Stelle Meoparorum insidiae ruina multorum ...; (Cosmographia Aethici Istri (700 - 730), Aethicus Ister, Cosmographia, § 36c, ed. and trans. M. Herren, 40-42) [5782]

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ID 5782
Text Cosmographia Aethici Istri (700 - 730) Anonymous - Other
Quotation Meoparorum insidiae ruina multorum fieri. Gement naues mans praedonum crudelium sub latice fore dromones. Barbarica enim lingua "dromu uagines" pyrnas nuncupant, id est aquarum praedones sub aqua degentes. Idem ait philosophus ultra illas gentes uel insolas alias non esse, et in laboribus suis, quibus a meridie ambiuit per oceanum, nullarum partium [in] tam inaestimabiles artium multitudinis, similia opera, uel similitudine non inuenisse. Adserit Alexandrum magnum ibidem per obsidum foedera peraccessisse ob hoc tantum, ut hac causa naualium industrium consideraret astutiam, et ultra quam credi potest de eo famosissimas fabolas inquiunt. Aiunt enim in ipsas colimphas ipsum Alexandrum introisse et <in> profundum maris discendisse usque ad imum, ut (sciret] oceani profundum et diferentia maris et abyssi sciret. Nobis uero incredibile uidetur, philosophus namque per eorum adsertionem tantomodo hoe adfirmat. In amicitia secum Alexander ipsosi adplicuit et munera multa dedit eis, ibique aras magnas fixit quae usque nunc "Arae Alexandri Magni" dicuntur. Idemque ab ipsis Meoparis inuentum dicit bitumen, unde Caspias portas muniuit, in insola Tripicia paruola maris oceani, qtiod in nullas alias insolas uel orbem terrarum inueniri incognitum est.
Translation The ambushes of the Meopari become the ruin of many. The ships of the sea lament that the corsairs of the cruel pirates are beneath the water. They call the wandering corsairs pyrnae in the barbarian tongue, that is, pirates of the sea living under water. The same philosopher claims that there are no other peoples or island beyond these, and in his travails in which he sailed through Ocean from the South he discovered in no other regions such innumerable multitudes of skills, similar accomplishments, or anything like them. He asserts that Alexander the Great, through an exchange of hostages, went to the same region for this reason alone, that he might look into their skill in naval technology, and they relate tales about Alexander that defy credence. For example, they say how Alexander entered these submarines and descended <to> the very bottom of the sea in order to know its depth and the distance between the sea and the abyss. This seems incredible to us, especially as the philosopher affirms this only on their report. Alexander the Great joined these (people) to him in friendship, gave them many gifts, and erected great altars there, which even now are called the "Altars of Alexander the Great". The same (philosopher) als claims that the bitumen, which Alexander used to strengthen the Caspain Gates, and which was unknown on other islands or in [any part of] the world, [was] discovered by these same Meopari in the Isle of Tripicia, a tiny island in Ocean.
Quotation source Aethicus Ister, Cosmographia, § 36c, ed. and trans. M. Herren, 40-42
Temporal Coverage -356 - -323
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