115
But Timosthenes, the author of the Circumnavigations, says there are twelve. Between
the Aparktias and Kaikias he adds Boreas (NNE); between Euros and Notos, Phoinix
(approx. SSE), also called Euronotos; between Notos and Lips, Leukonotos or Libonotos
(approx. SSW); between Aparktias and Argestes, Thraskias (approx. NNW), also
Kirkios by those living around that area.
He states that the nations living at the furthest points towards Apeliotes are the Baktrians;
towards Euros the Indians; towards Phoinix (lie) the Erythraian sea and Arabia; towards
Notos the Aithiopia that is beyond Egypt; towards Leukonotos the Garamantes beyond the
Syrteis; towards Lips the western (dysmikoi) Aithiopians, beyond the Mauroi;
towards Zephyros the Pillars (of Herakles, i.e. strait of Gibraltar) and the beginnings of
Libyē
31 and Europe; towards Argestes Iberia, what is now Hispania; towards Thraskias
Thracians; towards Boreas the Pontos, Maiotis (sea of Azov), and the Sarmatai; and towards
Kaikias the Caspian sea and the Sakai.
In the last paragraph (as divided here), I have retained the wind names rather than
replace them with compass directions (which would give phrases such as ‘at the
furthest points to the east are the Baktrians’); no consideration of intelligibility
mandates such replacement, a point we shall return to later. In the first paragraph,
however, a recent translator who preserves the wind names renders three of the
directional terms and phrases literally, but inconsistently replaces the fourth with a
conventional cardinal term:
vom Punkt des Sonnenaufgangs zur Zeit des Äquinoktiums der Apeliotes, vom Punkt des
Sonnenuntergangs zur Zeit des Äquinoktiums der Zephyros, vom Mittagspunkt her der
Notos, vom Nordpunkt her der Aparktias.
32 (italics added)
(from the point where the sun rises at the time of the equinox the Apeliotes, from the point
where the sun sets at the time of the equinox the Zephyros, from the midday point the
Notos, from the north point [rather than ‘from the Bear’] the Aparktias.)
For greater consistency, after making mesēmbria ‘the midday point’, we might
render arktos here as ‘the bear’.
But is it right always to translate the eight words for the four cardinal points only
by the four conventional words in English? Might it not be truer to the original
author’s intentions to use the primary sense of each of the Greek terms: bear(s) and
north wind; dawn and rising; south wind and midday; evening and setting?
31 I use ‘Libyē’ rather than ‘Libya’ for Greek Λιβύη, as it denotes Africa as a whole.
32 Meyer 2013, fr. 3.
Sun, Sea, and Sky: On Translating Directions (and Other Terms) in the Greek Geographers
But Timosthenes, the author of the Circumnavigations, says there are twelve. Between
the Aparktias and Kaikias he adds Boreas (NNE); between Euros and Notos, Phoinix
(approx. SSE), also called Euronotos; between Notos and Lips, Leukonotos or Libonotos
(approx. SSW); between Aparktias and Argestes, Thraskias (approx. NNW), also
Kirkios by those living around that area.
He states that the nations living at the furthest points towards Apeliotes are the Baktrians;
towards Euros the Indians; towards Phoinix (lie) the Erythraian sea and Arabia; towards
Notos the Aithiopia that is beyond Egypt; towards Leukonotos the Garamantes beyond the
Syrteis; towards Lips the western (dysmikoi) Aithiopians,
towards Zephyros the Pillars (of Herakles, i.e. strait of Gibraltar) and the beginnings of
Libyē
31 and Europe; towards Argestes Iberia, what is now Hispania; towards Thraskias
Thracians; towards Boreas the Pontos, Maiotis (sea of Azov), and the Sarmatai; and towards
Kaikias the Caspian sea and the Sakai.
In the last paragraph (as divided here), I have retained the wind names rather than
replace them with compass directions (which would give phrases such as ‘at the
furthest points to the east are the Baktrians’); no consideration of intelligibility
mandates such replacement, a point we shall return to later. In the first paragraph,
however, a recent translator who preserves the wind names renders three of the
directional terms and phrases literally, but inconsistently replaces the fourth with a
conventional cardinal term:
vom Punkt des Sonnenaufgangs zur Zeit des Äquinoktiums der Apeliotes, vom Punkt des
Sonnenuntergangs zur Zeit des Äquinoktiums der Zephyros, vom Mittagspunkt her der
Notos, vom Nordpunkt her der Aparktias.
32 (italics added)
(from the point where the sun rises at the time of the equinox the Apeliotes, from the point
where the sun sets at the time of the equinox the Zephyros, from the midday point the
Notos, from the north point [rather than ‘from the Bear’] the Aparktias.)
For greater consistency, after making mesēmbria ‘the midday point’, we might
render arktos here as ‘the bear’.
But is it right always to translate the eight words for the four cardinal points only
by the four conventional words in English? Might it not be truer to the original
author’s intentions to use the primary sense of each of the Greek terms: bear(s) and
north wind; dawn and rising; south wind and midday; evening and setting?
31 I use ‘Libyē’ rather than ‘Libya’ for Greek Λιβύη, as it denotes Africa as a whole.
32 Meyer 2013, fr. 3.
Sun, Sea, and Sky: On Translating Directions (and Other Terms) in the Greek Geographers