Dublin Core
Title
The description of Anxi/Parthia in the Hou Hanshu
Description
The Hou Hanshu records the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was written by Fan Ye in the first half of the fifth century CE (398-445). The book is divided into ten chronicles, eighty biographies, and eight histories, recording the history during 25-220 CE. There is one chapter named On the Western Regions. In this chapter,
安息国居和椟城，去洛阳二万五千里。北与康居接，南与乌戈山离接。地方数千里，小城数百，户口胜兵最为殷盛。其东界木鹿越，号为小安息，去洛阳二万里。 The main centre of Anxi (Parthia)1 is the town of Hedu (Hecatompylos). It is 25,000 li (10,395 km) from Luoyang. On the north, it is bordered by Kangju (Tashkent plus the Chu, Talas, and middle Jaxartes basins), and on the south joins Wuyishanli (Kandahar). It is several thousand li across. There are several hundred small towns. The households, people, and men able to bear arms are extremely numerous. On its eastern frontier is the town of Mulu (Merv), which is also called Little Anxi, and is 20,000 li (8,316 km) from Luoyang.
章帝章和元年，遣使献师子、符拔。符拔形似麟而无角。和帝永元九年，都护班超遣甘英使大秦，抵条支。临大海欲度，而安息西界船人谓英曰：“海水广大，往来者逢善风三月乃得度，若遇迟风，亦有二岁者，故入海人皆赍三岁粮。海中善使人思土恋慕，数有死亡者。”英闻之乃止。十三年，安息王满屈复献师子及条支大鸟，时谓之安息雀。
In the first zhanghe year [87 CE], during the reign of Emperor Zhang, this kingdom sent an envoy to offer lions and fuba (Persian gazelle). The fuba looks like a female unicorn but it doesn’t have a horn.
In the ninth yongyuan year [97 CE], during the reign of Emperor He, the Protector General Ban Chao sent Gan Ying to Da Qin (the Roman Empire). He reached Tiaozhi (Characene and Susiana) next to a large sea. He wanted to cross it, but the sailors of the western frontier of Anxi (Parthia) said to him:
“The ocean is huge. Those making the round trip can do it in three months if the winds are favourable. However, if you encounter winds that delay you, it can take two years. That is why all the men who go by sea take stores for three years. The vast ocean urges men to think of their country, and get homesick, and some of them die.”
When (Gan) Ying heard this, he gave up his plan.
In the thirteenth year [101 CE], the king of Anxi (Parthia) named Manqu [= Manchihr I of Persis?] again offered lions, and some of the large birds of Tiaozhi (Characene and Susiana), which people call ‘Anxi birds’ [ostriches].
自安息西行三千四百里至阿蛮国。从阿蛮西行三千六百里至斯宾国。从斯宾南行度河，又西南至于罗国九百六十里，安息西界极矣。自此南乘海，乃通大秦。其土多海西珍奇异物焉。
If you travel 3,400 li (1,414 km) west from [the eastern frontier of] Anxi (Parthia), you reach the Kingdom of Aman (Herat). Leaving Aman and travelling 3,600 li (1,497 km), you reach the Kingdom of Sibin (Susa). Leaving Sibin (Susa) and travelling south you cross a river, then going southwest, you reach the Kingdom of Yuluo (Charax Spasinou) after 960 li (399 km). This is the extreme western frontier of Anxi (Parthia). Leaving there, and heading south, you embark on the sea and then reach Da Qin (Roman territory). In these territories, there are many precious and marvellous things from Haixi (‘West of the Sea’ = Egypt).
安息国居和椟城，去洛阳二万五千里。北与康居接，南与乌戈山离接。地方数千里，小城数百，户口胜兵最为殷盛。其东界木鹿越，号为小安息，去洛阳二万里。 The main centre of Anxi (Parthia)1 is the town of Hedu (Hecatompylos). It is 25,000 li (10,395 km) from Luoyang. On the north, it is bordered by Kangju (Tashkent plus the Chu, Talas, and middle Jaxartes basins), and on the south joins Wuyishanli (Kandahar). It is several thousand li across. There are several hundred small towns. The households, people, and men able to bear arms are extremely numerous. On its eastern frontier is the town of Mulu (Merv), which is also called Little Anxi, and is 20,000 li (8,316 km) from Luoyang.
章帝章和元年，遣使献师子、符拔。符拔形似麟而无角。和帝永元九年，都护班超遣甘英使大秦，抵条支。临大海欲度，而安息西界船人谓英曰：“海水广大，往来者逢善风三月乃得度，若遇迟风，亦有二岁者，故入海人皆赍三岁粮。海中善使人思土恋慕，数有死亡者。”英闻之乃止。十三年，安息王满屈复献师子及条支大鸟，时谓之安息雀。
In the first zhanghe year [87 CE], during the reign of Emperor Zhang, this kingdom sent an envoy to offer lions and fuba (Persian gazelle). The fuba looks like a female unicorn but it doesn’t have a horn.
In the ninth yongyuan year [97 CE], during the reign of Emperor He, the Protector General Ban Chao sent Gan Ying to Da Qin (the Roman Empire). He reached Tiaozhi (Characene and Susiana) next to a large sea. He wanted to cross it, but the sailors of the western frontier of Anxi (Parthia) said to him:
“The ocean is huge. Those making the round trip can do it in three months if the winds are favourable. However, if you encounter winds that delay you, it can take two years. That is why all the men who go by sea take stores for three years. The vast ocean urges men to think of their country, and get homesick, and some of them die.”
When (Gan) Ying heard this, he gave up his plan.
In the thirteenth year [101 CE], the king of Anxi (Parthia) named Manqu [= Manchihr I of Persis?] again offered lions, and some of the large birds of Tiaozhi (Characene and Susiana), which people call ‘Anxi birds’ [ostriches].
自安息西行三千四百里至阿蛮国。从阿蛮西行三千六百里至斯宾国。从斯宾南行度河，又西南至于罗国九百六十里，安息西界极矣。自此南乘海，乃通大秦。其土多海西珍奇异物焉。
If you travel 3,400 li (1,414 km) west from [the eastern frontier of] Anxi (Parthia), you reach the Kingdom of Aman (Herat). Leaving Aman and travelling 3,600 li (1,497 km), you reach the Kingdom of Sibin (Susa). Leaving Sibin (Susa) and travelling south you cross a river, then going southwest, you reach the Kingdom of Yuluo (Charax Spasinou) after 960 li (399 km). This is the extreme western frontier of Anxi (Parthia). Leaving there, and heading south, you embark on the sea and then reach Da Qin (Roman territory). In these territories, there are many precious and marvellous things from Haixi (‘West of the Sea’ = Egypt).
Creator
ZHANG Hongxia
Source
Translation accessed under http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html#sec12 (30.10.2021).
Date
5th CE
Rights
Photo: 范曄 (Fan Ye, 398–445), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Format
Literary source
Language
latin(original text);english(translation)
Type
Literary text