[717] The Scythians here spoken of dwelt between the Don and the Wolga; east of this last river were the Eastern Scythians, who were thought to occupy the whole north of Asia.
[718] The tropic being placed at 24° from the equator by Strabo, and most probably by Pytheas also, the latitude of Thule, according to the observation of this traveller, would be fixed at 66°, which corresponds with the north of Iceland.
[719] Hipparchus.
[720] Hipparchus placed Marseilles and Byzantium at 30,142 stadia, or 43° 3′ 38″ of latitude, and estimated the parallel for the centre of Britain at 33,942 stadia, or 48° 29′ 19″. Whereas Strabo only allowed for this latter 32,700 stadia, or 46° 42′ 51″.
[721] Viz. the 36° of latitude. The actual latitudes are as follow:
The Pillars of Hercules, or Strait of Gibraltar, 36°.
The Strait of Messina, 38° 12´.
Athens, 38° 5´.
The middle of the Isle of Rhodes, 36° 18´; and the city, 36° 28′ 30″.
[722] This mistake of Strabo caused the derangement in his chart of the whole contour of this portion of the Mediterranean, and falsifies the position of the surrounding districts.
[723] Strabo having allowed 25,400 stadia, or 36° 17′ 8″, for the latitude of Rhodes and the Strait of Messina, determined the latitude of Marseilles at 27,700 stadia, or 39° 34′ 17″; its real latitude being 43° 17′ 45″, as exactly stated by Pytheas.
[724] Or about 7°. The actual difference in latitude between Rhodes and Byzantium is 4° 32′ 54″.
[725] On the contrary, Marseilles is 2° 16′ 21″ north of Byzantium.