[147] Villehardouin mentions this place as belonging to the king of Thessalonica, and calls it "Dramine el val de Phelippe." Another MS. reads Draimes, which is more in conformity with the appellation given to it by Nicephorus Gregoras, who, like our author, frequently calls it Drama. It stands in a valley, near the site of the ancient city of Philippi, the ruins of which are still to be seen. [148] The original word is [Hebrew: קנישתולי]; but there can hardly be any doubt that our author wrote it so only because he did not like to mention the name of Christ. We observe this in several other instances in the course of this work. Christopoli was on the direct road from Thessalonica to Constantinople. It was situated on the frontiers of Macedonia and Thracia, on the European shore of the Propontis, opposite the island of Thaso; and here travellers from Macedonia to Constantinople generally embarked. [149] Manuel Comnenus, emperor from 1143 to 1180. [150] The best account of the imperial officers of state will be found in Gibbon, "Decline and Fall," chap. liii. The Præpositus magnus was one of the principal officers, governor of the city and of the forces stationed in it; the Megas Domesticus was the commander in chief of the army; the Dominus, court marshal, lord steward of the household; Megas Ducas, the commander of the naval forces, or lord high admiral of the empire; Œconomos magnus, a clerical officer of high rank. [151] The Hippodrome is now known by the Turkish paraphrased name of the At-Meidan, _i. e._ the horse-market. It was the site chosen for the display of the games by which the emperor Manuel entertained the sultan Azeddin Kilidscharslan, on his visit to Constantinople in 1159; and Mr. Asher observes that Benjamin was probably an eyewitness of the public rejoicings and games which took place in honour of the celebration of the marriage of the emperor Manuel with Maria, daughter of the prince of Antiochia, on "the birth-day of Jesus," A.D. 1161, which he seems to describe here. Compare the account of the games at Constantinople exhibited to the Northmen, pp. 60, 61. [152] Micah, iv. 4. [153] The former respect and conform with the authority of the rabbinic explanations, which are rejected by the latter. [154] This is the Cœla of Ptolemy, and the Celus of Pliny and Mela, a sea-port-town on the eastern coast of the peninsula of Gallipoli, still bearing the Turkish name of Kilia. [155] The island of Chio is still celebrated for its mastic; and the population of twenty villages are employed exclusively in cultivating the tree and gathering its produce. These villages are situated in the mountainous parts; and the Christian cultivators of the mastic not only paid no tithe nor tribute, but enjoyed certain privileges.