THE DIMENSIONS OF THE EARTH

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Pars nostra terrarum, de qua memoro, ambienti, ut dictum est, oceano velut innatans longissime ab ortu ad occasum patet, hoc est ab India ad Herculis columnas Gadibus sacratas LXXXV. LXXVIII p., ut Artemidoro auctori placet, ut vero Isidoro, XCVIII. XVIII. Artemidorus adicit amplius a Gadibus circuitu Sacri promunturii ad promunturium Artabrum, quo longissime frons procurrat Hispaniae, DCCCCXCI. D. mensura currit duplici via: a Gange amne ostioque eius, quo se in Eoum oceanum effundit, per Indiam Parthyenenque ad Myriandrum urbem Syriae in Issico sinu positam LII.XV, inde proxima navigatione Cyprum insulam, Patara Lyciae, Rhodum, Astypalaeam in Carpathio mari insulam, Taenarum Laconicae, Lilybaeum Siciliae, Caralim Sardiniae XXI.XIII, deinde GadesXII.L???, quae mensura universa ab Eoo mari efficit LXXXV.LXXVIII. alia via, quae certior et iniri terreno maxime potest, a Gange ad Euphraten amnem LI.LXIX, inde Cappadociae Mazaca CCXLIIII, inde per Phrygiam, Cariam, Ephesum CCCCXCVIIII, ab Epheso per Aegaeum pelagus Delum CC, Isthmum CCXII.D, inde terra[et Laconico mari] et Corinthiaco sinu Patras Peloponnesi XC, Leucadem LXXXVII. D, Corcyram totidem, Acroceraunia LXXXII.D, Brundisium LXXXVII. D, Romam CCCLX, Alpes usque ad Scingomagum vicum DXVIIII, per Galliam ad Pyrenaeos montes IlliberimCCCCLXVIII, ad oceanum et Hispaniae oram DCCCXXXI, traiectu Gadis VII. D, quae mensura Artemidori ratione LXXXIXXLVefficit.

Latitudo autem terrae a meridiano situ ad septentriones, dimidio fere minor, Isidoro colligitLIIII.LXII, quo palam fit quantum et hinc vapor abstulerit et illinc rigor. neque enim deesse terris arbitror aut non esse globi formam, sed inhabitabilia utrimque inconperta esse. haec mensura currit a litore Aethiopici oceani, qua modo habitatur, ad Meroen DCXXV, inde Alexandriam XII. L??? Rhodum DLXXXIIII, Cnidum LXXXVII. D, CoumXXV, Samum C???, Chium XCIIII, MytilenenLXV, Tenedum CXIX, Sigeum promunturium XII. D, os Ponti CCCXII. D, Caram- bin promunturium CCCL, os MaeotisCCCXII. D, ostium Tanais CCLXXV, qui cursus conpendiis maris brevior fieri potest LXXIX. ab ostio Tanais nihil inmodicum diligentissimi auctores fecere. Artemidorus ulteriora inconperta existimavit, cum circa Tanain Sarmatarum gentes degere fateretur ad septentriones versus; Isidorus adiecit XII.L??? usque ad Thylen, quae coniectura divinationis est. ego non minore quam proxime dicto spatio Sarmatarum fines nosci intellego. et alioqui quantum esse debet quod innumerabiles gentes subinde sedem mutantes capiat? unde ulteriorem mensuram inhabitabilis plagae multo esse maiorem arbitror. nam et a Germania inmensas insulas non pridem conpertas cognitum habeo.

De longitudine ac latitudine haec sunt, quae digna memoratu putem. universum autem circuitum Erato-5 sthenes, in omnium quidem litterarum subtilitate, set in hac utique praeter ceteros solers, quem cunctis probari video, CCLII milium stadiorum prodidit, quae mensura Romana conputatione efficit trecentiens quindeciens centena milia passuum: inprobum ausum, verum ita subtili argumentatione conprehensum, ut pudeat non credere. Hipparchus, et in coarguendo eo et in reliqua omni diligentia mirus, adicit stadiorum paulo minus XXVI.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

Our part of the earth, of which I propose to give an account, floating as it were in the ocean which surrounds it (as I have mentioned above ), stretches out to the greatest extent from east to west, viz. from India to the Pillars consecrated to Hercules at Gades, being a distance of 8568 miles, according to the statement of Artemidorus, or according to that of Isidorus, 9818 miles. Artemidorus adds to this 491 miles, from Gades, going round by the Sacred Promontory, to the promontory of Artabrum, which is the most projecting part of Spain.

