Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/176

168 STRABO. CASAUB. 457. Asteria, 1 or Asteris, as it is called by the poet, which, accord- ing to Demetrius, the Scepsian, does not remain in the state described by the poet, " there are harbours in it, open on both sides, for the reception of vessels." 8 But Apollodorus says that it exists even at present, and men- tions a small city in it, Alalcomenae, situated quite upon the isthmus. 17. The poet also gives the name of Samos to Thracia, which we now call Samothrace. He was probably acquainted with the Ionian island, for he seems to have been acquainted with the Ionian migration. He would not, otherwise, have made a distinction between islands of the same names, for in speaking of Samothrace, he makes the distinction sometimes by the epithet, " on high, upon the loftiest summit of the woody Samos, the Thracian," 3 sometimes by uniting it with the neighbouring islands, " to Samos, and Imbros, and inaccessible Lemnos ;" 4 and again, " between Samos and rocky Imbros." s He was therefore acquainted with the Ionian island, although he has not mentioned its name. Nor had it formerly always the same name, but was called Melamphylus, then Anthemis, then Parthenia, from the river Parthenius, the name of which was changed to Irnbrasus. Since then both Cephallenia and Samothrace were called Samos 6 at the time of the Trojan war, (for if it had not been so Hecuba would not have been introduced saying, that Achilles would sell any of her chil- dren that he could seize at Samos and Imbros, 7 ) Ionian Samos was not yet colonized (by lonians), which is evident from its having the same name from one of the islands earlier (called Samos), that had it before; whence this also is clear, that those persons contradict ancient history, who assert, that colonists came from Samos after the Ionian migration, and the arrival of Tembrion, and gave the name of Samos to Samothrace. The Samians invented this story out of vanity. Those are more entitled to credit, who say, that heights are 1 I. Dascaplio. 2 Od. iv. 846. 3 II. xiii. 12. 4 II. xxiv. 753. 5 II. xxiv. 78. 8 In the Valle d' Alessandro, in Cephalonia, there is still a place called Samo. 7 II. xxiv. 752.