the scene of a great battle, fought between the Israelites under Deborah and Barak, and the Canaanites under Sisera, and the place where the priests of Baal were put to death by command of Elijah 58. A little to the W. of the river's mouth lay Hepha Haypha; and Porphyrium, so named from the fish which were caught there, and which yielded the famous purple dye: to the S. of the latter on the declivity of Mr. Carmel, stood Ecbatana, called afterwards Carmelus, where Cambyses, king of Persia died, having, as it is said, been foretold that Ecbatana should be fatal to him, which he had understood of the great city in Media, and avoided it accordingly. 22. CYPRUS. The island of Cyprus, which still retains it's name, lay to the W. of Phoenice, and to the S. of Cilicia in Asia Minor; the channel, by which it is separated from the latter, was known as the Aulon Cilicius. Cyprus contains 3,000 square miles, and is the second island in size in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily being the first. : 23. Cyprus is said to have obtained it's name from Cyprus, one of it's early kings, though others say, it was derived from a certain fragrant tree or flower: it was also called Cerastia from it's many capes, Macaria from the happiness of it's climate, and Paphos 59 from it's famous city of that name. It is celebrated in mythology for the birth of Venus, hence called Cypris, to whom the whole island was especially consecrated 60. It's situation at the Eastern extremity of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering upon Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, rendered it a very important island, and it's own internal resources were so great, that there was probably no spot on the earth of equal magnitude, which surpassed it in the number and excellency of it's natural productions it was said to be the only place in the known world which could fit out a ship without foreign assistance. It's copper was purer and more flexible than that of any other country, and was therefore eagerly sought after by every nation. The earliest inhabitants of the island were Phoenicians, who were joined by some Greeks shortly after the siege of Troy; the Egyptians subsequently seized upon it, and having reduced the whole of it under their power, peopled it with Ethiopian colonies. Cyprus fell with Egypt under the dominion of the Persians, and remained in their undisturbed possession, till the unfortunate expedition of Xerxes against the Greeks, roused that brave people to avenge the cause of their enslaved brethren in Cyprus; they accordingly fitted out a fleet, which they entrusted to the command of Pausanias, and afterwards to Cimon, but they found their fellowcountrymen so mixed with the other colonists, as not only to have completely changed their language and manners, but even to refuse their assistance. After the battle of Issus, the island fell into the power of Alexander, and at his death, into that of Ptolemy, king of Egypt, whose successors kept possession of it, till it came within the grasp of the Romans: they allowed it for some time to be governed by it's own princes, but at last demanded to have it under their immediate control, and accordingly sent Cato against it, who soon reduced it to submission. Augustus made it a consular province, and divided it into four districts, called after it's principal cities, viz. Paphia, Amathusia, Salaminia, and Lapithia. The inhabitants were exceedingly ingenious and industrious, though they were much given to pleasure and dissipation. 58 Judges, iv.-1 Kings. xviii. 40. 59 Illa Paphon genuit: de quo tenet insula nomen. Ovid. Met. X. 297. το Αἰδοίην χρυσοστέφανον καλὴν ̓Αφροδίτην O, quæ beatam, Diva, tenes Cyprum, O Venus, regina Cnidi Paphique, Hom. Hymn. in Ven. II. 2. Hor. Carm. III. xxxvi. 9. Id. I. xxx. 2. 24. The principal capes of Cyprus were, Curias Pr. C. Gavata, it's Southernmost paint; Acamas Pr. C. Pifanio, it's Westernmost point; Crommyon Pr. C. Cormachitti, opposite Anemurium in Cilicia; and Clides, or Dinaretum Pr. C. S. Andreas, it's Easternmost point, only 60 miles from the opposite coast of Syria: on this last stood a temple sacred to Venus Acræa, which no woman dared approach. A range of mountains, called Olympus Sa, Croce, intersects the whole island, and causes it's Eastern part to run out into a long narrow promontory, called Cauda Bovis : and it appears very probable, that it was this remarkable projection which led the ancients to give the whole island the epithet of Cerastia 61. The only river of the least consequence in the whole of Cyprus, is the Pedæus Pedia, which rises on the Northern side of Mt. Olympus, and flows Eastward into the sea at Salamis. 25. On the Northern coast of Cyprus, near the promontory Acamas, stood Arsinoe Poli Chrisofou, and near it was a celebrated grove dedicated to Jupiter. A little below the latter was pea, an Athenian colony, at the source of the brook Clarius, which was visited by Solon when in banishment here; he persuaded the king of it to remove to a more commodious situation lower down the river, which he accordingly did, calling his new city Soloe Soglia, after Solon. The inhabitants of this place so far forgot the purity and elegance of their language, as to express themselves very incorrectly, whence an incorrect expression is called a Solocismus; this term, however, is said by many to have originated with the people of Soloe, in Asia Minor, but it appears from Suidas that it was borrowed from the corrupted lan. guage of both cities. Farther Eastward were Lapethus Lapitho, which gave name to the district Lapithia; Cerynia Cerina, an important Phoenician colony; Achæorum Littus, where Teucer landed when banished by Telamon from Salamis, for not having avenged the death of his brother Ajax; and Carpasia Carpass, a fortified place of some consequence. 26. On the Eastern coast of Cyprus was it's capital city Salamis, said to have been built by Teucer, B. c. 1270, when expelled from Salamis, and to have been so called after his native island 63; it was a very important and powerful place, and gave name to the district Salaminia. It suffered much from an insurrection of the Jews in the time of Trajan, and still more during the reign of Constantius from an earthquake, which completely destroyed the city, and killed most of it's inhabitants; it was, however, restored by the latter emperor, who called it Constantia Costanza. Salamis was especially sacred to Venus, hence surnamed Salaminia. A little farther 61 At si forte roges foecundam Amathunta metalli, 61 See p. 494, Sect. 78. 63 Teucer Salamina patremque Cum fugeret, tamen uda Lyæo Tempora populeâ fertur vinxisse corona, Sic tristes affatus amicos: Quo nos cumque feret melior fortuna parente, Ibimus, o socii comitesque. Ovid. Met. X. 223. Nil desperandum Teucro duce, et auspice Teucro; Certus enim promisit Apollo, Ambiguam tellure novâ Salamina futuram. Hor. Carm. I. vii. 29. * Κυπρογενή Κυθέρειαν ἀείσομαι, ἥ τε βροτοῖσι Southward was Arsinoë, which afterwards changed it's name to Ammochostos or Famagosta, now one of the chief cities of the island. Below these, on the Southern coast of Cyprus, was Citium Chiti, on the shores of Citius Sinus G. of Salines; it was the birth-place of the philosopher Zeno, and of the physician Apollonius, and in it Cimon died, during his campaign against the islanders 65. The name of this town induced Josephus to believe that Cyprus was the original seat of the Kittim, or Cittim; but there is no doubt about the continent having been peopled before the island. After the Kittim had settled on the mainland, it is probable enough that in process of time they might have sent colonists over into Cyprus, who, building the above-mentioned town, might name it Citium after the family from which they were descended. To the Westward of this stood Amathus Old Limesol, a very ancient place, said to have been so called from it's founder Amathus, the son of Hercules; it was the last city which gave up the Persian cause, and was especially sacred to Venus, hence surnamed Amathusia 66. Between this city and the adjacent Curium Piscopi, was a famous grove, sacred to Apollo. The city of Palæ Paphos, or Old Paphos, Counclia, was near the South Western point of the island, and was reported to have been founded by a son of Apollo; it stood at the mouth of the little R. Barbarus, and was celebrated for it's beautiful temple of Venus, built on the spot where she landed when she rose from the sea: there were 100 altars in her temple, which smoked daily with a profusion of frankincense, and though exposed to the open air, they were never wetted by the rain. Annual festivals Αἰεὶ μειδιάει, καὶ ἐφ ̓ ἱμερτὸν φέρει ἄνθος. 