# De fluviis

De fluviīs (Latin for "concerning rivers"), also called Dē fluviōrum et montium nōminibus et dē iīs quae in illīs inveniuntur ("concerning the names of rivers and mountains and those things which are found in them") or the Greek Περὶ ποταμῶν καὶ ὀρῶν ἐπωνυμίας, is a Greek text by Pseudo-Plutarch written during the 2nd century CE. It discusses twenty-five rivers in Greece, Asia Minor, India, Gaul, Egypt, Scythia, and Armenia. The chapters typically start with a myth about the river, include information about local flora and stones, and end with details about a nearby mountain.
Scholars today classify it as paradoxography, or even a parody of paradoxography.

## The work

Notably, Pseudo-Plutarch describes 22 of the 25 rivers as deriving their names from people who committed suicide in them. Six of the rivers were renamed twice due to suicide. Several of the mountains are also said to have gotten their names from suicides.
Most of the plants and stones described have mystical qualities to them, from warding off spirits and gods, to causing and healing madness, to exposing liars and thieves.
Sources are cited throughout the book including the Treatise of Rivers by Achelaus, the Second Book of Rivers by Sostratus, the Third Book of Mountains by Dercyllus, the Third Book of Plants by Ctesiphon, and the History of Boeotia by Leo of Byzantium. A full list is given below.

## Authorship

The work is considered pseudepigrapha, meaning written by someone other than the attributed author, Plutarch. It is only preserved by the 9th century codex Palatinus gr. Heidelbergensis 398, which includes a marginal note stating, "This is pseudepigraphic, for the intellectual level and diction are far from the genius of Plutarch. Unless he might be some other Plutarch."

