CHAPTER X. GRECIAN ISLANDS. A. G. Plates XI. XII. XIII. XIV. THESE we shall describe, beginning from the north of the Egean Sea, or Archipelago, along the coast of Greece; proceeding thence to the coast of Asia Minor. South-west of the mouth of the Hebrus (Pl. XIII.) was the island of Samothrace, or Samothraki. It received its name from having been peopled by a colony of Samians, and was antiently called Dardania. It was remarkable for the sanctity of its asylum, and the mysterious worship of the deities called the Cabiri. Its reputation even continued to the time of Juvenal.* Below it was Imbrus, or Imbro, where also the same deities were worshipped. North-west of Samothrace, and a little below the mouth of the river Nestus, was Thasos, now Thapso, remarkable for its fertility, its wines, and its marble quarries. South-east of Thasos, and about midway in the Ægean Sea, between the coast of Greece and Asia Minor, was the island of Lemnos, fabled to have received Vulcan when he fell from heaven, who is therefore called the Lemnian god. It is now called Stalimine, according to a corruption which we have frequently noticed. Lemnos was infamous for the massacre committed by the Lemnian women on their husbands and all Jures licet et Samothracum Et nostrorum aras. Juv. Sat. III. 144. the male inhabitants of the island, a full account of which is given by Valerius Flaccus, in the second book of his Argonautic expedition. Its principal town was Myrina, now Palæocastro, in whose forum was the famous statue of the ox, made by Myron; the back of which, at the winter solstice, was overshadowed by Mount Athos, though 87 miles distant. South-west of Lemnos was Neæ, and still south-west the small island of Peparethus, or Piperi; and south-west of it Halonnesus, or Dromo. Westward of which, off the coast of Magnesia, were the islands of Scopelos and Sciathos, which keep their names. South of these, below the Maliacus Sinus, was the large island of Euboea, lying along the coast of Locris, Boeotia, and Attica. The channel separating Euboea from the continent becomes very narrow opposite to Aulis, and was called Euripus, whence the city of Chalcis on its eastern side derives its modern name of Egripo, or, by a still further corruption, Negropont, a term also given to the whole island. The city next in importance to Chalcis was Eretria, now Gravilinais, a little below it. At the south extremity of Eubœa are two celebrated promontories, the southern, called Geræstus, not far from which was Carystus, now Castel Rosso, remarkable for its fine marble quarries; the other, on the eastern, or Ægean side, called Caphareus*, memorable for the shipwreck of the Grecian fleet on their return from Troy. At the northern extremity of Euboea was Histiæa, or Oreus, now Orio. This part of the coast of Euboea was called the Artemisium littus. East of this part of Euboea was the island of Scyros, or Skyro, where Achilles was brought up in the court of Lycomedes, disguised as a female, to avoid being sent to the Trojan war. Below Euboea, inclining towards the east, we find a cluster of islands, called the Cyclades. The island nearest to Euboea is Andros, or Andro; and below Scit triste Minervæ Sidus, et Euboicæ cautes, ultorque Caphareus. Virg. Æn. XI. 260. it Tenos, or Tino, which is separated from it only by a narrow channel. To the west is the little island Gyarus*, or Joura, where the Roman exiles were sent; and a little southwest of Tenos is Syros, or Syra. West of Tenos, off the promontory of Sunium, is Ceos, or Zia, the birth-place of Simonides, the first writer of elegies. South-east of which is Cythnus, now Thermia; and below it Seriphus, now Serpho. South-east of Seriphus is Siphnus, or Siphanto; and southwest of Siphnus are Cimolus, now Argentiera, and Melos, or Milo, memorable for the sufferings of its inhabitants when besieged by the Athenians, whence a Melian famine became a proverb. East of Melos are the inconsiderable islands of Pholegandros, Sicinos, and Ios, now Polecandro, Sikino, and Nio. Below Ios is Thera, or Santorin, whose inhabitants colonised Cyrene, in Africa; east of which is Anaphe, or Nauphio; and north-east of it Astypalea †, or Stampalia. North-west of Astypalea is Amorgus, now Amorgo; northwest of which is Naxost, now Naria, with Donusa below it; and adjoining it to the west were Paros, and Olearos, or Antiparos, now Paro and Antiparo- the celebrated region of the finest white marble.