one of the ancient names of Thrace, (Stephanus); that is martial, from the character of the people, whose country Euripides calls the residence of Mars, and Sophocles his place of nativity.

Aria, and Ariana (anc. geog.), whether the same or different countries authors are not agreed. Ptolemy has only Aria, and knows nothing about Ariana. Pliny mentions only Ariana, and says nothing about Aria; but distinguishes between the Arii and Ariani: Parthia, he says, has the Arii to the east, Carmania and the Ariani to the south; from which it is conjectured, the Ariani extended farther than the Arii, and comprised the Gedrofii and the Drange. Arrian has only Aria and Arii, and is silent about Ariana. But Strabo gives more extensive bounds to Ariana than to Aria, without particularly defining them: only in general he says, that Ariana begins from India, and quotes Erototheneis; according to whom, Ariana is bounded by the Indus on the east; on the south by the Great Sea; by Paropamisus on the north, and by the mountains, quite to Portae Caspiae; on the west by the same boundaries by which Parthia is separated from Media, Carmania from Paræacene and Persia: and thus Ariana is extremely extensive.—Aria has its limits thus described by Ptolemy: On the north, some parts of Margiana and Bactriana; on the east, the Paropamisidae; on the south, the Drangiana: and Strabo says, the Arii adjoin to the Paropamisidae on the west.

Aria, called Ariopolis, (Strabo): Now Herat, in Chorasan, set down in an ancient map as situated on the river Arias, which probably gave name to the country Aria. Arrian calls the river Areios; Pliny, Arius; Ammian, Arias; now Heri, which runs by Alexandria, also called Alexandria Arion or Ariovium.