1. The Albanians pursue rather a shepherd life, and resemble more the
nomadic tribes, except that they are not savages, and hence they are
little disposed to war. They inhabit the country between the Iberians
and the Caspian Sea, approaching close to the sea on the east, and on
the west border upon the Iberians.
Of the remaining sides the northern is protected by the Caucasian
mountains, for these overhang the plains, and are called, particularly
those near the sea, Ceraunian mountains. The southern side is formed by
Armenia, which extends along it. A large portion of it consists of
plains, and a large portion also of mountains, as Cambysene, where the
Armenians approach close both to the Iberians and the Albanians.
2. The Cyrus, which flows through Albania, and the other rivers which
swell the stream of the Cyrus, improve the qualities of the land, but
remove the sea to a distance. For the mud, accumulating in great
quantity, fills up the channel in such a manner, that the small adjacent
islands are annexed to the continent, irregular marshes are formed, and
difficult to be avoided; the reverberation also of the tide increases
the irregular formation of the marshes. The mouth of the river is said
to be divided into twelve branches, some of which afford no passage
through them, others are so shallow as to leave no shelter for vessels.
The shore for an extent of more than 60 stadia is inundated by the sea,
and by the rivers; all that part of it is inaccessible; the mud reaches
even as far as 500 stadia, and forms a bank along the coast. The
Araxes[961] discharges its waters not far off, coming with an impetuous
stream from Armenia, but the mud which this river impels forward,
making the channel pervious, is replaced by the Cyrus.
3. Perhaps such a race of people have no need of the sea, for they do
not make a proper use even of the land, which produces every kind of
fruit, even the most delicate, and every kind of plant and evergreen. It
is not cultivated with the least care; but all that is excellent grows
without sowing, and without ploughing, according to the accounts of
persons who have accompanied armies there, and describe the inhabitants
as leading a Cyclopean mode of life. In many places the ground, which
has been sowed once, produces two or three crops, the first of which is
even fifty-fold, and that without a fallow, nor is the ground turned
with an iron instrument, but with a plough made entirely of wood. The
whole plain is better watered than Babylon or Ægypt, by rivers and
streams, so that it always presents the appearance of herbage, and it
affords excellent pasture. The air here is better than in those
countries. The vines remain always without digging round them, and are
pruned every five years. The young trees bear fruit even the second
year, but the full grown yield so much that a large quantity of it is
left on the branches. The cattle, both tame and wild, thrive well in
this country.
4. The men are distinguished for beauty of person and for size. They are
simple in their dealings and not fraudulent, for they do not in general
use coined money; nor are they acquainted with any number above a
hundred, and transact their exchanges by loads. They are careless with
regard to the other circumstances of life. They are ignorant of weights
and measures as far as exactness is concerned; they are improvident with
respect to war, government, and agriculture. They fight however on foot
and on horseback, both in light and in heavy armour, like the Armenians.
5. They can send into the field a larger army than the Iberians, for
they can equip 60,000 infantry and 22,000 horsemen; with such a force
they offered resistance to Pompey. The Nomades also co-operate with them
against foreigners, as they do with the Iberians on similar occasions.
When there is no war they frequently attack these people and prevent
them from cultivating the ground. They use javelins and bows, and wear
breastplates, shields, and coverings for the [CAS. 502] head, made of
the hides of wild animals, like the Iberians.
To the country of the Albanians belongs Caspiana, and has its name from
the Caspian tribe, from whom the sea also has its appellation; the
Caspian tribe is now extinct.
The entrance from Iberia into Albania is through the Cambysene, a
country without water, and rocky, to the river Alazonius. The people
themselves and their dogs are excessively fond of the chase, pursuing it
with equal eagerness and skill.
6. Their kings differ from one another; at present one king governs all
the tribes. Formerly each tribe was governed by a king, who spoke the
peculiar language of each. They speak six and twenty languages from the
want of mutual intercourse and communication with one another.
The country produces some venomous reptiles, as scorpions and
tarantulas. These tarantulas cause death in some instances by laughter,
in others by grief and a longing to return home.
7. The gods they worship are the Sun, Jupiter, and the Moon, but the
Moon above the rest. She has a temple near Iberia. The priest is a
person who, next to the king, receives the highest honours. He has the
government of the sacred land, which is extensive and populous, and
authority over the sacred attendants, many of whom are divinely
inspired, and prophesy. Whoever of these persons, being violently
possessed, wanders alone in the woods, is seized by the priest, who,
having bound him with sacred fetters, maintains him sumptuously during
that year. Afterwards he is brought forth at the sacrifice performed in
honour of the goddess, and is anointed with fragrant ointment and
sacrificed together with other victims. The sacrifice is performed in
the following manner. A person, having in his hand a sacred lance, with
which it is the custom to sacrifice human victims, advances out of the
crowd and pierces the heart through the side, which he does from
experience in this office. When the man has fallen, certain
prognostications are indicated by the manner of the fall, and these are
publicly declared. The body is carried away to a certain spot, and then
they all trample upon it, performing this action as a mode of
purification of themselves.
8. The Albanians pay the greatest respect to old age, which is not
confined to their parents, but is extended to old persons in general.
It is regarded as impious to show any concern for the dead, or to
mention their names. Their money is buried with them, hence they live in
poverty, having no patrimony.
So much concerning the Albanians. It is said that when Jason,
accompanied by Armenus the Thessalian, undertook the voyage to the
Colchi, they advanced as far as the Caspian Sea, and traversed Iberia,
Albania, a great part of Armenia, and Media, as the Jasoneia and many
other monuments testify. Armenus, they say, was a native of Armenium,
one of the cities on the lake Bœbeis, between Pheræ and Parisa, and that
his companions settled in Acilisene, and the Suspiritis, and occupied
the country as far as Calachene and Adiabene, and that he gave his own
name to Armenia.