"بعثة لإجراء عملية مسح لنهري دجلة والفرات، تم تنفيذها بأمر من الحكومة البريطانية، في السنوات ١٨٣٥، ١٨٣٦، ١٨٣٧؛ تسبقها إشعارات جغرافية وتاريخية للمناطق الواقعة بين نهري النيل والسند. في أربعة مجلّدات. مع أربع عشرة خريطة ورسمًا، ومزينة بثلاث عشرة لوحة، بالإضافة للعديد من الرسومات بالحفر على الخشب. المجلّد الأول." [‎٢‎٢‎٥] (٩٠٥/٢٨٨)

CHAP. X.]
ANCIENT PARTHIA.
225
This province represents the Hyrcania of Herodotus; 1 and,
according to Ptolemy, 2 it touches the Caspian Sea, and lies
west of Margiana, east of the Mardians, and. N.E, of Media.
Aster-abad and Khorasan together constitute the Parthia Parthia in
of Pliny, which had Aria to the east, Media Magna west, generaL
Chorasmia north, with Persis and Carmania to the south. 2
The original country, however, or Parthia Proper, was less
extensive, being confined to the mountainous district lying
between Hyrcania and Aria ; and of this district Hecatompylos
was the capital. 4
This at one time formed part of Hyrcania, and being but
a poor, mountainous, and wooded country, 5 it was not even
of sufficient importance, when it had become independent of
Hyrcania, to constitute a separate satrapy; since we find the
Parthians serving with three other contingents in the army
of Xerxes. 6
But at a later period its sovereignty extended over all the its divisions
countries beyond the Tigris and Euphrates, as far as the and cities '
shores of the Red Sea. 7 Ptolemy makes four great divisions
of this kingdom; the first, Parthia Proper, was on the
borders of Hyrcania, and was called Comisene; the second,
lying south of it, was Choroane; the third, Parsetacene;
and the last, Tabiene, which formed the south-eastern ex
tremity. 8 In addition to Hecatompylos, the capital, he
enumerates the cities of Pasacarta, Rhoara, Araciana, Charax,
Apamia, Rhagsea, and about 18 others, 9 the positions of
which are little known.
As a kingdom, Parthia goes back no further than the
time of Arsaces (about 256 years B.C.) ; but its cavalry, which
was numerous, early obtained a high reputation, in conse
quence of the dexterity which it had acquired in the use of
the bow while executing a feigned retreat.
1 Lib. VII., cap. Ixii. ' Lib. VJ., cap. ii., p. 170.
8 Pliny, lib. V., cap. xxix.
* Strabo, lib. XI., p. 514. 5 Ibid.
4 The Chorasmii, Sogdiani, and Arii.—Herod., lib. HI., cap. xciii.
7 Quintus Curtius, lib. VI , cap. ii,
8 Ptolemy, lib. VI., cap- v. 9 Ibid.
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