§ Paros was the birth-place of Phidias and Praxiteles. Above it was Delos, formerly called Asteria and Ortygia, the latter name being derived from the number of quails frequenting it. It was believed to have been formerly carried about by the waves, but when Apollo and * Estuat infelix angusto limite mundi † Cinctaque piscosis Astypalæa vadis. Juvenal. Sat. X. 169. Bacchatamque jugis Naxon, viridemque Donusam, § Splendentis Pario marmore purius. Ov. Art. II. 82. Virg. Æn. III. 125. Hor. Od. I. 19. 6. Diana were born there to have become fixed*; and was held so sacred, that all sick persons were transported to the neighbouring island of Rhenea, lest it should be polluted by their death. In Delos was Mons Cynthus; whence the epithets Cynthius, and Cynthia, applied respectively to Apollo and Diana. To the north-east was the island of Myconus, or Myconi. Thus the Cyclades were spread in a semicircular form round Delos as a centre, whence they derive their name. Below the Cyclades was the great island of Crete, now Candia, renowned among the antients as having been the birth-place of Jupiter. The western extremity of Crete was a promontory called Griu Metopon, or the ram's forehead, now Crio; its eastern was called Samonium, now Salmone; its northern was formed by a part of Mons Dictymnæus, and is now Spada. About the centre of Crete was Mount Ida†, where Jupiter was nursed, whence came the worship of Cybele, and the priests called the Curetes, or Idæi Dactyli. On the northern coast, towards the western end of the island, was Cydonia, now Khania. The Cretans were celebrated archers, and the Cydonians were the most esteemed among them. Near the northern coast, to the eastward of Mount Ida, was Gnossus, the kingdom of Minos, so celebrated for his justice as to have been made one of the judges in the infernal regions: with this place, we shall of course, associate * Sacra mari colitur medio gratissima tellus Virg. Æn. III. 73. Idæumque nemus. Primusve Teucer tela Cydonio Direxit arcu. Virg. Æn. III. 104. Hor. Od. IV. 9. 17. the names of Ariadne, Theseus, Dædalus, the Labyrinth, and Minotaur. East of it was Lyctos, near Lassite; east of which, on the coast, was Minoa. Dicte* was a mountain at the eastern extremity, sometimes giving name to the whole island. In a cave of this mountain Jupiter is said to have been fed by the bees with honey.† Along the south shore, at the narrowest part of the island, Hiera pytna, is now Gira Petra; west of which is Gortyna, now Hagios Theka, near to which are some ruins resembling a subterraneous labyrinth. South of this are the Kaloi Limenes, or Fair Havens; and, a little westward, the island of Clauda, mentioned by St. Luke, Acts, xxvii. 16. Off the north coast of Crete is Dia, now Standia. North-west of Crete, and off the promontory of Malea, is the island of Cythera, now Cerigo, sacred to Venus, who was said to have risen from the sea in its neighbourhood, and is hence called Cytherea. Off the coast of Elis, on the western side of Greece (Pl. XII.), is Zacynthus, now Zante; south of which are the islands of the Strophadest, now Strivali, so called because Calais and Zethus here turned back from pursuing the harpies. Above Zacynthus, almost opposite the Sinus Corinthiacus, is Cephallenia, now Cefalonia; on the eastern coast of which the city of Same still retains its name. The island of Ithaca (Pl. XI.) lies to the north-east of it, and is now called Theaki. Above these, off the coast of Thesprotia, lies the island of Corcyra, now Corfu. It was originally colo |