Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/514

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480 PLIKT's NATURAL HISTORY. [Book V. CHAP. 35.— CYPRUS. The Pamphylian Sea contains some islands of little note. The Cilician, besides four others of very considerable size, has Cyprus which lies opposite to the shores of Cilicia and Sy- ria, running east and west ; in former times it was the seat of nine kingdoms. Timosthenes states that the circumfer- ence of this island is 427 miles, Isidorus^ 375 ; its length, between the two Promontories of Dinse^ and Acamas"* lying on the west, is, according to Artemidorus, 1601 miles, ac- cording to Timosthenes, 200. Philonides says that it was formerly called Acamantis, Xenagoras that it had the names of Cerastis^, Aspelia, Amathusia, and Macaria^, while Astynomus gives it the names of Cryptos'^ and Co- linia. Its towns are fifteen in number, Neapaphos', Palsepaphos^, Curias^", Citium^ Corineum, Salamis'^, Ama- from the spring .A in Ibrahjm, in tlie sea, a few rods from the shore of the opposite coast. ^ Now called Kibris. 2 Strabo makes it 425. Hardouin remarks that Isidorus has not made allowance for the margin of the creeks and bays. 3 The north-eastern extremity of Cyprus. It is now called Capo Sant Andreas. It is more generally known in the editions of PHny by the name of Dinaretum. ^ Now called Capo Sant Epifanio, or Pifano, after the celebrated me- tropolitan of Cy]^)rus. It is the western extremity of the island. ^ From the Greek Kepas, "a horn." It was not improbably so called from the numerous horns or promontories on its coast. ^ From the G-reek fiaicapios, *' blessed," in compliment to its fertile soil and deUghtful temperature. 7 Apparently from the Greek Kpvirrbi, "concealed." Stephanus By- zantinus says that it was so called because it was frequently hidden beneath the surface of the sea.

  • Or New Paphos. The spot is still called Bafa or Bafo.

^ Or Old Paphos, now Kukala or Konukha. Old Paphos was situate ne-4ir the promontory Zephyrium on the river Bocarno, where it had a good harbour ; while New Paphos lay more inland, in the midst of a fertile plain, sixty stadia from the former. Old Paphos was the cliief seat of worship of Aplirodite or Venus, who was said to have landed at that place after her ascent from the sea. ^^ Situate on the most southerly point in the island ; now Capo Gavatta or delle Gatte. ^^ A town situate on the south coast of Cyprus. Its ruins are to be seen between Larnika and the port now known as Sahnes ; they are veiy extensive. In B. xxx. c. 9, Phny speaks of the salt lakes near this place, which are worked at the present day.

  • ^ In the middle of the east coast. It was said to have been founded