The Geography of Strabo, Volume 2 (of 3): Literally Translated, with NotesStrabo
History
The Geography of Strabo, Volume 2 (of 3): Literally Translated, with Notes
Strabo
Geography -- Early works to 1800
7. Those who have paid particular attention to this subject conjecture,
from the expressions of the poet, that all this coast was subject to the
Trojans, when it was divided into nine dynasties, but that at the time
of the war it was under the sway of Priam, and called Troja. This
appears from the detail. Achilles and his army perceiving, at the
beginning of the war, that the inhabitants of Ilium were defended by
walls, carried on the war beyond them, made a circuit, and took the
places about the country;
“I sacked with my ships twelve cities, and eleven in the
fruitful land of Troja.”[1330]
By Troja he means the continent which he had ravaged. Among other
places which had been plundered, was the country opposite Lesbos,--that
about Thebe, Lyrnessus, and Pedasus belonging to the Leleges, and the
territory also of Eurypylus, the son of Telephus;
“as when he slew with his sword the hero Eurypylus, the son of
Telephus;”[1331]
and Neoptolemus,
“the hero Eurypylus.”
The poet says these places were laid waste, and even Lesbos;
“when he took the well-built Lesbos,”[1332]
and,
“he sacked Lyrnessus and Pedasus,”[1333]
and,
“laid waste Lyrnessus, and the walls of Thebe.”[1334]
Briseïs was taken captive at Lyrnessus;
“whom he carried away from Lyrnessus.”[1335]
In the capture of this place the poet says, Mynes and Epistrophus were
slain, as Briseïs mentions in her lament over Patroclus,
“Thou didst not permit me, when the swift-footed Achilles slew
my husband, and destroyed the city of the divine Mynes, to
make any lamentation;”[1336]
for by calling Lyrnessus “the city of the divine Mynes,” the poet
implies that it was governed by him who was killed fighting in its
defence.
Chryseïs was carried away from Thebe;
“we came to Thebe, the sacred city of Eetion,”[1337]
and Chryseïs is mentioned among the booty which was carried off from
that place.
Andromache, daughter of the magnanimous Eetion, Eetion king of
the Cilicians, who dwelt under the woody Placus at Thebe
Hypoplacia.[1338]
This is the second Trojan dynasty after that of Mynes, and in agreement
with what has been observed are these words of Andromache;[CAS. 585]
“Hector, wretch that I am; we were both born under the same
destiny; thou at Troja in the palace of Priam, but I at
Thebe.”
The words are not to be understood in their direct sense, but by a
transposition; “both born in Troja, thou in the house of Priam, but I at
Thebe.”
The third dynasty is that of the Leleges, which is also a Trojan
dynasty;
“of Altes, the king of the war-loving Leleges,”[1339]
by whose daughter Priam had Lycaon and Polydorus. Even the people, who
in the Catalogue are said to be commanded by Hector, are called Trojans;
“Hector, the mighty, with the nodding crest, commanded the
Trojans;”[1340]
then those under Æneas,
“the brave son of Anchises had the command of the Dardanii,”[1341]
and these were Trojans, for the poet says,
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