Sarmatia

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Sarmatia, and Sauromatia. This vast Region, in ancient Geography, was divided into Sarmatia Asiatica, Europaea, and Germanica. Sarmatia Asiatica, lay properly towards the Borders of Europe and Asia; with the Northern Ocean to the North, the Pontus Euxinus to the South, Scythia to the East, and Sarmatia Europaea to the West: now contained in the Northern Muscovia, in the Provinces of Samoyeda, Duina, Permski, Lucomeria, &c. Sarmatia Europea had for Bounds, both the other Sarmatia's, with the Euxine Sea; making now Russia. And Sarmatia Germanica took up the greatest part of the present Kingdom of Poland: being divided from the European Sarmatia, by the Nieper to the East; from the Borders of Germany by the Vistula to the West; from Dacia by the Neister and the Carpathian Mountains to the South, with the Baltick Sea and the Gulph of Finland to the North.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Sarmatia, a vast Country called Sarmatia, or Sauromatia. It was formerly divided into the Asiatick, European and German Sarmatia. The Asiatick Sarmatia, was that part about the Confines of Europe and Asia, and the River Rha or Volga, being bounded on the North with the North-Sea, on the South with the Euxin and Caspian Seas, with Scythia on the East, and European Sarmatia on the West. This Tract contained the Northern part of Moscovia called Russia Alba, and the Russian Tartary containing the Provinces of Dwina, Condora, Petzora, Permski, Samojeda, Siberia Wiatka, Loppia, Lucomoria, and the Kingdoms of Casan, Astracan and Bulgaria. The European Sarmatia was between the Asiatick Sarmatia on the East, and the German Sarmatia on the West, the North Ocean on the North, and the Lake of Maeotis with the Euxin Sea on the South, and contained Scythia the less, the County of the Roxolani, Hamaxobii and Alani, where now is Moscovia, and the lesser Tartary. The German Sarmatia was separated from the European Sarmatia on the East with the River Borysthenes or Nieper, and from Germany on the West by the Vistula, from Dacia on the South by the River Tyra or Niester and the Carparthian Mountain, and on the North it had the Baltick Sea and the Gulph of Finland. It contained almost all the Kingdom of Poland. Its chief Inhabitants of old being the Venedi, Aestiaei, Peucini and Bastarna. Sanson. Baudr. All this Country was inhabited by a Barbarous People, who dwelt partly in the Mountains and partly in the Forrest, and had moveable Huts or Waggons for Houses, and they were anciently noted for feeding on Horse-blood mingled with Milk, whence Martial says, Venit & Epoto Sarmata pastus equo. Tacitus Writes of them as the worst Infantry of the World, but the best Horse-men: And Flerus says they were so Barbarous, as not to know what Peace meant. Bochart thinks them to be the Off-spring of the Medes, their Language being a Mixture of theirs and the Scythian Tongue, and their Habits resembling the Medes. Such as have a mind to see the List of all the noted Towns in Sarmatia may consult Baudrand.