“those who have an altar of Jupiter, their paternal god, on the Idæan hill,” and again; “Sipylus in the Idæan land,” --and Tantalus says, “I sow the furrows of the Berecynthian fields, extending twelve days’ journey, where the seat of Adrasteia and Ida resound with the lowing of herds and the bleating of sheep; all the plain re-echoes with their cries.” BOOK XIII. ASIA. SUMMARY. The Thirteenth Book contains the part of Asia south of the Propontis (Sea of Marmara), the whole of the sea-coast, and the adjacent islands. The author dwells some time on Troy, though deserted, on account of its distinction, and the great renown it derived from the war. CHAPTER I. 1. These are the limits of Phrygia. We return again to the Propontis, and to the sea-coast adjoining the Æsepus,[1304] and shall observe, in our description of places, the same order as before. The first country which presents itself on the sea-coast is the Troad.[1305] Although it is deserted, and covered with ruins, yet it is so celebrated as to furnish a writer with no ordinary excuse for expatiating on its history. But we ought not only to be excused, but encouraged, for the reader should not impute the fault of prolixity to us, but to those whose curiosity and desire of information respecting the celebrated places of antiquity is to be gratified. The prolixity is greater than it would be otherwise, from the great number of nations, both Greeks and Barbarians, who have occupied the country, and from the disagreement among writers, who do not relate the same things of the same persons and places, nor even do they express themselves with clearness. Among these in particular is Homer, who suggests occasions for conjecture in the greatest part of his local descriptions. We are therefore to examine what the poet and other writers advance, premising a summary description of the nature of the places. 2. The coast of the Propontis extends from Cyzicene and the places about the Æsepus and Granicus[1306] as far as Abydos, and Sestos.[1307] Between Abydos and Lectum[1308] is the country about Ilium, and Tenedos and Alexandreia Troas.[1309] Above all these is the mountain Ida, extending as far as Lectum. From Lectum to the river Caïcus[1310] and the Canæ mountains as they are called is the district comprising Assus,[1311] Adramyttium,[1312] Atarneus,[1313] Pitane,[1314] and the Elaïtic bay, opposite to all which places lies the island Lesbos.[1315] Next follows the country about Cyme[1316] as far as Hermus,[1317] and Phocæa,[1318] where Ionia begins, and Æolis terminates. Such then is the nature of the country. The poet implies that it was the Trojans chiefly who were divided into eight or even nine bodies of people, each forming a petty princedom, who had under their sway the places about Æsepus, and those about the territory of the present Cyzicene, as far as the river Caïcus. The troops of auxiliaries are reckoned among the allies.