[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Foreign](https://indike.org/pramana/inf) › [Greek](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr) › [Roman Imperial (31 BCE – 330 CE)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman) › [Γεωγραφικα](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo) › 15.1.8 # Γεωγραφικα 15.1.8 Γεωγραφικά 15.1.8 - **Language:** Ancient Greek ### [15.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.8) Ἐκ δὲ τῶν τοιούτων Νυσαίους δή τινας ἔθνος προσωνόμασαν καὶ πόλιν παρʼ αὐτοῖς Νῦσαν Διονύσου κτίσμα, καὶ ὄρος τὸ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως Μηρόν, αἰτιασάμενοι καὶ τὸν αὐτόθι κισσὸν καὶ ἄμπελον, οὐδὲ ταύτην τελεσίκαρπον· ἀπορρεῖ γὰρ ὁ βότρυς πρὶν περκάσαι διὰ τοὺς ὄμβρους τοὺς ἄδην· Διονύσου δʼ ἀπογόνους τοὺς Συδράκας ἀπὸ τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν πολυτελῶν ἐξόδων, βακχικῶς τάς τε ἐκστρατείας ποιουμένων τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἐξόδους μετὰ τυμπανισμοῦ καὶ εὐανθοῦς στολῆς· ὅπερ ἐπιπολάζει καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἰνδοῖς. Ἄορνον δέ τινα πέτραν, ἧς τὰς ῥίζας ὁ Ἰνδὸς ὑπορρεῖ πλησίον τῶν πηγῶν, Ἀλεξάνδρου κατὰ μίαν προσβολὴν ἑλόντος, σεμνύνοντες ἔφασαν τὸν Ἡρακλέα τρὶς μὲν προσβαλεῖν τῇ πέτρᾳ ταύτῃ τρὶς δʼ ἀποκρουσθῆναι. τῶν δὲ κοινωνησάντων αὐτῷ τῆς στρατείας ἀπογόνους εἶναι τοὺς Σίβας, σύμβολα τοῦ γένους σώζοντας τό τε δορὰς ἀμπέχεσθαι, καθάπερ τὸν Ἡρακλέα, καὶ τὸ σκυταληφορεῖν καὶ ἐπικεκαῦσθαι βουσὶ καὶ ἡμιόνοις ῥόπαλον. βεβαιοῦνται δὲ τὸν μῦθον τοῦτον καὶ ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὸν Καύκασον καὶ τὸν Προμηθέα· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα μετενηνόχασιν ἐκ τοῦ Πόντου δεῦρο ἀπὸ μικρᾶς προφάσεως, ἰδόντες σπήλαιον ἐν τοῖς Παροπαμισάδαις ἱερόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀνεδείξαντο Προμηθέως δεσμωτήριον, καὶ δεῦρο ἀφιγμένον τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλευθέρωσιν τοῦ Προμηθέως, καὶ τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν Καύκασον ὃν Ἕλληνες Προμηθέως δεσμωτήριον ἀπέφηναν. > From such stories as those related above, they gave the name of Nysaeans to some imaginary nation, and called their city Nysa, founded by Bacchus; a mountain above the city they called Meron, alleging as a reason for imposing these names that the ivy and vine grow there, although the latter does not perfect its fruit; for the bunches of grapes, in consequence of excessive rains, drop off before they arrive at maturity. > They say, also, that the Sydracae (Oxydracae) are descendants of Bacchus, because the vine grows in their country, and because their kings display great pomp in setting out on their warlike expeditions, after the Bacchie manner; whenever they appear in public, it is with beating of drums, and are dressed in flowered robes, which is the common custom among the other Indians. When Alexander took, on the first assault, Aornos, a fortress on a rock, the foot of which is washed by the Indus near its source, his flatterers exaggerated this act, and said that Hercules thrice assailed this rock and was thrice repulsed. > They pretended that the Sibae were descended from the people who accompanied Hercules in his expedition, and that they retained badges of their descent; that they wore skins like Hercules, and carried clubs, and branded with the mark of a club their oxen and mules. They confirm this fable with stories about Caucasus and Prometheus, for they transferred hither from Pontus these tales, on the slight pretence that they had seen a sacred cave among the Paropamisadae. This they alleged was the prison of Prometheus, that Hercules came hither to release Prometheus, and that this mountain was the Caucasus, to which the Greeks represent Prometheus as having been bound. > — Hans Claude Hamilton & William Falconer 1854, The Geography of Strabo - [Previous: 15.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.7) - [Next: 15.1.9](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.9) - [Up: 15.1](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1) ## Translations (2) - [The Geography of Strabo](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo~en-hamilton-falconer.15.1.8) — Hans Claude Hamilton & William Falconer 1854, English - [Ancient India as Described in Classical Literature (Strabo, book 15)](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo~en-mccrindle.15.1.8) — John Watson McCrindle 1901, English ## Linked texts (1) - [Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.economy.chandra-1977.c9.85) — Moti Chandra, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.strabo.15.1.8) · Pramāṇa