## Rivers

| River | Location | Named for Someone Who Threw Themselves in the River | Mountains | Plants | Stones/Other |
| Hydaspes | India | Yes | Elephas | [river] "like a heliotrope" used to prevent sunburn | [river] precious stone called "lychnis" which is found during the waxing moon while pipers are piping |
| Ismenus | Boeotia | Yes | Cithaeron | — | — |
| Hebrus | Thrace | Yes | Pangaeus | [river] "not unlike origanumn" burned and the smoke inhaled until they fall asleep [mountain] called "harp" because it grew from the blood of Orpheus; sounds like a harp when played during sacrifices to Bacchus | — |
| Ganges | India | Yes | Anatole | [river] "resembling bugloss" the juice of which is sprinkled on tiger's dens, which causes the tigers to sleep to death | — |
| Phasis | Scythia | Yes | Caucasus | [river] reed called "leucophyllus" which when scattered on the floor keeps wives chaste and gets evildoers to confess their deeds and intentions [mountain] called "Prometheus" which Medea used to protect Jason from her father | — |
| Arar | Gallia Celtica | Yes | Lugdunum | — | [river] fish called "Clupaea" which changes colors with the moon, and which has a stone in its head that can cure "quartan agues" |
| Pactolus | Lydia | Yes, twice | Tmolus | [river] purple flower called "chrysopolis" used to test the purity of gold | [river] stone called "preserver of the fields" which causes thieves to break their own necks [mountain] pumice-like stone which changes color 4 times a day, and only virgins can see; it protects them from rape |
| Lycormas | Aetolia | Yes | Myenus | [river] called "sarissa" which helps people with poor vision [mountain] flower called the "white violet" which gives a person the power to kill their step-mother by speaking it | — |
| Maeander | Asia (Turkey) | Yes | Sipylus | — | [river] stone called "sophron" that makes a person go mad and murder their family [mountain] stone like a cylinder that obedient children take to the temple of Rhea |
| Marsyas | Phrygia | No | Berecyntus | [river] called "the pipe" which sounds like a pipe in the wind | [mountain] a stone called "machaera" which causes a person to go mad if found during the mysteries of Rhea |
| Strymon | Thrace | Yes | Rhodope and Haemus | — | [river] stone called "pausilypus" which eases grief [mountain] black, humanoid stones called "philadelphi" which waste away when separated |
| Sagaris | Phrygia | Yes | Ballenaeus | — | [river] stone called "autoglyphus" or "self-engraved" with the Mother of the Gods naturally carved on it [river] stone called "aster" which shines at midnight in the end of autumn |
| Scamander | Troas | Yes | Ida (formerly Gargarus) | [river] herb with rattling seedpods that repel apparitions and gods | [mountain] stone called "cryphius" which can only be found during the mystery rituals of a god |
| Tanais | Scythia | Yes | Brixaba | [river] called "halinda" used to withstand cold [mountain] called "phryxa" or "hating the wicked" which protects sons from their step-mothers | [river] a crystal which causes the bearer to be elected king upon the king's death |
| Thermodon | Scythia | Probably | Text of codex incomplete | — | — |
| Nile | Egypt | Yes, twice | Argyllus | — | [river] stone like a bean that stops dogs barking and drives out evil spirits [river] stone called "kolletes" used to build retaining walls |
| Eurotas | Laconia | Yes, twice | Taygetus | [mountain] called "Charisia" which women wear to increase male desire for them | [river] stone called "thrasydeilos, or rash and timorous" which jumps up at a trumpet sound, but sinks on hearing the name Athenians |
| Inachus | Argos | Yes, twice | Mycenae, Apesantus, Coccygium, and Athenaeum | [river] called "cynura" used to cause abortions [river] called "selene" used to ward off biting and stinging insects [mountain] tree called "paliurus" which snares any bird except the cuckoo [mountain] root called "Adrastea" which causes women to go mad | [river] stone like beryl which causes liars' hands to blacken [mountain] crow-colored stone called "corybas" which wards against apparitions |
| Alpheus | Arcadia | Yes, twice | Cronium | [river] called "cenchritis" which cures madness | [mountain] stone called "the cylinder" which rolls down whenever there's lightning |
| Euphrates | Parthia | Yes, twice | Drimylus | [river] called "axalla" which cures fits of "quartan-ague" | [river] stone called "aetites" which allows for nearly painless childbirth [mountain] precious stone like a "sardonyx" |
| Caicus | Mysia | Yes | Teuthras | [river] "a sort of poppy" which grows stones like harps that are thrown into a field, and if they fly away, a bounteous harvest is coming [river] "elipharmacus" which stops bleeding | [mountain] stone called "the resister" which can cure leprosy when mixed with wine |
| Achelous | Aetolia | Yes | Calydon | [river] called "zaclon" which can remove the alcohol from wine [mountain] called "myops" which causes a person to lose sight | [river] a stone called "linurgus" which turns linen white |
| Araxes | Armenia | Yes | Diorphus | [river] called "araxa" which means "virgin hater" because if found by a virgin, they will bleed and die [mountain] tree like a "pomegranate-tree" with fruit that tastes like grapes; if you don't name Mars, the fruit will turn green again in your hand | [river] black stone called "sicyonus" which can be used as proxy when human sacrifice is required |
| Tigris | Armenia | No | Gauran | [mountain] "like to wild barley" which guards against all sickness except death | [river] white stone called "myndan" which protects against wild beasts |
| Indus | India | Yes | Lilaeus | [river] "not unlike to bugloss" remedy against the "king's evil" | [river] stone called [text missing] which prevents a virgin from being deflowered [mountain] black stone called "clitoris" people wear in their ears |

