BYZE'RES (Bi;C77p«s), a nation in Pontus. Ste- phanus («. v.), who mentions the Byzeres, adds tliat there is a Bviripuchs Xi/ui^f, whence we might infer that the Byzeres were on the coast, or at least pos- sessed a place on the coast. Strabo (p. 549) men- tions several savage tribes which occupied the inte- rior above Trapezus and Phamacia — the Tibareni, the Cheldsei, the Sanni who were once called Ma- crones, and others. He adds, that some of these barbarians were called Byzeres; but he does not say, as some interpret his words, that Uiese Byzeres were the same as the Heptacometae. Dionysius {Perieg. 765) mentions the Byzeres in the same verse with the Becheires or Bechiri. The name of the people must have been well known as it occurs in Mela (i. 19), and in Pliny (vi.3); but there are no means of fixing their position more precisely than Strabo has done. [ G. L. ]

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