The Greeks in Bactria and India c24.8

c24.8

We have then in Pliny bits of some Hellenistic account of a settlement about the Amanis (Minab) river country reaching roughly from Alexandria-Gulashkird to the sea, with a harbour town on the Gulf of Ormuz which did a large trade. There seems to be no other place along the Carmanian coast where a settlement on any scale could be made; and this district, not Kerman, was the essential ‘Carmania’. ‘Alexander’s’ altars on C. Jask are like ‘Alexander’s’ attempt to establish agriculture in Gedrosia (p. 260): both refer to some Hellenistic ruler. Pliny’s Zetis (not noticed by Tscherikower) is not another town but only a nickname for Harmozia;¹ it is a corruption of a transliteration of ζήτησις² (or perhaps ζητεῖς) made in Pliny’s usual fashion,³ and is a parallel to Prophthasia (p. 14); as the latter city was nicknamed ‘Anticipation’ (not of course by Alexander) in allusion to Alexander’s anticipation of Philotas’ conspiracy, so Harmozia was nicknamed ‘The Search’ in allusion to Nearchus’ search for Alexander. The name Portus Macedonum should show that the place was hellenised.