The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3): Literally Translated, with NotesStrabo
History
The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3): Literally Translated, with Notes
Strabo
Geography -- Early works to 1800
3. The city Caunus has a naval arsenal and a close harbour. Above the
city upon a height is Imbrus, a stronghold. Although the country is
fertile, yet the city is allowed by all to be unhealthy in summer, on
account of the heat, and in autumn, from the abundance of fruits.
Stories of the following kind are related respecting the city.
Stratonicus, the player on the cithara, seeing the Caunians somewhat
dark and yellow,[123] said that this was what the poet meant in the
line,
“As are the leaves, so is the race of men.”[124]
When he was accused of ridiculing the unhealthiness of the city, he
answered, “Can I be so bold as to call that city unhealthy, where even
the dead walk about?”
The Caunians once revolted from the Rhodians, but, by a decision of the
Romans, they were received again by the Rhodians into favour. There is
in existence an oration of Molo against the Caunians.
It is said that they speak the same language as the Carians, that they
came from Crete, and retained their own laws and customs.[125]
4. Next is Physcus,[126] a small town; it has a port and a grove sacred
to Latona: then Loryma, a rugged line of sea-coast, and a mountain, the
highest of any in that quarter, on the summit of which is Phœnix, a
stronghold, of the same name as the mountain. In front is the island
Eleussa, at the distance of 4 stadia. Its circumference is about 8
stadia.
5. The city of the Rhodians is on the eastern promontory. With regard to
harbours, roads, walls, and other buildings, it so much surpasses other
cities, that we know of none equal, much less superior to it.
Their political constitution and laws were excellent, and the care
admirable with which they administered affairs of state generally, and
particularly those relative to their marine. Hence being for a long
period masters of the sea, they put an end to piracy, and became allies
of the Romans, and of those kings who were well affected to the Romans
and the Greeks; hence also the city was suffered to preserve her
independence, and was embellished with many votive offerings. These are
distributed in various places, but the greatest part of them are
deposited in the Dionysium and in the gymnasium. The most remarkable is
the Colossus of the Sun, which, the author of the iambics says, was
“seventy cubits in height, the work of Chares of Lindus.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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