[55] Antiochia, now Antâkieh, founded by Seleucus Nicator. Having been nearly ruined by an earthquake it was almost rebuilt by Justinian, and called by him Theodopolis. In A.D. 1163, it is described by Benjamin of Tudela as a large city very strongly fortified, ‘overlooked by a very high mountain; a wall surrounds this height, on the summit of which is situated a well. The inspector of the well distributes the water by subterranean aqueducts, and thus provides the houses of the principal inhabitants of the city. The other side of the city is surrounded by the river.’ A plan of the city is given under ‘Antioch’ in Smith’s ‘Dict. of Antiquities.’ ‘The city (the modern Antakieh) covers but a small part of the ground occupied by the ancient city, though it still contains fourteen mosques. ‘The population in 1836 was under 6,000. ‘The walls of the ancient city are comparatively perfect. ‘From the Acropolis the wall has been carried down the almost vertical face of the cliff, and after crossing the valley, is made to ascend the opposite steep hill in a zigzag and extraordinary manner. ‘At the steepest part of the hills these walls necessarily become a succession of gigantic steps between the towers, which, at some places, are close to one another.’—‘Narrative of the Euphrates Expedition,’ p. 189, by J. R. Chesney, London, 1868. (L.) [56] ‘Cyrus, dans la Syrie. Procope rapporte que celle ville fut fondée par les Juifs. C’est la ville Cyrrhus de Ptolemée dont il fait la capitale de la Cyrrhestique. Elle était à 2 journées d’Antioche. Ou la nomine aussi Cyrrhus.’—‘Encyclopédie Méthodique,’ ‘Géographie Ancienne,’ Paris, 1787. (L.) It is now Chorres, north-west of Aleppo. (W.) [57] ‘Chalcis, between Beyrout and Damascus, where there are ruins of the old city, surrounded by a prostrate wall. Two or three miserable hovels are now the only representatives of a royal city.’—Porter’s (Murray’s) ‘Syria and Palestine,’ 1875, p. 515. (L.) Is not the Northern Chalcis (now Kinnesrin), south-west of Aleppo, intended? It is mentioned in ‘Itin.,’ Ant., also in Ant. Mart., ‘Itin.’ (W.) [58] ‘Martyropolis, near the River Nymphæus. Tradition says that it was founded towards the end of the fifth century by Bishop Maroutha, who there collected the relics of all the martyrs which could be found in Armenia, Persia and Syria. It was the capital of Roman Armenia, now Miafarékyn.’ —Smith’s ‘Dict. of Geography.’ (L.) [59] Citharizon, now probably Pâlû on the Murad Chai. (W.) [60] Q.y. Autararizon. [61] ‘Sebastia (Sivas) regarded by Pliny as not belonging to Pontus, but to Cappadocia. Its ancient name is unknown. Pompey increased it, and called it Megalopolis. Its walls were restored by Justinian: (Procopius). There are ruins of two castles of different epochs. One appears to have belonged to the kings of Pontus, strengthened by Romans and rebuilt by Mohammedans.’—Ainsworth’s ‘Journey’ in Chesney, p. 529. (L.) [62] Nicopolis now Shabhin Kara Hissar. (W.)