Oxii Montes

O´XII MONTES(τὰ Ὤξεια ὄρη, Ptol. 6.12. § § 1, 4), a chain of mountains between the rivers Oxus and Jaxartes, in a direction from SW. to NE., and which separated Scythia from Sogdiana. They are identified with the metalliferous group of Asferahand Aktagh--the Botom, Botm, or Botam( Mont Blanc) of Edrisi (ed, Jaubert, vol. ii. pp. 198--200). The OXI RUPESof Strabo (Ὤξου πέτρα p. 517), which he also calls the hill-fort of Arimazes (Q. Curt. 7.11), has been identified by Droysen, as quoted by Thirlwall ( Hist. of Greece, vol. 6. p. 300), with the pass of Kolughaor Derbend, in the Kara-tagh, between Kishand Hissar;but as it is called the rock of the OXUSit must be looked for on that river, and is probably Kürghan-Tippaon the Amü. (Wilson, Ariana, p. 167; Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. 7. p. 734; Humboldt, Asie Centrale, vol. ii. pp. 18--20.)