Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/342

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PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY.
[Book IV.

by no means dissimilar, two cities formerly stood on the shore, one on either side, Pactye on the side of the Propontis, and Cardia[1] on that of the Gulf of Melas, the latter deriving its name from the shape[2] which the land assumes. These, however, were afterwards united with Lysimachia[3], which stands at a distance of five miles from Macron Tichos. The Chersonesus formerly had, on the side of the Propontis, the towns of Tiristasis, Crithotes, and Cissa[4], on the banks of the river Ægos[5]; it now has, at a distance of twenty-two[6] miles from the colony of Apros, Resistos, which stands opposite to the colony of Parium. The Hellespont also, which separates, as we have already[7] stated, Europe from Asia, by a channel seven stadia in width, has four cities facing each other, Callipolis[8] and Sestos[9] in Europe, and Lampsacus[10] and Abydos[11] in Asia. On the Chersonesus, there is the promontory of Mastusia[12], lying opposite to Sigeum[13]; upon one side of it stands the Cynossema[14] (for so the tomb of Hecuba is called), the naval station[15] of the Achæans, and a tower; and near it the shrine[16] of Protesilaüs. On the ex-

i Now Cardia, or Caridia. It was the birth-place of king Eumenes.

2 From καρδία, in consequence of its supposed resemblance to a heart.

3 Lysimachus destroyed Cardia, and, building Lysimachia, peopled it with the inhabitants.

4 Mannert identifies it with the ancient Ægos and the modern Galata.

5 More generally called Ægospotamos, the "Goat River," upon which the town of Ægos stood. It was here that Lysander defeated the Athenian fleet, B.C. 405, which put an end to the Peloponnesian war.

6 Antoninus, in his Itinerary, makes this distance twenty-six miles.

7 B. ii. c. 92. The present Straits of Gallipoli.

8 Now Gallipoli, a place of considerable commercial importance.

9 Now Ialova; famous in Grecian poetry, with Abydos, for the loves of Hero and Leander.

10 Now Lamsaki.

11 The village of Aidos, or Avido, probably marks its site. To the north, Xerxes passed over to Sestos on his bridge of boats, B.C. 480.

12 Now Capo Helles.

13 Now Jeni-Hisari, the N.W. promontory of Troas. Here Homer places the Grecian camp during the Trojan war.

14 Meaning the "Bitch's tomb," the fable being that Hecuba, in her old age, was changed into that animal. It was near the town of Madytus.

15 Meaning that their fleet was anchored off here during the Trojan war.

16 A magnificent temple was erected near his tomb at Eleus, where he also had a sacred grove. It was greatly enriched by the votive offerings of Greek travellers. According to D'Anville, its site lay to the south of Mastusia.

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