Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/353

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

Chap. 22.] ACCOUXT OF COU>'TEIES, ETC. 319" experienced an earthquake, doMi to the time of M. Yarro* i Mucianus however has informed us, that it has been twice so visited. Aristotle states that this island received its name from the fact of its having so suddenly made its appearance' on emerging from the sea ; Aglaosthenes, how- e"er, gives it the name of Cynthia, and others of Ortygia^, Asteria, Lagia, Chlamydia, Cynthus, and, from the circum- stance of fire ha^dng been first discovered here, P}Tpile. Its circumference is five miles only ; Mount CjTithus^ here raises his head. Xext to this island is Eliene*, which Anticlides calls by the name of Celadussa, and Callidemus, xA-rtemite ; Scyros^, which the old writers have stated to be twenty miles in cir- cumference, but Mucianus 160 ; Oliaros ; and Paros^, with a city of the same name, distant from Delos thirty-eight miles, and famous for its marble^ ; it was first called Platea, ^ That is, accorcUng to Yarro, whose statement is ridiculed by Seneca. Some of the editors, however, pimctuate this passage dhferently, makmg it to mean, " the only island that has never experienced an earthquake. IMucianus however has informed us, that dom to the time of M. Yarro, it has been twice so visited." 2 From its then becoming cijXos:, "plain," or "manifest." It was after the fall of Cormth that Delos became so famous for its commei'ce. Its bronze was in gi*eat request. 3 From oprv^, " a quail" ; the legend being, that Latona was changed into that bhd by Jupiter, m order to effect her escape thither from the anger of Juno. Its name of Asteria was derived from dffrpov, "a star," either inconsequence of its being devoted to the worship of the great luminaiy Apollo, or of its being considered by the gods the star of the earth. It was also called Lagia, from Xayujs, "a hare," that animal abounding there; and Cyna?thus, from kuwv, "a dog," it being famous for its hounds. ■* A bare granite rock, not more tlian 500 feet in height. The island is now a mass of ruins ; a great part of its remains liavmg been can'ied awav in the middle ages to Yeuice and Constantinople. 5 Divided by a strait of four stadia in width from Di-los. Js icias con- nected the two islands by a bridge. Its name of Ci-ladussa Avas said to be derived from the noise of the waves, KeXaco^, and of Artemite, from Artemis, or Diana. ^ Now S}-ra ; famous for its wine and com. 7 Now Antiparos ; famous for its stalactite grotto, which is not men- tioned by the ancient writers. 8 Now Paro ; south of Delos and west of Naxos. The ruins of its town are still to be seen at the modem Paroikia. The Parian Chronicle, inscribed on marble, and containing a clironiele of Grecian history from Cecrops, B.C. 1582, to B.C. 26 1, was found here. It is jiresen'ed at Oxford. 9 Cliiefly obtamed from a mountain called Marpessa.