Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea (1805)

 

Arrian’s Voyage Round the Euxine Sea is a modern reprint of a book that was published in 1805, more than two hundred years ago. The key document is an English translation of an ancient text written in Greek in AD 131 or 132: Arrian’s report about the Black Sea, written while he was governor of the Roman province Cappadocia (also known as Pontus). His report is cast as a letter to Hadrian, who ruled 117-138, and the Latin title is “Periplus Ponti Euxini,” which we can translate as “The Circumnavigation of the Black Sea.”

In fact, Arrian did not circumnavigate the Black Sea, because he did not do the full circle. The first part of his letter is based on personal observations, his inspection tour, while the second and third parts are based on information he had received from other sources and other witnesses. For more details on this matter, see below.

Arrian’s letter was translated by William Falconer (1744-1824), an English physician, who also wrote a geographical essay about the report and three discourses about issues related to the Black Sea and ancient navigation. The book was edited by his son Thomas Falconer (1772-1839), who was an English clergyman, a doctor of medicine, and a classical scholar. Here is the table of contents:

** Arrian’s letter to Hadrian

** A geographical dissertation on Arrian

** Tables of distances
** Three discourses:

     (I) On Commerce in the Black Sea

     (II) On the distance which ancient ships sailed in 24 hours

     (III) On the measure of the Greek stadium

** Appendix

** Additional tables

Who is Arrian? And what does he have to say about the Black Sea?

Lucius Flavius Arrianus Xenophon, known in English as Arrian, was born in Nicomedia (today Izmit), which is only 70 km from Byzantium, later Constantinople, and today Istanbul. We do not know when he was born or when he died, but we think he was born around AD 86 and died around AD 160. He was not only a historian and a philosopher, but also a public servant and a military commander. While his first language was Greek, he also knew how to read and write Latin.

He met Hadrian and became a friend of his around AD 111-114, while Trajan still ruled the empire. Perhaps this is the reason why Hadrian later decided to appoint him as consul (129 or 130) and as governor of a Roman province. Arrian served as governor of Cappadocia for seven years, 131-138. He left his post shortly before Hadrian died.

For more information about this person, his life and his works, see Arrian of Nicomedia by Philip A. Stadter (1980).

Arrian wrote his letter about the Black Sea in the beginning of his term as governor. We do not know if he was ordered to write it or if he did so on his own initiative. The official dispatches written in Latin have not been preserved, but Arrian refers to them two times in his letter to Hadrian (which is written in Greek and which we still have today):

** On page 5 he says: “My report concerning these subjects has been already written in the Latin language.”

** On page 8 he says: “We here went into the harbour; but for what causes and what business we transacted there, the Latin letters will explain.”

Apparently, the Latin dispatches were official and secret, while the Greek text was an open letter to Hadrian, which was circulated in antiquity. Perhaps this is why the Latin dispatches are lost, while the open letter has been preserved.

The structure of the document is a bit surprising. We would expect a description of the Black Sea to start at one point and then go full circle, clock-wise or counter-clockwise. But Arrian does not work this way. His letter is divided into three sections (the direction is always counter-clockwise):

** Part 1 **

Sailing from Trapezus (Trebizond) in the southeast to Sebastopolis (Dioscurias) in the northeast. This part is based on personal observations: his inspection tour. He speaks in the first person: “We sailed…” This part is the most detailed, the most accurate, and (in my opinion) the most lively (pp. 1-10).

** Part 2 **

Moving from Byzantium in the southwest to Trapezus in the southeast. This part is probably based on information from other sources. But it could be based on personal observations as well (see below). Whatever the case, he speaks in the third person: “There is…” This part is not as accurate as part one, but more precise than part three (pp. 10-14).

** Part 3 **

Moving from Sebastopolis (Dioscurias) in the northeast to Byzantium in the southwest. This part is definitely based on information from other sources. He speaks in the third person: “There is…” This part is not as detailed as the others and it is the least accurate of the three parts (pp. 14-20).

