On the Naming of Rivers, Mountains, and Things Found in Them (11-15)

The Strymon is a river in Thrace near the city of Hedonis. It used to be called Palaistinos after Palaistinos, son of Poseidon. While waging war against neighbouring cities he fell ill and sent his son Haliacmon to serve as general. Fighting recklessly, Haliacmon was killed. When Palaistinos heard what had happened, he sneaked away from his bodyguards and grief caused him to throw himself into the Conozon river, which was renamed the Palaistinos after him. Strymon, son of Ares and Helice, heard about the death of Rhesos, was overwhelmed with despair, and hurled himself into the Palaistinos, which was renamed the Strymon after him.

There is produced in this river a stone called pausilypos (pain-reliever). If someone suffering in grief finds it, they are immediately relieved of the condition that afflicts them. Iason of Byzantium recounts this in his On Thrace.

Nearby are Mount Rhodope and Mount Haimos. These two happened to be siblings who fell in love with each other. He called her Hera and she gave him the pet name Zeus. Insulted and angered by this, the gods transformed both into mountains with the same names.

On these mountains are produced stones called philadelphoi (sibling love), which are ravenblack in colour and human-like in form. When these are placed apart from each other and their name spoken aloud, they both immediately shatter. Thrasyllos of Mendes records this in book 3 of his On Stones. He records it more precisely in his On Thrace.

The Sagaris is a river in Phrygia. It used to be called the Xerobates (running dry) because of the following circumstance: in summertime, it is often seen to be dry. It was named Sagaris for this reason. Sagaris, son of Mygdonos and Alexirrhoe, was contemptuous of the mysteries of the Mother of the Gods and acted arrogantly towards priests and galloi.[*] Insulted by the situation, she inflicted madness on the aforementioned. When he was out of his mind, he threw himself into the Xerobates, which was renamed the Sagaris after him.

There is produced in this river a stone called autoglyphos (self-depicter). It is found engraved with the Mother of the Gods. Whenever someone about to be castrated finds this stone, which is rarely, they are not affected but bravely endure the sight of this unnatural event. Aretades[*] recounts this in his On Phrygia.

Nearby is a mountain called Ballenaion, which translates as royal. It takes its name from Ballenaios, son of Ganymede and Medesigiste. When Ballenaios saw that his father was wasting away, he established a royal feast-day for the locals, which is still called Ballenaios today.

There is produced on this mountain a stone called aster (star). This typically shines like fire in the middle of the night at the beginning of autumn. It is called in the local dialect ballen which translates as king. Hermesianax of Cyprus recounts this in book 2 of his On Phrygia.

The Scamandros is a river in the Troad. It used to be called the Χanthos but was renamed for this reason. Scamandros, son of Corybas and Demodice, accidentally saw the initiates of Rhea’s mysteries. He went mad and, driven by a sudden impulse, went to the Xanthos, and threw himself into it. It was renamed the Scamandros after him.

There is produced in this river a plant called seistros (rattle), which resembles vetch but has seeds that shake to and fro, from which it takes its name. Those who hold it fear neither visions nor divine sightings. Demostratos recounts this in book 2 of his On Plants.

Nearby is Mount Ida, which used to be called Gargaros, where there happen to be altars of Zeus and the Mother of the Gods. It was renamed Ida for this reason. Aigesthios, the offspring of Diosphoros, fell in love with the maiden Ida, lay with the aforementioned, and fathered with her the so-called[*] Idaean Dactyls. Because she lost her senses in the innermost sanctuary of Rhea, Aigesthios, in honour of the aforementioned, renamed the mountain Ida.

There is produced on the mountain a stone, kryphios (concealed), which appears only to initiates of the gods. Heracleitos of Sicyon recounts this in book 2 of his On Stones.

The Tanais is a river in Scythia. It used to be called the Amazonios because the Amazons bathed in it. It was renamed for this reason. Tanais, son of Berossos and Lysippe, one of the Amazons, was supremely chaste and hated all women. He worshipped only Ares and considered marriage dishonourable. Aphrodite forced him to desire his own mother. At the outset he fought against his feelings but, defeated by inescapable arrows of love and wanting to remain pious, he hurled himself into the Amazonios, which was renamed the Tanais after him.

There is produced in this river a plant called halinda. It has leaves like cabbage. The locals pound it up and anoint themselves with the juice. It makes them warm so that they can stoutly endure the cold. They call it in their dialect Oil of Berossos.

There is produced in this river a stone that resembles crystal, which has the form of a human wearing a crown. Whenever a king dies, they set about electing a new ruler beside the river. If a person is found having that stone, he immediately becomes king and takes the royal sceptre from the one who has died. Ctesiphon recounts this in book 3 of his On Plants, and Aristoboulos records it in book 1 of his On Stones.

Nearby is a mountain called Brixaba in the local dialect which translates as ram’s forehead. It was named for this reason. Phrixos lost his sister Helle beside the Black Sea. He quite naturally became confounded and stopped on the summit of a peak and gave up. When some barbarians saw him and were advancing with weapons, the golden-fleeced ram peeped out and, seeing the crowd of men approaching, it adopted the voice of a human and woke up the sleeping Phrixos. Lifting up the aforementioned, the ram bore him as far as Colchis. The peak was named Ram’s Forehead after this event.

There is produced on this mountain a plant called phrixa in the foreign dialect, which translates as angered by wickedness. It is similar to rue. Step-children who get hold of it suffer no injustice from their stepmothers. It typically grows beside a cave called Boreas Cave’. When gathered, it is colder than snow. Whenever a stepmother is plotting against someone, it shoots out flames. Men who are fearful of their second wives, by relying on its signal, avoid the prospect of their fears coming true. Agathon of Samos recounts this in book 2 of his On Scythia.

The Thermodon is a river in Scythia which took its name from the following circumstance. It used to be called the Crystallos because it freezes even in summer; its location causes such a sight. It was renamed for this reason…[*]