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Spane

Semnan (Miller)

Spane is placed by older research at Semnan in Iran, the Semina of the geographer Ptolemy, who also names a neighbouring Aspa. The name may hold an old Iranian word, aspa, horse: northern Media was famed for its horse herds, and Strabo speaks of horse pastures there, on the route from Persia and Babylonia to the Caspian Sea. A link with Ortospana, far to the east in Arachosia, seems less likely. On the map it stands between Ecbatana and Hecantopolis, although it really lay west of Hecatompylos.

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