Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/385

B. xin. c. i. $ 53. THE TROAD. 377 Scepsis l either for some other reason or because it was within view of the places around, if we may be allowed to derive words then in use among Barbarians from the Greek language. Afterwards the inhabitants were transferred to the present Scepsis, 60 stadia lower down, by Scamandrius, the son of Hector, and by Ascanius, the son of ^Eneas ; these two families reigned, it is said, a long time at Scepsis. They changed the form of government to an oligarchy ; afterwards the Milesians qnited with the Scepsians, and formed a de- mocracy. 2 The descendants of these families had never- theless the name of kings, and held certain, dignities. Anti- gonus incorporated the Scepsians with the inhabitants of Alexandreia (Troas) ; Lysimachus dissolved this union, and they returned to their own country. 53. The Scepsian (Demetrius) supposes that Scepsis was the palace of ./Eneas, situated between the dominion of JEneas and Lyrnessus, where, it is said, he took refuge when pur- sued by Achilles. " Remember you not," says Achilles, "how I chased you when alone and apart from the herds, with swift steps, from the heights of Ida, thence in- deed you escaped to Lyrnessus; but I took and destroyed it." 3 Present traditions respecting JEneas do not agree with the story respecting the first founders of Scepsis. For it is said that he was spared on account of his hatred to Priam : "he ever bore hatred to Priam, for never had Priam bestowed any honour upon him for his valour."* His companion chiefs, the Antenoridoe, and Antenor. and my- self, escaped on account of the hospitality which the latter had shown to Menelaus. Sophocles, in his play, The Capture of Troy, says, that a panther's skin was placed before Antenor's door as a signal that his house should be spared from plunder. Antenor and 1 From aKtTTTOfiai, (sceptomai,) I see to a distance, from which the compound TrspJtr/eeTrro/iai, (perisceptomai,) / see to a distance around. Strabo perceived the absurdity of such an etymology. Others derived the name of this place from oK^irro^ai, I pretend, whence vicrj^ig, (skepsis,) a pretext, because it was on this part of the chain of Ida that Rhea, on the birth of Jupiter, substituted for him a stone clothed as an infant, and presented it to be devoured by Saturn in place of her child. This etymology is conformable to analogy, although founded on a ridi- culous fable. 2 B. xiii. c. i. 6. 3 11. xx. 188. 4 II. xiii. 460