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
63. Chrysa is a small town on the sea-coast with a harbour. Near and
above it is Thebe. Here was the temple of Apollo Smintheus, and here
Chryseïs lived. The place at present is entirely abandoned. To the
present Chrysa, near Hamaxitus, was transferred the temple of the
Cilicians, one party of whom went to Pamphylia, the other to Hamaxitus.
Those who are not well acquainted with ancient histories say that
Chryses and Chryseïs lived there, and that Homer mentions the place. But
there is no harbour at this place, yet Homer says,
“but when they entered the deep harbour,”[1487]--
nor is the temple on the sea-coast, but Homer places it there;
“Chryseïs left the ship; then the sage Ulysses, leading her to
the altar, placed her in the hands of her beloved
father.”[1488]
Nor is it near Thebe, but it is near it, according to Homer, for he
says, that Chryseïs was taken away from thence.
Nor is there any place of the name of Cilla in the district of the
Alexandreia, (Troas,) nor a temple of Apollo Cillæus, whereas the poet
joins them together:
“who art the guardian of Chrysa, and the divine Cilla.”[1489]
But it is in the plain of Thebe that they are seen near together. The
voyage from the Cilician Chrysa to the Naustathmus (or naval station) is
about 700 stadia, and occupies a day, which is as much as Ulysses seems
to have completed; for immediately upon leaving the vessel he offers
sacrifice to the god, and being overtaken by the evening, remains there.
In the morning he sets sail. It is scarcely a third of the
above-mentioned distance from Hamaxitus, so that Ulysses could have
performed his sacrifice and have returned to the Naustathmus the same
day. There is also a monument of Cillus, a large mound, near the temple
of Apollo Cillæus. He is said to have been the charioteer of Pelops, and
to have had the chief command in these parts. Perhaps the country
Cilicia had its name from him, or he had his from the country.
64. The story about the Teucri, and the mice from whom the name of
Smintheus is derived, (for mice are called Sminthii,) must be
transferred to this place.
They [CAS. 613] excuse the derivation of titles from insignificant
objects by examples of this kind; as from the parnopes, which the Œtæans
call cornopes, Hercules had a surname, and was worshipped under the
title of Hercules Cornopion, because he had delivered them from locusts.
So the Erythræans, who live near the river Melius, worship Hercules
Ipoctonus, because he destroyed the ipes, or worms, which are
destructive to vines; for this pest is found everywhere except in the
country of the Erythræans. The Rhodians have in the island a temple of
Apollo Erythibius, so called from erysibe, (mildew,) and which they call
erythibe. Among the Æolians in Asia one of their months is called
Pornopion, for this name the Bœotians give to parnopes, (locusts,) and a
sacrifice is performed to Apollo Pornopion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account