Γεωγραφικά 2.3.5

2.3.5

Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν φησί μέχρι τῆς περὶ τὸν Εὔδοξον ἱστορίας ἥκω· τί δʼ ὕστερον συνέβη τοὺς ἐκ Γαδείρων καὶ τῆς Ἰβηρίας εἰκὸς εἰδέναι. ἐκ πάντων δὴ τούτων φησὶ δείκνυσθαι διότι ἡ οἰκουμένη κύκλῳ περιρρεῖται τῷ ὠκεανῷ· οὐ γάρ μιν δεσμὸς περιβάλλεται ἠπείροιο, ἀλλʼ ἐς ἀπειρεσίην κέχυται· τό μιν οὔτι μιαίνει. θαυμαστὸς δὴ κατὰ πάντα ἐστὶν ὁ Ποσειδώνιος, τὸν μὲν τοῦ μάγου περίπλουν, ὃν Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν, ἀμάρτυρον νομίσας, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ὑπὸ Δαρείου πεμφθέντων, ὃν Ἡρόδοτος ἱστορεῖ, τὸ δὲ Βεργαῖον διήγημα τοῦτο ἐν πίστεως μέρει τιθείς, εἴθʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεπλασμένον εἴτʼ ἄλλων πλασάντων πιστευθέν. τίς γὰρ ἡ πιθανότης πρῶτον μὲν τῆς κατὰ τὸν Ἰνδὸν περιπετείας; ὁ γὰρ Ἀράβιος κόλπος ποταμοῦ δίκην στενός ἐστι καὶ μακρὸς ἐπὶ μυρίοις που σταδίους μέχρι τοῦ στόματος, καὶ τούτου στενοῦ παντάπασιν ὄντος· οὐκ εἰκὸς δʼ οὔτʼ ἔξω που τὸν πλοῦν ἔχοντας εἰς τὸν κόλπον παρωσθῆναι τοὺς Ἰνδοὺς κατὰ πλάνην (τὰ γὰρ στενὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος δηλώσειν ἔμελλε τὴν πλάνην), οὔτʼ εἰς τὸν κόλπον ἐπίτηδες καταχθεῖσιν ἔτι πλάνης ἦν πρόφασις καὶ ἀνέμων ἀστάτων. λιμῷ τε πῶς περιεῖδον ἅπαντας ἀπολλυμένους σφᾶς πλὴν ἑνός; περιγενόμενός τε πῶς ἱκανὸς ἦν μόνος κατευθύνειν τὸ πλοῖον οὐ μικρὸν ὂν τά γε τηλικαῦτα πελάγη διαίρειν δυνάμενον; τίς δʼ ἡ ὀξυμάθεια τῆς διαλέκτου, ἀφʼ ἧς ἱκανὸς ἦν πεῖσαι τὸν βασιλέα, ὡς δυνάμενος τοῦ πλοῦ καθηγήσασθαι; τίς δʼ ἡ σπάνις τῷ Εὐεργέτῃ τῶν τοιούτων καθηγεμόνων, ἤδη γνωριζομένης ὑπὸ πολλῶν τῆς ταύτῃ θαλάττης; ὁ δὲ δὴ σπονδοφόρος καὶ θεωρὸς τῶν Κυζικηνῶν πῶς ἀφεὶς τὴν πόλιν εἰς Ἰνδοὺς ἔπλει; πῶς δὲ ἐπιστεύθη τηλικαύτην χρείαν; πῶς δʼ ἐπανιὼν ἀφαιρεθεὶς πάντα παρὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἀτιμωθεὶς ἔτι μείζονα ἐπιστεύθη παρασκευὴν δώρων; ἐπανιὼν δὲ καὶ παρενεχθεὶς εἰς τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν τίνος χάριν ἢ τὰς διαλέκτους ἀπεγράφετο, ἢ τὸ ἀκρόπρῳρον ἐπυνθάνετο τῆς ἁλιάδος πόθεν ἐκπέσοι; τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν ὅτι ἀπὸ δύσεως πλεόντων ἦν ναυάγιον οὐδενὸς ἔμελλεν ὑπάρξειν σημεῖον, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔμελλεν ἀπὸ δύσεως πλεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον. ἐλθὼν δʼ οὖν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, φωραθεὶς ὡς νενοσφισμένος πολλά, πῶς οὐκ ἐκολάσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ περιῄει τοὺς ναυκλήρους διαπυνθανόμενος, δεικνὺς ἅμα τὸ ἀκρόπρῳρον; ὁ δὲ γνωρίσας οὐχὶ θαυμαστός; ὁ δὲ πιστεύσας οὐ θαυμασιώτερος καὶ κατʼ ἐλπίδα τοιαύτην ἐπανιὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν καὶ μετοικισμὸν ἐκεῖθεν ποιησάμενος εἰς τὰ ἔξω στηλῶν; ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἐξὸν ἦν ἄνευ προστάγματος ἐξ Ἀλεξανδρείας ἀνάγεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα νενοσφισμένῳ βασιλικὰ χρήματα. οὐδέ γε λαθεῖν ἐκπλεύσαντα ἐνεδέχετο τοσαύτῃ φρουρᾷ κεκλεισμένου τοῦ λιμένος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξόδων, ὅσην καὶ νῦν ἔτι διαμένουσαν ἔγνωμεν ἡμεῖς ἐπιδημοῦντες τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ πολὺν χρόνον, καίτοι τὰ νῦν πολὺ ἀνεῖται, Ῥωμαίων ἐχόντων· αἱ βασιλικαὶ δὲ φρουραὶ πολὺ ἦσαν πικρότεραι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἀπῆρεν εἰς τὰ Γάδειρα καὶ ναυπηγησάμενος ἔπλει βασιλικῶς, διαλυθέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ πλοίου, πῶς μὲν ἐναυπηγήσατο τρίτον λέμβον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ; πῶς δὲ πλέων πάλιν καὶ εὑρὼν τοὺς ἑσπερίους Αἰθίοπας τοῖς ἑῴοις ὁμογλώττους οὐκ ὠρέχθη διανύσαι τὸν ἑξῆς πλοῦν, οὕτω χαῦνος ὢν πρὸς τὸ φιλέκδημον, μικρὸν ἔχειν ἐλπίσας λοιπὸν τὸ ἄγνωστον, ἀλλʼ ἀφεὶς ταῦτα τῆς διὰ Βόγου ναυστολίας ἐπεθύμησε; πῶς δʼ ἔγνω τὴν λάθρᾳ κατʼ αὐτοῦ συνισταμένην ἐπιβουλήν; τί δὲ τοῦτʼ ἦν τῷ Βόγῳ πλεονέκτημα ὁ τἀνθρώπου ἀφανισμός, ἐξὸν ἄλλως ἀποπέμψασθαι; γνοὺς δὲ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν πῶς ἔφθη φυγὼν εἰς ἀσφαλεῖς τόπους; ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἀδύνατον μέν, ἀλλὰ χαλεπὸν καὶ σπανίως γινόμενον μετὰ τύχης τινός· τῷ δʼ εὐτυχεῖν ἀεὶ συνέβαινεν εἰς κινδύνους καθισταμένῳ συνεχεῖς. πῶς δʼ οὐκ ἔδεισεν ἀποδρὰς τὸν Βόγον πλεῖν πάλιν παρὰ τὴν Λιβύην σὺν παρασκευῇ δυναμένῃ συνοικίσαι νῆσον; οὐ πολὺ οὖν ἀπολείπεται ταῦτα τῶν Πυθέου καὶ Εὐημέρου καὶ Ἀντιφάνους ψευσμάτων. ἀλλʼ ἐκείνοις μὲν συγγνώμη τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ ἐπιτηδεύουσιν, ὥσπερ τοῖς θαυματοποιοῖς· τῷ δʼ ἀποδεικτικῷ καὶ φιλοσόφῳ, σχεδὸν δέ τι καὶ περὶ πρωτείων ἀγωνιζομένῳ, τίς ἂν συγγνοίη; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὐκ εὖ.