This measurement may be taken in two directions. From the Ganges, at its mouth, where it discharges itself into the Eastern ocean, passing through India and Parthyene, to Myriandrus, a city of Syria, in the bay of Issus, is a distance of 5215 miles. Thence, going directly by sea, by the island of Cyprus, Patara in Lycia, Rhodes, and Astypalæa, islands in the Carpathian sea, by Tænarum in Laconia, Lilybæum in Sicily and Calaris in Sardinia, is 2103 miles. Thence to Glades is 1250 miles, making the whole distance from the Eastern ocean 8568 miles.

The other way, which is more certain, is chiefly by land. From the Ganges to the Euphrates is 5169 miles; thence to Mazaca, a town in Cappadocia, is 319 miles; thence, through Phrygia and Caria, to Ephesus is 415 miles; from Ephesus, across the Ægean sea to Delos, is 200 miles; to the Isthmus is 212 1 ⁄ 2 miles; thence, first by land and afterwards by the sea of Lechæum and the gulf of Corinth, to Patræ in Peloponnesus, 90 miles; to the promontory of Leucate 87 1 ⁄ 2 miles; as much more to Corcyra; to the Acroceraunian mountains 132 1 ⁄ 2, to Brundisium 87 1 ⁄ 2, and to Rome 360 miles. To the Alps, at the village of Scingomagum, is 519 miles; through Gaul to Illiberis at the Pyrenees, 927; to the ocean and the coast of Spain, 331 miles; across the passage of Gades 7 1 ⁄ 2 miles; which distances, according to the estimate of Artemidorus, make altogether 8945 miles.

The breadth of the earth, from south to north, is commonly supposed to be about one-half only of its length, viz. 4490 miles; hence it is evident how much the heat has stolen from it on one side and the cold on the other: for I do not suppose that the land is actually wanting, or that the earth has not the form of a globe; but that, on each side, the uninhabitable parts have not been discovered. This measure then extends from the coast of the Æthiopian ocean, the most distant part which is habitable, to Meroë, 1000 miles; thence to Alexandria 1250; to Rhodes 562; to Cnidos 87 1 ⁄ 2; to Cos 25; to Samos 100; to Chios 94; to Mitylene 65; to Tenedos 44; to the promontory of Sigæum 12 1 ⁄ 2; to the entrance of the Euxine 312 1 ⁄ 2; to the promontory of Carambis 350; to the entrance of the Palus Mæotis 312 1 ⁄ 2; and to the mouth of the Tanais 275 miles, which distance, if we went by sea, might be shortened 89 miles. Beyond the Tanais the most diligent authors have not been able to obtain any accurate measurement. Artemidorus supposes that everything beyond is undiscovered, since he confesses that, about the Tanais, the tribes of the Sarmatæ dwell, who extend towards the north pole. Isidorus adds 1250 miles, as the distance to Thule; but this is mere conjecture. For my part, I believe that the boundaries of Sarmatia really extend to as great a distance as that mentioned above: for if it were not very extensive, how could it contain the innumerable tribes that are always changing their residence? And indeed I consider the uninhabitable portion of the world to be still greater; for it is well known that there are innumerable islands lying off the coast of Germany, which have been only lately discovered.

The above is all that I consider worth relating about the length and the breadth of the earth. But Eratosthenes, a man who was peculiarly well skilled in all the more subtle parts of learning, and in this above everything else, and a person whom I perceive to be approved by every one, has stated the whole of this circuit to be 252,000 stadia, which, according to the Roman estimate, makes 31,500 miles. The attempt is presumptuous, but it is supported by such subtle arguments that we cannot refuse our assent. Hipparchus, whom we must admire, both for the ability with which he controverts Eratosthenes, as well as for his diligence in everything else, has added to the above number not much less than 25,000 stadia.