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1 This would apply to the north-eastern coasts of Siberia, if Pliny had had any idea of land situate in such high latitudes; but, on the contrary, as already remarked, he appears to have supposed that the continent of Asia terminated a little above the northern extremity of the Caspian. It would be a loss of time to guess what locality is meant by the Scythian Promontory.
2 Or "man-eaters."
3 This, it would appear, he looks upon as the extreme north-eastern point of Asia. Parisot suggests that the word Tabis is allied to the Mongol Daba, which signifies "mountain;" or else that it may have some affinity with Thibet."
4 The people of Serica, which country with Ptolemy corresponds to the north-western part of China, and the adjacent portions of Tibet and Chinese Tartary. The capital, Sera, is by most supposed to be Singan, on the Hoang-ho, but by some Peking. Pliny evidently refers to the same people, and has some notion of the locality of their country.
5 This is generally supposed to bear reference to the cloths exported by the Seres, as Serica, and corresponding to our silks. On examination, however, it will appear that he rather refers to some textures of cotton, such as calicos or muslins; it being not unknown to Pliny that silks or bombycina were the produce of the bombyx or silk-worm; see B. xi. c. 22. The use of the word "canities" points strongly to cotton as being the substance meant.
6 Whether it is silk or cotton that is here referred to, Pliny seems in this passage to allude to some peculiarity in the texture, which was perhaps so close, that when brought to the Western world it was the custom to draw out a portion of tie threads. In such case it perhaps strongly resembled the Chinese crapes of the present day. Speaking of Cleopatra in B. x. 141, of the Pharsalia, Lucan says, "Her white breasts are resplendent through the Sidonian fabric, which, wrought in close texture by the sley of the Seres, the needle of the workman of the Nile has separated, and has loosened the warp by stretching out the web."
7 He either refers to dresses consisting of nothing but open work, or what we may call fine lace, and made from the closely woven material imported from China, or else to the 'Coan vestments' which were so much worn by the Roman women, especially those of light character, in the Augustan age. This Coan tissue was remarkable for its extreme transparency. It has been supposed that these dresses were made of silk, as in the island of Cos silk was spun and woven at an early period, so much so as to obtain a high celebrity for the manufactures of that island. Seneca, B. vii. De Benef. severely censures the practice of wearing these thin garments. For further information on this subject, see B. xi. c. 26, 27, and B. xii. c. 22.
8 Meaning that they do not actively seek intercourse with the rest of the world, but do not refuse to trade with those who will take the trouble of resorting to them. This coincides wonderfully with the character of the Chinese even at the present day.
9 Ptolemy speaks of it as the Œchordas.
10 The headland of Malacca, in the Aurea Chersonnesns, was also called by this name, but it is hardly probable that that is the place here meant.
11 See B. iv. c. 18.
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- Commentary references to this page
(1):
- W. W. How, J. Wells, A Commentary on Herodotus, 4.86
- Cross-references to this page
(12):
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), CALINGAE
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), CANTABRAS
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), COLIS
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), DANDAGUDA
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), GEDRO´SIA
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), HYDASPES
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), INDUS
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), OTTOROCORRAS
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), PANDAE
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), PATTALE´NE
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), SORA
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), SYRASTRE
- Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (6):