484 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book V. surrounding sea ; Casos formerly known as Aclme^ ; Ni- S}TOS^, twelve miles distant from Cnidos, and formerly called Porphyris"* ; and, in the same vicinity, midway between libodes and Cnidos, Syme^. This island is thirty-seven miles and a half in circumference, and welcomes us with eight fine harbours. Besides these islands, there are, in the vicinity of Ehodes, those of Cyclopis, Teganon, Cordylussa^, the four islands called Diabetse^, Hymos, Chalce^, with its city of that name, Seutlussa^, Narthecussa^", Dimastos, Progne ; and, off Cnidos, Cisserussa, Therionarce, and Calydne^^ with the three towns of Notium, Nisyros, and Mendeterus. In Arconnesus'^ there is the town of Ceramus. Off the coast of Caria, there are the islands known as the Argise, twenty in number ; also Hyetussa^^, Lepsia, and Leros. The most noted island, however, in this gulf is that of Cos^^, fifteen miles distant from Halicarnassus, and 100 in circumference, according to the opinion of many writers. It was formerly called Merope ; according to Staphylus, Cea ;
- Mentioned by Homer, II. ii. 676, See also B. iv. c. 23 of the present
work. It is described by Boss as a single ridge of mountaias, of con- siderable height. 2 Signifying " sea-foam." 3 StiU known as Nicero.
- From its production of the ' murex,' or ' pm'ple.'
5 Now called Symi, a small island off the south-west coast of Caria, at the mouth of the Gulf of Doris, to the west of the Promontory of Cynossema. ^ Now called the Island of St. Catherine, according to Ansart. 7 Stephanus Byzantinus mentions these islands as lying in the vicinity at Syme. Perhaps they are the group lying to the south of it, now called Siskle. ^ Distant about fifty miles from Carpathus, or Skarpanto. It was probably subject to Rhodes, in the vicinity of which it was situate. Its present name is Chalki. '■^ An island, according to Hardouin, not far from HaHcarnassus, on the coast of Ionia. ^'^ So called from its productiveness of the vdp9r]^, or ferula. ^^ More probably Calydnse, because there were several islands forming the group, of which Calymna was the chief. See B. iv. c. 23, where Pliny mentions only one towai, that of Coos. There are some remains of th3 ancient towns still to be seen. '2 A small island of Caria, south of Halicarnassus. It is now called Orak-Ada. ^^ Probably so called from the almost continual rains there. ^* Now called Stanko, or Stancliio, a corruption of es tuv Kw,
