Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/78

64 STRABO. BOOK I. and by violence, and especially by the plunder of those who had been the allies of Troy. They however who dwelt on the ex- terior ocean, and the distant barbarians, held out no such en- couragement : and when Menelaus is said to have been in Ethiopia, it is because he had reached the frontiers of that coun- try next Egypt. But perhaps at that time the frontiers lay more contiguous to Thebes than they do now. At the present day the nearest are the districts adjacent to Syene and Philse, 1 the former town being entirely in Egypt, while PhilaB is inhabited by a mixed population of Ethiopians and Egyptians. Supposing therefore he had arrived at Thebes, and thus reached the boundary -line of Ethiopia, where he experienced the munifi- cence of the king, we must not be surprised if he is described as having passed through the country. 2 On no better au- thority Ulysses declares he has been to the land of the Cy- clops, although he merely left the sea to enter a cavern which he himself tells us was situated on the very borders of the country : and, in fact, wherever he came to anchor, whether at -ZEolia, Laestrygonia, or elsewhere, he is stated to have visited those places. In the same manner Menelaus is said to have been to Ethiopia and Libya, because here and there he touched at those places, and the port near Ardania above Parcetonium 3 is called after him "the port of Menelaus." 4 33. When, after mentioning Phoenicia, he talks of Sidon, its metropolis, he merely employs a common form of expres- sion, for example, He urged the Trojans and Hector to the ships. 5 For the sons of magnanimous CEneus were no more, nor was he himself surviving ; moreover, fair-haired Meleager was dead. 8 He came to Ida and to Gargarus. 7 1 Philse was built on a little island formed by the Nile, now called El-Heif. 2 This is evidently Strabo's meaning ; but the text, as it now stands, is manifestly corrupt. 3 El-Baretun. A description of this place will be found in the 17th book. 4 At this port it was that Agesilaus terminated his glorious career. 5 Iliad xiii. 1. Strabo means that Homer, after having spoken of the Trojans in general, mentions Hector in particular. 6 Iliad ii. 641. Having mentioned the sons of CEneus collectively, he afterwards distinguishes one of them by name. 7 Iliad viii. 47. Gargarus was one of the highest peaks of Ida.