Strabo describes another route: viz. across the Caucasus, from the Caspian
to the Black Sea; this writer, however, must be under some mistake, for
camels, which he expressly says were employed, would be of no use in
crossing the mountains; it is probable, therefore, that this land
communication was round by the mouth of the Caspian,--a route which was
frequented by the merchants of the middle ages.
As the Euxine Sea was the grand point to which all these routes tended, the
towns on it became the resort of an immense number of merchants, even at
very early ages; and the kingdoms of Prusias, Attalus, and Mithridates were
enriched by their commerce. Herodotus mentions, that the trade of the
Euxine was conducted by interpreters of seven different languages. In the
time of Mithridates, 300 different nations, or tribes, met for commercial
purposes at Dioscurias in Colchis; and soon after the Romans conquered the
countries lying on the Euxine, there were 130 interpreters of languages
employed in this and the other trading towns. The Romans, however, as soon
as they became jealous, or afraid, of the power of the Parthians, would not
suffer them, or any other of the northern nations, to traffic by the
Euxine; but endeavoured, as far as they could, to confine the commerce of
the East to Alexandria: the consequence was, that even so early as the age
of Pliny, Dioscurias was deserted.
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