Tor is a hill or tower. Many places in Greece had it in their composition; such as Torone, Torete, Toreate: also in Hetrurïa, Torchonium. Turzon, in Africa, was a tower of the [363]Sun. It was sometimes expressed Tar; hence Tarcunia, Taracena, Tarracon in Spain, Tarne (Tar-ain) which gave name to a fountain in Lydia; Taron (Tar-On) in Mauritania. Towers of old were either Prutaneia, or light-houses, and were styled Tor-Is: whence came the Turris of the Romans. Sometimes these terms were reversed, and the tower was called Astur. Such a one was near some hot streams, at no great distance from Cicero's Villa. It is thus described by Plutarch: Αστυρα--χωριον παραλιον Κικερωνος. The river, too, was called Astura. There was also a place of this name opposite to the island Lesbos, undoubtedly denominated from the like circumstances in its situation; as may be learned from Pausanias, who had seen it. Ὑδωρ δε απο πηγων ανερχομενον μελαν ιδων οιδα εν Αστυροις· ταδε Αστυρα απαντικρυ εστι Λεσβου· λουτρα εστι θερμα εν τῳ Αταρνει καλουμενῳ. Caph, Cap, and Cephas, signify a rock; and also any promontory or headland. As temples used to be built upon eminences of this sort; we find this word often compounded with the titles of the Deity there worshipped, as Caph-El, Caph-El-On, Caph-Aur, Caph-Arez, Caph-Is, Caph-Is-Ain, Caph-Ait; whence came Cephale, Cephalonia, Caphareus, Capisa, Cephisus, Capissene, Cephene, Caphyatæ, Capatiani. In Iberia was a wonderful edifice upon the river Bœtis, mentioned by Strabo, and called Turris Capionis. It was a Pharos, dedicated, as all such buildings were, to the Sun: hence it was named Cap-Eon, Petra Solis. It seems to have been a marvellous structure. Places of this sort, which had towers upon them, were called Caphtor. Such an one was in Egypt, or in its [364]vicinity; whence the Caphtorim had their name. It was probably near [365]Pelusium, which they quitted very early for the land of Canaan. Diu sometimes, but sparingly, occurs for an island; and is generally by the Greeks changed to Dia, Δια. The purport of it may be proved from its being uniformly adapted to the same object. The Scholiast upon Theocritus takes notice that the island Naxos was called Dia: [366]Διαν την νυν καλουμενην Ναξον; and he adds, πολλαι δε και ἑτεραι εισι νησοι Διαι καλουμεναι, ἡτε προ της Κρητης--και ἡ περι Μηλον, και ἡ περι Αμοργον, και ἡ της Κεω χεῤῥονησος, και ἡ Πελοποννησου. All these were islands, or peninsula regions. BETH.