Lucius Ampelius

“ On the Course of the Sea The sea which bounds the world is called Ocean. This breaks into the land in four places: from the north is called the Caspian, from the east the Persian, from the south the Arabian (also called the Red Sea or the Erythraean) , to the west is the Great Sea (also the Athlantic) ; which is traversed by the traffic of the whole human race. ”

“ At Olympia, there is a noble Temple of Jupiter, where the athletes are initiated. At Corinth, there is a giant rib of a whale by the sea, which a man cannot reach his arms around. In the same place there is a sanctuary of Venus, containing a marble vase of Lais. ”

“ Two Scipiones, the older of whom was Africanus, who brought the war against Hannibal to an end and even did this in Africa. The other, Scipio, the younger one, is Numantius, who demolished Carthage and Numantian, thereby subduing Africa and Hispania. Quintus Nero, who drew out Hasdrubal, when he was coming from Hispania to Hannibal who was stuck in Apulia, and eliminated his forces in a single day at the Metaurus River - if Hasdrubal had joined up with Hannibal, it cannot be doubted the Roman people would not have been a match for them. ”

“ In Asia, the most famous peoples are: the Indians, the Chinese, the Persians, the Medians, the Parthians, the Arabs, the Bithynians, the Phrygians, the Cappadocians, the Cilicians, the Syrians, and the Lycians. In Europe, the most famous peoples are: the Scythians, the Sarmatians, the Germans, the Dacians, the Moesians, the Thracians, the Macedonians, the Dalmatians, the Pannonians, the Illyrians, the Greeks, the Italians, the Gauls, and the Spanish. ”

“ Pandion was the king whogave his daughters, Procne and Philomela to the kings of Thrace, in order to befriend the barbarous peoples with a marriage tie. Theseus was the son of Aegeus, who killed the Minotaur. Demophon was the son of Theseus, fought gainst Ilium with the Greeks. Codrus was the king who sacrificed himself during the Peloponnesian War in obedience to the Oracle of Apollo for the health and safety of his fatherland. Pisistratus, a strong and wise man, who espoused the populist cause against the leading men, established a tyranny, and administered it very justly. ”

“ Since you want to know everything, I have written this handbook for you, so that you may know what the universe is, what the elements are, what planet Earth contains, and what the human race have accomplished. ”

“ Hannibal, who accompanied his father to Hispania when he was nine, became commander when he was less than 25, conquered Hispania within three years. Then, by the destruction of Saguntum, he broke the treaty and came over the Pyreanees and the Alps into Italy. He overcame Scipio Ticinum, Tiberius Claudius at Trebia, Flaminius at Trasimene, Paulus and Varro at Cannae, Gracchus in Lucania, and Marcellus in Campania. * * * 29. What alterations the state of the Roman people has undergone Initially, the Roman people were under kings. ”

“ Sertorius, who was outlawed by Sylla and fled into exile, and gained control of almost the whole of Hispania in a very short time and was always unconquerable by adverse fortune. Lucullus, who gained the greatest wealth from the spoils of the Province of Asia and was exceptionally keen on buildings and paintings. Pompey, who conquered the Armenians under King Tigranes, the Ponticans under King Mithridates, the Cilicias who were dominating the whole sea within forty days, and traversed the greater part of Asia between the Caspian Ocean and the Red Sea with his victories and triumphs. ”

“ On Empires From the beginning of the memory of time, there have been seven empires. The first who were in charge of things were the Assyrians, then the Medians, after that, the Persians, then the Lacedaemonians, then the Athenians, after whom came the Macedonians, and then the Romans.
11. Kings of the Assyrians King Belus, son of Jupiter, [122] whose descendants by Ninus reigned over Asia, by Aegyptus over Libya, by Danaus over Europe. King Ninus, who first brought almost the whole of Asia under his control with an army and founded the most brilliant city, named Ninos after himself. ”

“ Phocion, who was a man nicknamed "the Good" and could not be convinced by Philip to come over to his side by any amount of money; who said, when his friends advised him to think of his children, that "if they are good, this little farm will be enough for them; if they are bad, nothing will." Chabrias was the general who taught a soldier to fight in the manner of a gladiator, added Cyprus, Naxos and all the Asian islands to Athens, and preferred to die in the naval battle at Chios than to discard his weapons and swim away. ”

“ He soon brought the king of the Indians and all the peoples of Asia under his control and captured the most noble cities of Asia: Sardes, Bactra, Susa, Babylonia. At the last of these he died (whether from excessive drinking or from poison is unclear) , although before that he had travelled through Africa all the way to Jupiter Ammon [132] and become the first of all men to sail on the Ocean. ”

“ National, which are waged against foreigners Social, which [are waged against allies] , like the Romans against the Latins, the Athenians against the Lacedaemonians Servile, which the Romans waged against fugitive slaves and against their leaders - Spartacus, Crixus, and Oenomaus Civil, which they fight amongst themselves, just as Marius and Sulla, Caesar and Pompey, Augustus and Antony. ”

