Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/504

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470 plint's kattteal histoet. [Book v. Near Erytlirse formerly stood the towns of Pteleon, Helos, and Dorion; we now find the river Aleon, Corynaeum, a Promontory of Mount Mimas, Clazomenae^ Partheuie^, and Hippi^, knowTi by the name of Chytrophoria, when it formed a group of islands ; these were united to the con- tinent by the same Alexander, by means of a causeway^ two stadia in length. In the interior, the cities of Daphnus, Hermesia, and Sipylum^, formerly called Tantalis, and the capital of Mseonia, where Lake Sale now stands, are now no longer in existence : ArchaeopoKs too, which succeeded Sipylum, has perished, and in their turns Colpe and Libade, which succeeded it. On returning thence^ towards the coast, at a distance of twelve miles we find Smyrna"^, originally founded by an Amazon [of that name], and rebuilt by Alexander ; it is re- ireshed by the river Meles, which rises not far off. Through this district run what may almost be called the most famous mountains of Asia, Mastusia in the rear of Smyrna, and Termetis^, joining the foot of Olympus. Termetis is joined small peninsula, which projects into the bay of Ery thrse. The ruins are considerable. ^ On the south side of the bay of Smyrna. In Strabo's time this city appears to have been removed from Chytrium, its original site. Chandler ibund traces of the city near Vourla, from which he came to the conclu- sion that the place vpas very small and iuconsiderable. 2 According to Nicander, tliis was a mountain of the territory of Cla- zomenae, almost surrounded by sea. 3 Or " the Horses," originally four islands close to the mainland, off Clazomense. ^ This was probably the same causeway that was observed by Chandler in the neighbom'hood of Vourla, the site of ancient Clazomense. ^ See B. ii. c. 91, where he speaks of this place as being swallowed up in the earth. 6 From Clazomense. ^ Now called Izmir by the Turks, Smyrna by the western nations of Europe ; the only one of the great cities on the western coast of Asia Minor that has siirvived to the present day. This place stood at the head of the cities that claimed to be the birth-place of Homer ; and the poet was worshipped here for a hero or demi-god in a magnificent build- ing called the Homereum. There are but few remaius of the ancient city : the modern one is the greatest commercial city of the Levant. 8 Hardouia takes this to be the name of a toviTi, but Ortehus and Pinetus seem to be more correc'" ti? thinking it to be the name of a moimtain.