OECHARDES
OECHARDES (
Οἰχάρδης,
Ptol. 6.16. § § 3, 4), a river of Serica, the sources of which Ptolemy (
I. c.) places in the Auxasii M., Asmiraei M., and Casii M., the latter of which mountain ranges we may safely identify with the chain of
Kaschgar. The statement of Ptolemy, coming through Marinus, who derived his knowledge of the trading route of the Seres from Titianus of Macedonia, also called Maes, the son of a merchant who had sent his commercial agents into that country (
Ptol. 1.11.7), indicates a certain amount of acquaintance with that singular depression in Central Asia which lies to the E. of
Pamír, the structure of which has been inferred from the direction of its water-courses. The Oechardes may be considered to represent the river formed by the union of the streams of
Khotan, Yarkand, Kaschgar, and
Ushi, and which flows close to the hills at the base of
Thian-Schan. The OECHARDAE (
Οἰχάρδαι, Ptol. 6.16.4) deriving their name from the river must be assigned to this district. [
SERICA]
[
E.B.J]
