feat, Xenoph. de reb. Græc. ii. init. as alfo to Seftos *, Diodor, xiii. 106.

At the junction of the Hellefpont with the Propontis ftood CALLIPOLIS, now Gallipoli, the first town in Europe poffefied by the Turks, A. D. 1357, oppofite to LAMPSĂCUS in Afia, at the diftance of forty ftadia, Strab. xiii. 489.

The PROPONTIS, -idis, fo called from its fituation before the Pantus Euxinus, is one thousand four hundred ftadia, or about one hundred and feventy-five miles long; and five hundred ftadia, or fixty-two miles broad, Herodot. iv. 85. now called the Sea of Marmora, from an island in it, abounding in marble, anciently PROCONNESUS, Strab. xiii. 588. called alfo Elaphonefus, from the number of deer on it, Plin. ib. but some make this a feparate island.

On the Propontis were Bifanthe, Ganos, Perinthus or Heraclea, Diodor. xvi. 77. and Selymbria †, Mel. ii, 2. none of them remarkable.

The fea between the Propontis and Pontus Euxinus, was called THRACIUS BOSPORUS or Bofphorus, (i. e. Boos opos, bovis tranfitus, the paffage of an ox or cow,) as it is faid, from lo croffing it in the form of an heifer, Apollodor. ii. 1. 3.; Dionyf. 140. It is one hundred and twenty fladia, or fixteen miles long, and a mile and a half broad; where narroweft, only five hundred paces, Plin. iv. 12. Herodotus fays, four ftadia, iv. 85. It was anciently called Myfius Bosporus, from the Myfi who lived on the caft of it; their country, MYSIA, Strab. xii. 566.

Near the junction of the Bofporus ftood BYZANTIUM, now CONSTANTINOPLE or Stambol, called, by way of eminence, the Porte, from the excellence of its harbour, whence the narrow fea is called The Straits of Conftantinople. Near Byzan tium Darius, the father of Xerxes, made a bridge of boats for tranfporting the army which he led against the Scythians, Herodot. iv. 88. 89. &c.; Plin. ib. --The origin of this city is afcribed to different ftates, Juflin. ix. 1.; Vell. ii. 15.; it was certainly founded by Grecks, Strab. vii. 320. The advanta

The Athenians were taken by furprife. Most of their veffels lay at anchor. Thefe were either captured or deftroyed. Only ten of the commanders escaped among thefe was Conon, who fled to his friend Evagoras, king of Cyprus. Philocles fell into the hands of the enemy, and was put to death. Those who fled to Seftos were obliged to fubmit, Diodor. ib.

† Some fuppofe that this town is called by Ovid IMBRIA TERRA, Trift. i. 9. 18. but as Threicia Samos, i. e. Samothrace, is mentioned immediately after, the island Imbros feems to be meant. The truth is, Ovid's account of his voy. ge in this clegy is not cafily reconciled to the real fituation of places,

gcs

ges of its fituation are enumerated at great length by Polybius, iv. 38. &c. which many ages after determined Conítantine to make it the feat of the Roman empire, and call it after his own name. It was anciently called LYGOs, Plin. iv. 11.

The chief cities along the Euxine fea* were, Phinopolis, Philea or Philia, Salmydeffus or Halmydeffus, Thynia, near a promontory of that name; Apollonia, founded by the Milefians, whence Lucullus brought a cloffal ftatue of Apollo to the Capitol at Rome, Strab. vii. 319.; Plin. xxxiv. 3.; Anchialos and Mefembria, built by a colony of Megarenfians, at the fouth end of mount Hemus, Strab. ib. This part of Thrace, along the Euxine fea, was called PoNTUS, Plin. ib. and the country extending to the mouth of the Danube, whence Ovid infcribes his letters from Tomi; Ex PONTO. So the kingdom of Mithridates in Afia, Cic. Manil. iii. 8. & 15.; Virg. G. i. 58.

The chief tribes of the Thracians were, the Edines, Madi, Biftones, Cicones, Cani, Beffi, Calēta, Denfeleta, Afte or Aftii, and the ODRYSE†, whofe empire, Thucydides fays, extended from Abdera and the mouth of the Neffus to the Euxine fea and the mouth of the Ifter, ii. 97. & 29.

There

* The Euxine fca is almost every where furrounded with mountains, more or lefs diftant from the fhore; faid to be eleven thousand one hundred ftadia, cr one thousand three hundred and eighty-feven miles and a half long; and three thousand three hundred ftadia, or four hundred and twelve miles and a half broad, Herodot. iv. 85. Strabo makes its length eight thoufand eight hundred ftadia, or one thousand one hundred miles; and circumference, twentyfive thousand ftadia, or three thousand one hundred and twenty-five miles, i. 125. It receives about forty rivers, fome of them very large, Id. 7. 298. These cover it with flakes of ice in fevere winters, mitigate the faltnefs of its waters, and convey into it a vast quantity of mud and vegetable fubftances, which attract and fatten the fish. Tunny, turbots, and almost every fpecies, are found here in great abundance, Strab. vii. 320. and the more fo, as this fea nourishes no voracious or deftructive fish, Arf. b ft. anim. viii. 19.; Plin. ix. 15. J. 20. The Euxine fea is frequently enveloped in dark fogs, whence it is called the Black Sea. It is often agitated by violent tempefts; whence it was called by the Greeks Axenos, (ab inhofpitali feritate, Plin. vi. 1.) and afterwards by a more aufpicious name, EUXINUs, Ovid. Trift. iv. 4. 55. v. 10. 13.; Plin. iv. 12. f. 24. or because the people who fettled on it, many of them Greeks, were more bofpitable; which, however, Ovid denies. It is not deep, except towards the eastern part, where there are gulphs which cannot be fathomed, Strab. i. 50. and where it was fuppofed to communicate with the Cafpian fea below ground. It is divided, as it were, into two parts, by two promontories projecting from the European and Afiatic fides, oppolite to each other; that on the European fide called Grin-Metopon, (i. e. arielis frons, the forehead of a ram;) and on the Afiatic, CARAMBIS, Strab. vii. 309. only one hundred and feventy miles diftant, Plin. iv. 12. f. 26. hence this fea was faid to refemble in its form the shape of a Scythian bow, Ib. & Strab. ii. 125.

