Although the Stevenson translation of Ptolemy is quite horrible, it does manage to preserve an interesting question raised by the Geography. In chanter 14 of Book 6, Ptolemy says regarding Scythia:
“After this bend of the Imaus mountains toward the north. Those who inhabit Scythia toward the north along the Terra Incognita are called Alani-Scythae, Suobeni [actually, Souobenoi/Sovobenoi] and Alanorsi. The part which is below these is held by the Satiani, the Massaei, and the Syebi… below the [Mologeni], up to the Rhymmicos mountains are the Samnitae; below the Massaei and the Alani mountains are the Zaratae and the Sasones…”
Earlier we read the following description of the mountains of Scythia:
“Next to these [Tapuri] mountains are those which are in the Imaus region, also the Syebi mountains…”
Putting aside the putative Saxons (interesting in and of itself), we have the Syebi with Syebi mountains. This can’t help but remind of Pliny’s mount Sevo (Book 4).
“In their country is an immense mountain called Sevo, not less than those of the Riphæan range, and which forms an immense gulf along the shore as far as the Promontory of the Cimbri. This gulf, which has the name of the ‘Codanian,’ is filled with islands; the most famous among which is Scandinavia, of a magnitude as yet unascertained.”
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