Edward Gibbon refers to this document in volume 7 of his monumental study The History of the Fall and Decline of the Roman Empire. He notes the three-part structure of the text when he says it contains:

“whatever the governor of Pontus had seen, from Trebizond to Dioscurias [part 1]; whatever he had heard, from Dioscurias to the Danube [part 2]; and whatever he knew from the Danube to Trebizond [part 3].”

What does the letter say?

Part 1

The starting point is Trapezus, later Trebizond, and today Trabzon in Turkey. Arrian mentions two altars of stone and a statue of Hadrian facing the sea. He is not happy with the statue: it does not look like the emperor. Although this town is a part of the Roman Empire, he describes the inhabitants as barbarians, because they do not know how to write a proper inscription on an official monument.

Sailing east, the expedition passes Hyssus (near modern Sürmene) where some Roman soldiers are based. The fleet stops at a place which is called Athenae Ponticae, because it has a Greek temple. But it is nothing like Athens in Greece. The governor and his staff seek shelter from a storm in this harbour.

Continuing east, they reach Apsarus, or Asparus, today Gonio in Georgia. Five Roman cohorts are based here. The governor brings them their salary.

Now the expedition changes course: they turn left. Now they are heading north, and after a while they reach Phasis where there is a statue of the goddess Phasiana, which he compares to the goddess Rhea. Some 400 Roman soldiers are based here. The legend of Jason and the Argonauts is connected with this place.

The expedition changes course again. Now they are going northwest, and after a while they reach Sebastopolis, whose old name is Dioscurias. Today it is Sukhimi in Georgia. Some Roman soldiers are based here. The governor brings them their salary. This town marks the frontier of the Roman Empire in this part of the world. From this place they can see mount Caucasus, the highest point of which is called Strobilus. The legend of Prometheus is connected with this mountain.

Part 2

The starting point is Byzantium and the Thracian Bosporus, i.e. the northern end of the Bosporus strait. By the entrance to the Black Sea there is a temple for Jupiter Urius. This landmark is located on the Asian side of the strait.

Moving east, Arrian mentions several rivers that flow into the sea and several towns on the coast. After a while he gets to Sinope, which is the capital of Pontus. Continuing east he mentions a few more places and then he gets to Trapezus, which is the end of section 2.

Regarding the observations in part 2 of Arrian’s letter, Falconer writes: “Mr Dodwell thinks that they might be the result of his own examination in his journey from Byzantium when he went to take possession of his government of Cappadocia; and this conjecture is not improbable” (page 25).

I agree with this statement.

While in Sebastopolis (Dioscurias), Arrian learns about the death of Cotys who was king of the Cimmerian Bosporus on the Crimean peninsula. An ally of Rome, Cotys II ruled from 123/124 to 131/132. This piece of information helps us date the text.

Part 3

The starting point is Sebastopolis (Dioscurias). The course is still northwest. Arrian mentions several towns on the coast: Pityus, Nitica, Pagrae, Hierus and Sindica. Next up is Panticapaeum, the capital of the Cimmerian Bosporus, on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula. The modern name of this place is Kerch. As a result of the Crimean crisis in 2014 the sovereignty over the peninsula is disputed between Ukraine and Russia.

After this, Arrian mentions two rivers and two towns. The first river is Tanais (today Don) which flows into the Mariotis lake (today the Sea of Azov), a small body of water located above the northeast corner of the Black Sea. The first town is Theodosia (today Feodosiya) on the southern coast of Crimea, which he calls a deserted city. The second river is Borysthenes (today Dnieper), while the second town is Olbia (today Parutino), a Greek city located in the northwest corner of the Black Sea.

Dio of Prusa - also known as Dio Chrysostom (ca. 45-115) - visited Olbia (sometimes called Borysthenes after the river) around AD 97. In Oratio # 36 he talks about his experiences in this town. Dio was a famous orator, but neither Arrian nor Falconer connects him with this place. I do not know why.

For more information about the Greek orator from Prusa, see Dio Chrysostom edited by Simon Swain (2000, 2002).

