(16th Shahr of 25). From Arsace the northern road of Abarshahr was reached at Pathaunisa, i.e., Nisaea (Alexandropolis) in "the fine district of Parthyena." (The village Saphri was apparently the dividing point of the routes to Tos and to Nisa from Hyrcania.) Nisa flourished as a major city on the frontier with the nomadic Dahae and Sakas. It was joined to Marv, toward the eastern frontier, by a chain of other cities. In its own district were Gathar and Siroc. The region of the Tajand river formed the district Apavarcticena; it contained the cities Apavarctica (Abivard), Ragau, and Dara (Dareium). From Marv ran the eastern road to Harev and probably a rout to the Kashaf river via Siracena (Sarakhs). The prosperity of Parthian Parthyena and Apavarcticena indicates full exploitation of water resources and successful containment of the neighboring nomads at that time.

-The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3(2): The Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian Periods, ed. Ehsan Yarshater (NY: Cambridge UP, 1983), 768-769.