[206] ὅν γε μὴν ἠπίστουν τινὲς τῶν λογοποιῶν μηδ´ εἶναι τὸ παράπαν (206) Ὠκεανὸν, μηδὲ περιρρεῖν τὴν γῆν, ποιητὰς δ´ εὑρόντας τοὔνομα ψυχαγωγίας ἕνεκα εἰς ποίησιν θεῖναι, τοῦτον οὕτως καλῶς ἀνεύρετε ὥστε οὐδὲ ἡ ἐνταῦθα νῆσος ὑμᾶς διέφυγε. τοσαύτη δὲ οὖσα καὶ τηλικαύτη τὸ μέγεθος ἡ ἀρχὴ πολὺ μείζων ἐστὶ τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ ἢ τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς χώρας. οὐ γὰρ Μυσοὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔχουσιν οὐδὲ Σάκαι οὐδὲ Πισίδαι οὐδ´ ἄλλοι μέσοι, οἱ μὲν βίᾳ εἰσῳκισμένοι, οἱ δὲ ἀποστάντες, ληφθῆναι δ´ οὐ δυνάμενοι, οὐδ´ ἀκούει μὲν ἡ βασιλέως γῆ, ἔστι δὲ πάντων τῶν ἔχειν αὐτὴν δυναμένων, οὐδὲ σατράπαι μάχονται πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὥσπερ οὐκ ὄντος αὐτοῖς βασιλέως, οὐδὲ πόλεις αἱ μὲν πρὸς τούτους, αἱ δὲ πρὸς ἐκείνους διίστανται, καὶ εἰς μὲν τὰς ἐκπέμπονται φρουροὶ, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐκπίπτουσιν, ἀλλ´ ὥσπερ αὐλῆς περίβολος ἐκκεκαθαρμένος, οὕτως ἅπασα ἡ οἰκουμένη χοροῦ ἀκριβέστερον ἓν φθέγγεται, συνευχομένη μένειν τὸν ἅπαντα αἰῶνα τήνδε τὴν ἀρχήν· οὕτως καλῶς ὑπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ κορυφαίου ἡγεμόνος συγκροτεῖται. ὑπὸ πάντων δὲ πανταχοῦ ἴσον ἄρχεται, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι κατῳκισμένοι ταπεινότεροι τῶν ἐν τοῖς κοιλοτάτοις πεδίοις πρός γε τὸ μὴ ἀντιτάττεσθαι, οἱ δὲ τῶν πεδίων τῶν εὐδαιμόνων κληροῦχοί τε καὶ οἰκήτορες ὑμέτεροι γεωργοί. ἤπειρος δὲ καὶ νῆσος οὐδὲν ἐπιδιακέκριται, ἀλλ´ ὥσπερ μία χώρα συνεχὴς καὶ ἓν φῦλον ἅπαντα ὑπακούει σιωπῇ. πάντα δὲ ἐξ ἐπιτάγματος καὶ νεύματος τελεῖται ῥᾷον ἤ τις ἂν χορδὴν ψήλειε, κἄν τι γενέσθαι δέῃ, ἀπόχρη δόξαι, καὶ πέπρακται. οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες οἱ πεμπόμενοι ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις τε καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τῶν μὲν ὑφ´ ἑαυτοῖς ἕκαστοι ἄρχοντές εἰσι, τὰ δὲ πρὸς αὑτούς τε καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμοίως ἅπαντες ἀρχόμενοι. καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῦτο φαίη τις ἂν αὐτοὺς τῶν ἀρχομένων διαφέρειν, ὅτι πρῶτοι δεικνύουσιν ὅπως ἄρχεσθαι προσῆκε· τοσοῦτος ἅπασιν ἐνέστακται φόβος τοῦ μεγάλου ἄρχοντος καὶ τὰ πάντα πρυτανεύοντος.

[206] Some writers used to suspect that the Ocean did not exist at all and did not flow around the earth, but that poets had invented the name and brought it into poetry for effect. You, however, have thrown so much light on the Ocean that the island in it has not escaped you either. Extensive and sizable as the empire is, perfect policing does much more than territorial boundaries to make it great. For there are no Mysians, Sacae, Pisidians, or others usurping territory in the midst of the empire, whether by forcible invasion or unsuppressed revolt. Nothing here is called "imperial territory" while really belonging to anyone able to hold it. There are no satraps fighting one another as though they had no king; no cities lining up on one side or the other, or garrisons being introduced into some cities and expelled from others. Like a well swept and fenced-in front yard, . . . the whole world speaks in unison, more distinctly than a chorus; and so well does it harmonize under this director-in-chief that it joins in praying this empire may last for all time. {All everywhere are ruled equally}. The mountain people are lowlier — in their submissiveness — than the inhabitants of the most exposed plains. The owners and occupants of rich plains are your peasants. Continent and island are no longer separate. Like one continuous country and one race, all the world quietly obeys. Everything is carried out by command or nod, and it is simpler than touching a string. If a need arises, the thing has only to be decided on, and it is done. The governors assigned to cities and provinces govern their various subjects; but among themselves and in relation to one another, all of them alike are governed. You might say that they are above the governed in being the exemplars of correct subordination; for all of them have been instilled with such dread of the supreme governor, the chief executive.