The Greeks in Bactria and India c26.12

c26.12

¹ Strabo XI, 498. Seleucus’ alleged intention to connect the Caspian and the Black Sea by a canal (Pliny VI, 31) meant connecting the Cyrus and the Phasis by a waterway to do away with this land porterage and avoid breaking bulk. The Soviet government to-day have a plan to connect the Caspian and the Sea of Azov by a ship canal (the Manych canal) a long way to the north of the Cyrus (N. Mikhaylov, *Soviet geography* 1935 p. 192 and Plan p. 185); but this goes far beyond anything which Seleucus can have dreamt of, and would traverse country unknown to him.