four hundred, has itsoutlet into the Hellespont, which is but seven furlongs broad at thenarrowest place, though it is four hundred furlongs in length: and theHellespont runs out into that expanse of sea which is called theEgean. 86. These measurements I have made as follows:--a shipcompletes on an average in a long day a distance of seventy thousandfathoms, and in a night sixty thousand. Now we know that to the riverPhasis from the mouth of the Sea (for it is here that the Pontus islongest) is a voyage of nine days and eight nights, which amounts toone hundred and eleven myriads[85] of fathoms; and these fathoms areeleven thousand one hundred furlongs. Then from the land of theSindians to Themiskyra on the river Thermodon (for here is thebroadest part of the Pontus) it is a voyage of three days and twonights, which amounts to thirty-three myriads[86] of fathoms or threethousand three hundred furlongs. This Pontus then and also theBosphorus and the Hellespont have been measured by me thus, and theirnature is such as has been said: and this Pontus also has a lake whichhas its outlet into it, which lake is not much less in size than thePontus itself, and it is called Maiotis and "Mother of the Pontus."87. Dareios then having gazed upon the Pontus sailed back to thebridge, of which Mandrocles a Samian had been chief constructor; andhaving gazed upon the Bosphorus also, he set up two pillars[86a] by itof white stone with characters cut upon them, on the one Assyrian andon the other Hellenic, being the names of all the nations which he wasleading with him: and he was leading with him all over whom he wasruler. The whole number of them without the naval force was reckonedto be seventy myriads[87] including cavalry, and ships had beengathered together to the number of six hundred. These pillars theByzantians conveyed to their city after the events of which I speak,and used them for the altar of Artemis Orthosia, excepting one stone,which was left standing by the side of the temple of Dionysos inByzantion, covered over with Assyrian characters. Now the place on theBosphorus where Dareios made his bridge is, as I conclude,[87a] midwaybetween Byzantion and the temple at the mouth of the Pontus. 88. Afterthis Dareios being pleased with the floating bridge rewarded the chief