Thus far, says Posidonius, I have followed the history of Eudoxus. What happened afterwards is probably known to the people of Gades and Iberia; but, says he, all these things only demonstrate more clearly the fact, that the inhabited earth is entirely surrounded by the ocean. By no continent fettered in, But boundless in its flow, and free from soil. Posidonius is certainly a most strange writer; he considers that the voyage of the Magus, related by Heraclides, wants sufficient evidence, and also the account given by Herodotus of those sent out [to explore] by Darius. But this Bergaean nonsense, either the coinage of his own brain, or of some other story-teller, in whom he trusts, he pretends to be worthy of our belief. But in the first place, what is there credible in this tale of the Indian missing his way? The Arabian Gulf, which resembles a river, is narrow, and in length is from 5000 to 10,000 stadia up to its mouth, where it is narrowest of all. It is not likely that the Indians in their voyage out would have entered this Gulf by mistake. The extreme narrowness of the mouth must have warned them of their error. And if they entered it voluntarily, then there was no excuse for introducing the pretext of mistake and uncertain winds. And how did they suffer all of themselves but one to perish through hunger? And how was it that this surviver was able to manage the ship, which could not have been a small one either, fitted as it was for traversing such vast seas?

What must have been his aptitude in learning the language of the country, and thus being able to persuade the king of his competence, as leader of the expedition? And how came it that Euergetes was in want of such guides, so many being already acquainted with this sea? How was it that he who was sent by the inhabitants of Cyzicus to carry libations and sacrifices, should forsake his city and sail for India? How was it that so great an affair was intrusted to him? And how came it that on his return, after being deprived of every thing contrary to expectation, and disgraced, a yet larger cargo of goods was intrusted to him? And when he had again returned into Ethiopia, what cause induced him to write down the words, or to inquire whence came the portion of the prow of the boat? For to learn that it was a ship of some sailing from the west, would have been no information to him, as he himself would have to sail from the west on his voyage back. When, on his return to Alexandria, he was detected in having appropriated to himself much of the merchandise, how came it that he was not punished, but allowed to go about interrogating the pilots, and exhibiting his bit of prow? And that one of these fellows actually recognised the relic, is it not delicious! Eudoxus too believed it, this is still richer; and inspired by the hope, hastens home, and then starts on a voyage beyond the Pillars of Hercules!

But he could never have left Alexandria without a passport, still less after having stolen the royal property. To set sail on the sly was impossible, as the port and every other exit was kept by a numerous guard, which still exists, as we very well know who have lived in Alexandria for a long time, although it is not so strict since the Romans have had possession, but under the kings the guards were infinitely more alert. But allowing that he reached Gades, that he there constructed ships, and sailed thence with quite a royal fleet, when his vessel was shattered, by what means was he able to construct a third boat in a desert land? And when, being again on his voyage, he found that the Ethiopians of the West spoke the same language as those of the East, how came it that he, so proud of his travelling propensities, forgot the completion of his voyage, when he must have had so good an expectation that there was but little now left unexplored, but relinquishing these prospects, set his mind on the expedition being undertaken by Bogus? How did he become acquainted with the snare spread for him by that king? And what advantage would have accrued to Bogus by making away with the man, rather than by dismissing him? When Eudoxus learned the plot against himself, what means had he to escape to safer quarters? It is true that not one of these situations was actually impossible, but still they were difficult circumstances, such as one rarely escapes from by any prosperous fortune.

However, he always came off with good luck, notwithstanding he was never out of danger. Besides this, how did it happen, that having escaped from Bogus, he was not afraid to sail round Africa a second time, with all the requisites for taking up his abode on the island? All this too closely resembles the false-hoods of Pytheas, Euhemerus, and Antiphanes. They however may be pardoned; for their only aim was that of the juggler. But who can forgive a demonstrator and philosopher, and one too striving to be at the head of their order? it is really too bad!