n. in, c. iv. 10. SPAIN. 241 of the quantity of fennel growing there. From Tarraco [the road runs] towards the passage of the Ebro at the city of Dertossa; 1 from thence having traversed the city of Saguntum, 2 and Setabis, 3 it follows a course more and more distant from the sea, till it approaches the Plain of Sparta- rium, which signifies the Plain of Rushes. This is a vastjirid j^lam, producing the species of - rush from which co?ds are made, and which are exported to all parts, but particularly to Jtalv. 4 Formerly the road passed on through the midst of the "plain, and [the city of] Egelastaa, 5 which was both difficult and long, but they have now constructed a new road close to the sea, whichanerely touches upon the Plain of Rushes, and leads to the same places as the former, [viz.] Castlon, 6 and Obulco, 7 through which runs the road to Conduba and Gades. 8 X the two greatest emporia^^ofjberia"!. Obulco is distant about r 300 stadia from Corduba. Historians report that Caesar came from Rome to Obulco, and to his army there, within the space of twenty-seven days, when about to fight the battle of Munda. 9 10. Such is the whole sea-coast from the Pillars to the confines of the Iberians and Kelts. The interior of the country lying above, and included between the mountains of the Pyrenees and the northern side [of Iberia], as far as the Asture^ is principally divided by two mountain chains ; the one of these is parallel to the Pyjrenees, and takes its com- mencement fromThlTcountry of the Cantabri, terminating at the Mediterranean. This is called the Idubeda. 10 Thejsecond, springing from the middle [of this first], runs_towards the west, inclining however to the south and t^e^sea-coast to- wards the Pillars. At the commencement it consTst^oTlbare hills, but after traversing the Plain of Spartarium, falls in with the jorest lying abov^ Carthage, 11 and the regions round Malaca. 12 It is named OrosgedaT 13 The river Ebro flows be- tween the Pyrenees ancTTxkibeda, and parallericTboth these mountains. It is fed by the rivers and other waters carried down I Tortosa. 2 Murviedro. 3 Xativa.
- The cordage of the famous vessel built by Hiero of Syracuse was
formed from the spartum of Iberia. Vid. Athenaeus, lib. v. p. 206. 5 Yniesta. 6 Caslona. 7 Porcuna. 8 Cordova and Cadiz. 9 Fought against Pompey. 10 The mountains of Burgos and Cuen^a, the Sierras of Oca, Lorenzo, and Moncayo. II Carthagena. Ia Malaga. 13 The Sierra de Toledo.