Moving south along the western coast of the Black Sea, Arrian mentions Leuke, the white island, which is located near the mouth of the river Danube. He says it is known as the island of Achilles and offers a surprising amount of details about it. Having described the island, he mentions several towns:

** Istria

** Tomea or Tomis (today Constanta in Romania)

** Calantra or Callatis

** Odessus

** Mesembria

** Apollonia

** Daphne (today Umuryeri, on the Asian side of the Bosporus strait)

** Byzantium = the end of section 3

In connection with Tomis, William Falconer mentions the Roman poet Ovid, who spent the last eight years of his life here (page 86). Augustus signed the decree to banish him in December AD 8, and the poet arrived in Tomis in the spring of AD 9. While in Tomis, he wrote two works both of which have been preserved: Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto. Ovid was a famous poet, but Arrian does not mention him. Why not? Perhaps because the poet was banished to this place by Augustus. When Augustus died in AD 14, Ovid had a chance to return to Rome, but the next emperor Tiberius did not recall him, so the poet ended his days in Tomis in AD 17.

For more information on this issue, see Ovid in Exile by Adrian Radulescu (2002) and Ovid Revisited: The Poet in Exile by Jo-Marie Claassen (2008).

Falconer’s translation of Arrian’s letter is quite good, although there are some cases where you can see that it is more than two hundred years old.

In his dissertation, Falconer focuses on geographical elements, in particular the distance from A to B, from B to C, etc. When he wrote his book, mapping the world was still a difficult and not yet completed task. Today we can open an atlas or go to Google and view any part of the globe from a satellite. The development of new technology makes a great change.

I suspect most modern readers will not pay much attention to the numerous tables which show the distance from A to B, from B to C, etc.

Arrian’s letter to Hadrian is an important historical document. It is valuable for what it says about Roman policy in the Black Sea area (and what it does not say). Regarding geographical facts and distances, it is interesting to see where he is right and where he is wrong. Some passages reads like a list of proper names - rivers, towns, and peoples – and since there are (almost) no details about them, it can get monotonous and a bit boring. In other cases, however, in particular part 1, his inspection tour, the details provided and his personal observations make the text come alive.

With more than two hundred pages, Arrian’s Voyage Round the Euxine Sea is a relatively long book. If you ask me, the two first chapters are the strongest parts of the product, while the remaining sections – more than half of the whole book - are less captivating. Therefore I have to say: this book is interesting, but slightly outdated.

PS # 1: Before you start reading – and while you are reading – this book, you should arm yourself with a good map of the Black Sea. Preferably a detailed map which shows as many ancient names as possible. Without a good map of the area, you might get lost during your own circumnavigation of the Black Sea!

PS # 2: Here are some useful references (some of these works are available online or as modern reprints):

** James Rennell, A Treatise on the Comparative Geography of Western Asia was published in two volumes in 1831. Volume 2 contains a section about Arrian and his Periplus of the Euxine Sea (book IV, Chapters I-VIII), pp. 271-394.

** A French translation of Arrian with a commentary was published by Henry Chotard in 1860: Le Périple de la Mer Noire par Arrien.

** A new French translation with a commentary was published by Alain Silberman in 1995: Arrien: Le Périple du Pont-Euxin.

** A new English translation of Arrian with a commentary was published by Bristol Classical Press in 2003: Arrian: Periplus Ponti Euxini (edited by Aidan Liddle).

** Henry Francis Pelham’s article, “Arrian as legate of Cappadocia,” first published in 1896, is reprinted in Essays on Roman History collected and edited by F. Haverfield (1911), pp. 212-233.

Here are some additional references:

** Black Sea by Neal Ascherson (1995, 2007)

** The Black Sea: A History by Charles King (2004)

** Rome and the Black Sea Region edited by Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen (2007)

** Tim Rood, “Black Sea Variations: Arrian’s Periplus,” Cambridge Classical Journal, vol. 57, 2011, pp. 137-163.

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Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea,

Translated by William Falconer,

Edited by Thomas Falconer,

J. Cooke, London 1805,

Kessinger Publishing 2010, 226 pages

 

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