## Works cited in-text

Some 49 different writers are cited with 65 works between them, including 13 on rivers, 9 on stones, 7 histories, and 12 on international relations. Five are listed as the thirteenth volume on that topic by that author. Based on the titles, there would be at least 204 works by these authors.
In comparison, Plutarch's Alexander, a much longer work, cites around 25 sources by name. The authors cited in De fluviis seem to very conveniently come in rashes of similar syllables, e.g. Ctesias (x2), Ctesiphon, Ctesippus. The text itself is highly repetitive. These facts among others cause scholars to doubt heavily that any of the works and authors cited ever existed.
However, it does provide insight into the mind of a 2nd century Greek writer, shedding some light on what they would have considered legitimate. If the intended genre was parody, then it gives insight on what a writer from the period found humorous.
| Author | Books | Chapters |
| Achelaus | Treatise of Rivers First Book of Rivers First Book of Stones | I, VIII |
| Agatharchides the Samian | Fourth Book of Stones Phrygian Relations | IX, X |
| Agatho the Samian | Second Book of Scythian Relations | XIV |
| Agathocles the Milesian | History of Rivers | XVIII |
| Agathocles the Samian | Commonwealth of Pessinus | IX |
| Alexander Cornelius | Third Book of Phrygian Relations | X |
| Antisthenes | Third Book of Meleagris | XXII |
| Aretazes | Phrygian Relations | XII |
| Aristobulus | First Book of Stones | XIV |
| Aristonymus | Third Book of [text missing] | XXIV |
| Aristotle | Fourth Book of Rivers | XXV |
| Caemaron | Tenth Book of the Affairs of India | IV |
| Callisthenes | Third Book of Hunting | IV |
| Callisthenes the Sybarite | Thirteenth Book of Gallic Relations | VI |
| Chrysermus | History of India Third Book of Rivers Thirteenth Book of Rivers | I, VII, XX |
| Chrysermus the Corinthian | First Book of his Peloponnesiacs | XVIII |
| Cleanthes | Third Book of the Wars of the Gods First Book of Mountains | V, XVII |
| Clitonymus | Third Book of Thracian Relations | III |
| Clitophon | Thirteenth Book of the Building of Cities | VI, VII |
| Clitophon the Rhodian | First Book of Indian Relations | XXV |
| Ctesias | First Book of Rivers | XIX |
| Ctesias the Cnidian | Second Book of Mountains | XXI |
| Ctesias the Ephesian | First Book of the Acts of Perseus | XVIII |
| Ctesiphon | Third Book of Plants First Book of Trees Thirteenth Book of Trees | XIV, XVIII, XXIII |
| Ctesippus | Second Book of Scythian Relations | V |
| Damaratus | Third Book of Rivers Fourth Book of Phrygia | IX |
| Demodocus | First Book of the History of Hercules | XVIII |
| Demostratus of Apamea | Second Book of Rivers | IX, XIII |
| Dercyllus | Third Book of Mountains First Book of Satyrics First Book of Stones Third Book of Aetolics | I, VIII, X, XIX, XXII |
| Diocles the Rhodian | Aetolics | XXII |
| Dorotheus the Chaldaean | Second Book of Stones | XXIII |
| Heraclitus the Sicyonian | Second Book of Stones | XIII |
| Hermesianax of Cyprus | Second Book of his Phrygian Relations | II, XII, XXIV |
| Hermogenes | (borrowed from Sosthenes) | XVII |
| Jason of Byzantium | Thracian Histories | XI |
| Leo of Byzantium | History of Boeotia Third Book of Rivers | II, XXIV |
| Nicanor the Samian | Second Book of Rivers | XVII |
| Nicias Mallotes | Book of Stones | XX |
| Plesimachus | Second Book of the Returns of the Heroes | XVIII |
| Sosthenes the Cnidian | Thirteenth Book of Iberian Relations | XVI |
| Sostratus | Second Book of Rivers First Collection of Fabulous History | II, XXIV |
| Theophilus | First Book of Stones | XXIV |
| Thrasyllus | Third Book of Stones | XI |
| Thrasyllus the Mendesian | Thracian Histories Relation of Egypt | XVI |
| Timagenes the Syrian | (borrowed an argument from Callisthenes the Sybarite) | VI |
| Timagoras | First Book of Rivers | XXI |
| Timolaus | First Book of Phrygian Relations | IX |
| Timotheus | Eleventh Book of Rivers Argolica | III, XVIII |