Ancient history from the monuments: Greek cities & islands of Asia MinorVaux, W. S. W. (William Sandys Wright)
History
Ancient history from the monuments: Greek cities & islands of Asia Minor
Vaux, W. S. W. (William Sandys Wright)
Greeks -- Turkey; Turkey -- History
It should be noted here, that the finding gold or silver coins at a
place is not _alone_ sufficient evidence for its name, though such a
discovery is a presumption in favour of it. Where, however, a large
number of small _copper_ coins are found, the presumption becomes very
strong. Obviously, gold and silver coins may, easily, pass from one
site to another, simply as objects of commerce.
Footnote 84:
The neighbourhood of Selge produced, and produces, two useful
botanical substances; one, the balsam of styrax or storax (liquid-
amber orientalis), the juice of an umbrageous tree like the plane.
Krinos (περὶ Στύρακος, Athens, 1862—) shows it has been correctly
described by Aetius and Paulus Ægineta in the 6th and 7th centuries.
It is noticed, also, in the Travels of the Russian Abbot of Tver, A.D.
1113-5. The author of the “Periplus” states that, in his time, storax
went, as it does now, by way of the Red Sea to India. In India it is
called Rose Malloes (Rosa Mallas, Rosum Alloes, Rosmal), perhaps from
the Malay, Rasamala. This gum is extracted now by the Yuruk Turkomans,
and is still used in the churches and mosques of S. Asia Minor for
incense. One form of this substance is _Resina Benzoe_—_Gum Benjamin_,
or _Benzoin_ (Ibn Batuta’s Travels, A.D. 1325-49—who says it comes
from Java, and is called Java Frankincense or Camphor). The popular
name is a corruption of _Lubán Jáwi_ into _Ban-jawi_, &c. Crawfurd
thinks it the old Malabathrum. It is stated by Vasco da Gama to be a
product of Xarnuz (Siam).
The other substance is _Rhizoma Iridis_ (popularly Orris-root), used
of old for giving a sweet odour to unguents (see Theophrastus,
Dioskorides, and Pliny). The ancient arms of Florence were a white
lily or iris on a red shield. Orris-root was used as a perfume in
England in 1480 (Wardrobe Accounts of Edward IV.), and, according to
Gerarde, was grown here. In Tuscany it is still grown under the name
of _Giaggiolo_.
Footnote 85:
All geographers, even Colonel Leake, seem to have gone astray here, in
their interpretation of Strabo. Thus, D’Anville placed Antioch at Ak-
Shehr (12 or 13 miles to the N., on the real site of Philomelium), and
such, too, would seem to have been the opinion of the Latin historians
of the Crusades, and even of Anna Comnena. In the Peutinger tables, a
great road is marked from Iconium to Side, with a branch to Antioch.
This is well explained, if the present _Yalobatch_ represents Antioch.
Footnote 86:
We do not discredit Mr. Arundell’s discovery, if we say that, in the
actual text of his travels, he rather suggests a strong probability
than proves his discovery. He did not find any inscription with the
name of the town. His argument is, however, a strong inference that no
other place in that neighbourhood, but Antioch, could have left such
vast remains.
[Illustration:
ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA.
]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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