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The Scordisci lived along the Ister and were divided into two tribes called the Great Scordisci and the Little Scordisci. The former lived between two rivers that empty into the Ister—the Noarus,1 which flows past Segestica, and the Margus2 (by some called the Bargus), whereas the Little Scordisci lived on the far side of this river,3 and their territory bordered on that of the Triballi and the Mysi. The Scordisci also held some of the islands; and they increased to such an extent that they advanced as far as the Illyrian, Paeonian, and Thracian mountains; accordingly, they also took possession of most of the islands in the Ister. And they also had two cities—Heorta and Capedunum.4 After the country of the Scordisci, along the Ister, comes that of the Triballi and the Mysi (whom I have mentioned before),5 and also the marshes of that part of what is called Little Scythia which is this side the Ister (these too I have mentioned).6 These people, as also the Crobyzi and what are called the Troglodytae, live above7 the region round about Callatis,8 Tomis,9 and Ister.10 Then come the peoples who live in the neighborhood of the Haemus Mountain and those who live at its base and extend as far as the Pontus—I mean the Coralli, the Bessi, and some of the Medi11 and Dantheletae. Now these tribes are very brigandish themselves, but the Bessi, who inhabit the greater part of the Haemus Mountain, are called brigands even by the brigands. The Bessi live in huts and lead a wretched life; and their country borders on Mount Rhodope, on the country of the Paeonians, and on that of two Illyrian peoples—the Autariatae, and the Dardanians. Between these12 and the Ardiaei are the Dassaretii, the Hybrianes,13 and other insignificant tribes, which the Scordisci kept on ravaging until they had depopulated the country and made it full of trackless forests for a distance of several days' journey.
1 See 7. 5. 2.
2 Now the Morava.
3 i.e. east of the Margus.
4 The sites of these places are unknown. Groskurd and Forbiger identify them with what are now Heortberg (Hartberg) and Kappenberg (Kapfenstein).
5 7. 3. 7, 8, 10, 13.
6 7. 4. 5.
7 i.e. “in the interior and back of.”
8 Now Mangalia, on the Black Sea.
9 Now Kostanza.
10 Now Karanasib.
11 Cp. 7. 5. 7 and the footnote.
12 The word “these” would naturally refer to the Autariatae and the Dardanians, but it might refer to the Bessi (see next footnote).
13 The “Hybrianes” are otherwise unknown. Casaubon and Meineke emend to “Agrianes” (cp. 7. 5. 11 and Fragments 36, 37 and 41). If this doubtful emendation be accepted, the “these” (see preceding footnote) must refer to the Bessi.
Strabo. ed. H. L. Jones, The Geography of Strabo. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
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