Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/207

B. x. c. iv. 12. CRETE. 199 " and Gortyna, a walled city ; " l it lost afterwards its walls, which were destroyed from their foundation, and it has remained ever since without walls ; for Ptolemy Philopator, who began to build a wall, proceeded with it to the distance only of about 8 stadia. Formerly the building occupied a considerable compass, extending nearly 50 stadia. It is distant from the African sea, and from Leben its mart, 90 stadia. It has also another arsenal, Matalum. 2 It is dis- tant from that 130 stadia. The river Letheeus 3 flows through the whole of the city. 12. Leucocomas and Euxynthetus his erastes (or lover), whom Theophrastus mentions in his discourse on Love, were natives of Leben. 4 One of the tasks enjoined Euxynthetus by Leucocomas was this, according to Theophrastus, to bring him his dog from Prasus. 5 The Prasii border upon the Lebenii at the distance of 60 stadia from the sea, and from Gortyn 180. We have said that Prasus was subject to the Eteocretans, and that the temple of the Dictasan Jupiter was there. For Dicte 6 is near ; not, as Aratus 7 alleges, near Ida ; since Dicte is distant 1000 stadia from Mount Ida, and situated at that distance from it towards the rising sun ; and 100 stadia from the promontory Samonium. Prasus was situated between the promontory Samonium, and the Cherrho- nesus, at the distance of 60 stadia from the sea. It was razed by the Hierapytnii. He says, too, that Callimachus 8 is not right in asserting that Britomartis, in her escape from the violence offered by Minos, leaped from Dicte among the nets of the fishermen (SIKTVO), and that hence she had the name of Dictynna from the Cydoniatse, and the mountain that of 1 II. ii. 646. 2 Letima or Matala, Cape Theodosia. 3 The Maloniti or Messara. * On C. Lionda. 5 Strabo must have confounded two totally distinct cities, (Priansus and Prasus,) when he spoke of them under a common name, and assigned them a single situation, both close to Mount Dikte, /md at the same time continuous with the Lebenians, whose city was three days' journey from the mountain. Pashley, Travels in Crete, vol. I. p. 290. Kramer does not agree with Pashley, and, until further information shall be obtained, rests upon the authority of Boeckh, C. I. No. 2556, who affirms that there is some doubt about the name Priansus, which is only found on coins and inscriptions ; both Hoeck (v. Kreta I. p. 413) and Boeckh (C. I. ii. p. 405) consider Priansus and Prasus as the same place. 6 M. Sitia. 7 Pham. 33. 8 Callim. Hymn to Diana, 195.