05 Corn. Nep. vit. Cimon. Hom. Hymn. in Ven. III. 66 Est Amathus, est celsa mihi Paphos, atque Cythera, Virg. Æn. X. 51. Culte puer, puerique parens Amathusia culti; 67 Η δ' ἄρα Κύπρον ἵκανε φιλομμειδής Αφροδίτη, Ες Πάφον· ἔνθα δέ οἱ τέμενος βωμός τε θυήεις. Ipsa Paphum sublimis adit, sedesque revisit Hom. Od. e. 363. Thure calent aræ, sertisque recentibus halant. Virg. Æn. I. 415. Horace, speaking of Venus, says, quæ Cnidon Fulgentesque tenet Cycladas, et Paphon Junctis visit oloribus. Curm. III. xxviii. 13. were held here in honour of the goddess, and her oracle, which was connected with the temple, acquired for it considerable reputation. A few miles to the Northward of this lay New Paphos Baffa, or Paphos properly so called; it was said to have been founded by the Arcadian Agapenor, shortly after the destruction of Troy, when his fleet was driven upon the island by a storm: it was formerly called Erythræ, and possessed several beautiful temples of Venus. It suffered much from earthquakes, and was nearly destroyed by one, during the reign of Augustus, who rebuilt the city and commanded it to be called Augusta. 27. In the interior of the country was Tamasea, or Tamassus, Piscopio, of very ancient foundation, and famous for it's extensive mines of copper, the situation of which, however, is a point of some uncertainty, many referring them to the country of the Bruttii in Southern Italy 68: it was on the banks of the Pedeus, near Leucosia or Nicosia, the modern capital of the island. Hard by were Idalium 60 Dalin, with a grove sacred to Venus, who is hence surnamed Idalie 70; and Cythræ, or Cythera, Citria, which was also a favourite residence of the goddess, but must not be confounded with the island of that name, off the Southern extremity of the Peloponnessus. 68 Νῦν δ ̓ ὧδε ξὺν νηϊ κατήλυθον ἠδ ̓ ἑτάροισι, Est ager, indigenæ Tamasenum nomine dicunt; Hom. Od. A. 184. Ovid. Met. X. 644. CHAPTER XXI. PALESTINA VEL JUDEA. 1. Palæstina was washed on the W. by the Mediterranean, or Great Sea as it is called in the Bible': to the N. it touched upon Phoenice and Syria, to the E. and S. upon the latter country and Arabia Petræa. It was separated from Egypt by a little river called the Torrent of Egypt. It was about half as large again as the principality of Wales, and contained 7,900 square miles, or 300 more than Sicily. 2. Upon the dispersion of mankind, the country lying at the South Eastern extremity of the Mediterranean, from Sidon to Gaza, fell to the lot of Canaan, and is therefore in Scripture called The Land of Canaan; it is also called The Land of Promise, and The Land of Israel, from Almighty God having given it as an inheritance to the Children of Israel. The name of Palæstina was derived from the Philistines, who dwelled in a part of it bordering upon Egypt; and who, though they were subjected by David, and kept in obedience by some of his successors, became afterwards so powerful as to furnish the Greek and Latin writers, as well as the neighbouring people, with 1 Numb. xxxiv. 6.-Joshua, i. 4; ix. 1; xv. 12.-Ezek. xlvii. 20. It is also occasionally called "The Uttermost Sea:" Deut. xi. 4.-Joel, ii. 20. Many of the profane writers likewise allude to it under the name of “ Magnum Mare." Thus Pliny [IX. 15.], speaking of the Tunny-fish, says, "Intrant e Magno Mari Pontum verno tempore gregatim." Orosius [1. 2.] mentions it under the same appellation: "Mare Nostrum, quod Magnum generaliter dicimus." As does Isidorus [XIII. 16.]: "Mare magnum est, quod ab occasu ex oceano influit, et in meridiem vergit, deinde ad septentrionem tendit. Quod inde Magnum appellatur, quia cætera maria in comparatione ejus minora sunt. Istud est Mediterraneum," meque assiduis lacera illius umbra Questibus, et Magni numen Maris excitat Helle. Val. Flacc. I. 50. 2 Canaan he now attains; I see his tents 3 Milton, Par. Lost, Book XII. 137. Bella Palæstinæ primo delebit in ævo. Ovid. Met. IV. 46. Sil. Ital. III. 606. |