O´XII MONTES
O´XII MONTES (
τὰ Ὤξεια ὄρη,
Ptol. 6.12. § § 1, 4), a chain of mountains between the rivers Oxus and Jaxartes, in a direction from SW. to NE., and which separated Scythia from Sogdiana. They are identified with the metalliferous group of
Asferah and
Aktagh--the
Botom, Botm, or
Botam ( “Mont Blanc” ) of Edrisi (ed, Jaubert, vol. ii. pp. 198--200). The OXI RUPES of Strabo (
Ὤξου πέτρα p. 517), which he also calls the hill-fort of Arimazes (Q.
Curt. 7.11), has been identified by Droysen, as quoted by Thirlwall (
Hist. of Greece, vol. vi. p. 300), with the pass of
Kolugha or
Derbend, in the
Kara-tagh, between
Kish and
Hissar; but as it is called the rock of the
OXUS it must be looked for on that river, and is probably
Kürghan-Tippa on the
Amü. (Wilson,
Ariana, p. 167; Ritter,
Erdkunde, vol. vii. p. 734; Humboldt,
Asie Centrale, vol. ii. pp. 18--20.)
[
E.B.J]
