Dionysius Periegetes, Orbis Descriptio

Τῶν πρὸς μέν βορέην ἐριθηλέα γαῖαν ἔχουσι

Of these, the fertile land toward the north is held

Τηλοί τε Μάρδοι τε καὶ ἀνέρες Ἀτροπατηνοί.

by the Teloi and the Mardoi and the men of Atropatene.

Πρὸς δὲ νότον ναίουσιν ἀγαυῶν ἔθνεα Μήδων,

To the south dwell the tribes of the noble Medes,

κείνης τοι γενεῆς ἐρικυδέος ἐκγεγαῶτες

sprung, you know, from that glorious lineage

Αἰήταο θυγατρὸς, ἀμύμονος ἡρωίνης.

of the daughter of Aeetes, the blameless heroine.

Εὖτε γὰρ Ἀκταίοιο παρὰ ῥόον Ἰλισσοῖς

For when, beside the stream of Attic Ilissus,

φάρμακʼ ἐμήσατο λυγρὰ γόνῳ Πανδιονίδαο,

she contrived baneful drugs for the son of Pandion’s son,

αἰδοῖ μὲν χῶρον κεῖνον λίπεν, ἐς δὲ βαθεῖαν,

she left that place for shame, and into a deep-soiled

πλαζομένη κατὰ φῶτας, ὁμώνυμον ἵκετο γαῖαν,

land that bore her name she came, wandering among men,

οὐ μὲν ἑκὰς Κόλχων· Κόλχωνγε μὲν αἶαν ἱκέσθαι

not far from the Colchians; for to reach the land of the Colchians

οὔ οἱ ἔην· μῆνιν γὰρ ἑοῦ δειδίσσετο πατρός.

was not open to her: she dreaded her father’s wrath.

Τοὔνεκεν εἰσέτι νῦν πολυφάρμακοι ἄνδρες ἔασι

That is why even now there are men rich in drugs,

χώρην ναιετάοντες ἀπείριτον, οἱ μὲν ἐπʼ αὐτὰς

dwelling in a boundless country, some on the very

πέτρας, αἳ φύουσιν ἀφεγγέα ναρκισσίτην,

rocks that grow the lustreless narcissite,