“ There are seven particularly important stars in the sky: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. They are called planetae by the Greeks, "wanderers" by us, because they travel according to their own judgement and peoples' fates are governed by their movements. Thus, they move in a direction opposite to that of the sky. ”

“ The most famous mountains on Planet Earth are: Caucasus in Scythia, Emodus in India, [44] Libanus in Syria, [45] Olympus in Macedonia, Hymettus in Attica, Taygetus in Lacedaemonia, Cithaeron and Helicon in Boeotia, Parnasos in Phocis, Acroceraunia in Epirus, [46] Maenalus in Arcadia, the Apennines in Italy, Eryx in Sicily, the Alps between Gaul and Italy, the Pyrenees between Gaul and Spain, Athlans in Africa, [47] Calpe in the Strait of the Ocean. ”

“ For the destruction of Carthage that had been begun by Manlius the Consul was completed by Scipio Aemilianus [and] Carthage was burnt and all forces in Africa were crushed forever, because, contrary to the peace treaty, the Carthaginians had repaired their fleets and bore arms to their borders. 47. Up to the reign of Emperor Trajan, who was conquered and by which general Through Flaminius the Consul [the Roman people] conquered the Macedonians. Through Paulus the Consul, [the Macedonians again] , since they had rebelled under king Perses. Through the Scipiones Africani, the Carthaginians. ”

“ Samiramis, daughter of the nymph Dercetis, was raised by doves and was the wife of King Ninus, after whose death she expanded Ninus' kingdom through warfare; she also made an attempt on India in an insufficiently successful campaign. She established the most beautiful city which there ever was, Babylon, on the River Euphrates. ”

“ Curius: who was cooking turnips on the hearth, said to the men offering [him lots of money] "I would prefer to stick with my earthenware and command those who have gold." Fabricius Luscinus, who removed Cornelius Rufinus (the former consul) from the Senate after condemning him of luxury and greed, because he possessed ten pounds of silver. Claudius Marcellus, who first defeated Hannibal in battle in Campania; he also taught the cavalry how to retreat in battle without fleeing. ”

“ The handsome king of Armenia * * * who lost his army to storm and blizzard after he had made an attack on Greece and burnt the temple of Pythian Apollo. * * * Polycrates, king of Cappadocia, [157] who dreamt that he burnt the Sun and Moon and was killed by a prefect of King Darius. Epaminon his son the king * * * who Thebes in Greece [158] * * * he prevailed in battle. Periandrus * * * king * * * who reigned over Corinth. He conquered everything on land and sea for the Romans. ”

“ Caesar had the Gallic army, Crassus the Syrian army, Pompey relied on his men to dominated the Senate. After Crassus died among the Parthians * * * Barbarus Asculanus, Quintus Lutatius Catulus.
44. [On the Macedonian War] The Roman people waged war with the Macedonians three times: under Consul Flamininus, they defeated King Philip, under Paulus, Philip's son Perses, under Metellus Macedonicus the False Philip. The cause of the first war was the Greeks' complaints about injuries received from the Macedonians, the cause of the second was Perses' breach of the treaty established by his father ”

“ Ti<m>oleon, who killed his brother when he was reigning over Corinth; he expelled Dionysius, king of Syria [160] and did not accept the kingdom when it was offered to him, but even demolished the citadel. When he heard an insult shouted at him he said: Everything I did in my whole life, I did so that we all could be free. [161] 33. Kings of Asia and Pergamum Eumenes of Cardia, Philip's * * * Alexander's most bellicose shield-bearer, but he employed his good fortune too little, yet was so terrible that while he was living no one ared to call themselves "king". ”

“ Its thickness is 30 cubits, its height is 130 cubits, and its circuit is 30 miles. [99] Semiramis began this; her son completed it. [100] The Pyramids in Egypt, which Agartus built. At this place, there is the Nile River, [101] made with bronze, braided for three hundred cubits, [102] its face made from glowing emerald, its arms from lots of ivory; and beasts are terrified by its appearance. In Athens there is a statue of Jupiter Olympius, at Alexandria they worship the Nile River most of all. ”

“ The Cimbri crossed into Italy over the part of the Alps near w:Trento shortly before their final defeat by the Romans at w:Battle of Vercellae↑ w:Third Servile War↑ Presumably the fourth must be w:Scipio Africanus (the Publius Scipio mentioned above) , who drove the Carthaginians out of Hispania and then crossed over to Africa where he defeated them decisively and brought the war to an end.↑ This is not true.↑ Caesar was actually repulsed in Britain; it was only conquered by the Emperor Claudius.↑ Trajan conquered the Dacians and briefly drove the Parthians out of Mesopotamia. ”

“ Gemini↑ This is a mystery cult practiced at the sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace -- w:Samothrace temple complex -- and popular among ancient seafarers.↑ These are the w:Dioscuri, sons of Jupiter by Leda and brothers of Helen of Troy.↑ i.e. ”