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Rhodes is a small island located
approximately one hundred miles off the mainland,
and its perimeter is two hundred and fifty miles.
Here the curve of the coast is exposed to other winds
all the way to Tenedos.
The shoreline extends for four hundred miles
directly to the northwest, towards the quarterwind,
as you can see on the map.

Indeed, that coastline has large bays that curve
between the mainland and long promontories into the sea.
It also has good harbors
where ships can dock safely.
Inland there are good and well-situated villages.
It has a temperate climate, and it is healthy to live there.
It is across from Ancona in Italy as well as France^{1I.e., on the same latitude.},
and those people really know how to hold a lance!

Here is Altoluogo^{2Now Selçuk, Turkey.}, towards the halfway point
of the line passing by Ephesus.
Smirra^{3Ancient Smyrna, now Izmir, Turkey.}, Focea^{4Ancient Phocaea, now Eskifoça, Turkey.}, and Andermit^{5Ancient Adramyttium, now Edremit, Turkey.} are on one side
and are all natural harbors.
Beyond that, almost at the end, was once the great city
of Troy, where the great destruction
of proud Ilium occurred when it was set afire.^{6Verbatim from Dante, Inf. 1.75.}
The lineage of Augustus came from there.^{7According to Vergil's Aeneid, the Julian line descended from Aeneas' son Iulus, who escaped with him from Troy.}