'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎225] (288/905)

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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