+ Whence Odryfia tellus for Thrace, Sil. iv. 433. Odryfius Boreas, the Thracian north wind,” Id. vii. 570. Odryfius dux, Rhefus king of Thrace, Ovid. Art.

Am.

There are at the mouth of the Euxine fea, about twenty ftadia from its junction with the Bofporus, two fmall islands, or rather rocks, the one near Europe and the other near Afia, called CYANEE or SYMPLEGADES, fing. Symplēgas, fuppofed by the ancients to be moveable or floating islands, as feeming to meet and dafh together, and again to remove from each other; a mere deception of fight, Herodot. iv. 85.; Strab. vii. 319.; Mel. ii. 7.; Plin. iv. 13.; Ovid. ep. xii. 121.; Trift. i. 9. 34. & 47. Lucan feems to hint that they became fixed when they failed to deftroy the fhip Argo, ii. 718.

ILLYRICU M.

THIS Country was alfo called Illyris. Its limits were not precifely afcertained. They are made more or less extenfive by different authors, Strab. vii. 313. Its chief divifions were LiBURNIA and DALMATIA, which laft name now includes both. The principal city of Dalmatia was Salona, or -na, famous for the palace of Dioclefian, where he lived in retirement, after refigning the empire, A. D. 305. The ruins of it ftill remain. near Spalatro.

There are a great many iflands along the coaft, most of which belong to the Venetians. South of these stood Epidaurus and Dioclea, the birth-place of Dioclefian, near which is now the city Ragufa, a republic, which however pays tribute to the Turks. The countries now called Befnia, Croatia, and Sclavonia, commonly included in ancient Illyricum, are frontier-provinces between the House of Auftria and the Turks. The Sclavonic language prevails from the Hadriatic to the northern ocean. Slavi, or Slaves, is a term used by most nations in Europe to denote the loweft clafs of mankind, probably from the people of that name being reduced to a state of flavery by their conquerors.

Am. ii. 130. Rex, Tereus, the husband of Procne, Met. vi. 490. Odry fium car men, the poems of Orpheus, born in Thrace, Val. Flace. v. 594. Odryfia bafia, the fpear of Mars, Stat. Achill. i. 485. the god of the Thracians, whence Thrace is called MAVORTIA TELLUS, Virg. Æn. iii. 13. on account of the martial fpirit of its inhabitants, bello furiofa THRACE, Horat. od. ii. 16. 5. and Mars is reprefented as courfing or pacing along the river Strymon on a Thracian steed, (Biflonius fonipes,) after finishing his warlike teils, (exbauftis armis,) Stat. Silv. i. 1. 18.

MESIA.

MESIA.

MESIA extended from the Euxine fea betwixt mount Hæmus and the Danube, to the conjunction of that river with the Savus or Save, near Belgrade, Plin. iii. 26. It was divided by the river Ciabrus into Superior, now Servia; and Inferior, now Bulgaria. A confiderable part of the former was called Dardania; and of the latter towards the mouth of the Danube, PONTUS, the country of the Geta, who likewife lived north of that river. Thefe, by fome of the ancients, were thought to be the fame with the Goths.

At the conflux of the river Iatrus with the Danube ftood Nicopolis, built by Trajan, in memory of his victory over Decebălus king of the Dacians; near which the Chriftians were defeated by Bajazet emperor of the Turks, A. D. 1393.

On the Euxine fea ftood TOMI, the place of Ovid's banifhment, fuppofed to have this name, because Medea here cut to pieces her brother Abfyrtes, and scattered his members by the way, to ftop her father's purfuit, Ovid. Trift. iii. 9. 5. & 33. founded by a colony from Miletus, Ib. 3. hence called MILETIS, idis, URBS, Ib. i. 9. 41. the inhabitants, TOMITE, Ib. 2. 85. and its territory Tomitanus ager, Id. Pont. iii. 8. 2.South of Tomi was ODYSSUS or ADESSUS, now Varna, where the Hungarians were defeated by the Turks under Amurath, A. D. 1444.

The Danube, as it approached the fea, was called Ifter. It flows into the Euxine by seven mouths. Some make them only fix, and fome five. These form as many islands. The fouthmost of which was called Peucè, the people, Peucini. Above this was the bridge of Darius, built when he made war on the Scythians, Herodot. iv. 89. and the town AEGISSUS or EGYPSOS, Ovid. Pont. i. 8. 11.

DACIA.

DACIA extended to the Carpathian mountains betwixt the Tibifcus, Teifs, and the Hierăfus, Pruth, on the banks of which Peter the Great, Czar of Ruffia, being furrounded by the Turks, was extricated by the address of his Czarina Catherine, 1711.

This province was conquered by Trajan, who joined it to Mafia by a bridge over the Danube, the moft magnificent of his works. It was raised on twenty piers of hewn ftone, one hundred and fifty feet from the foundation, fixty broad, and one

hundred

hundred and feventy diftant from each other. The architect was Apollonius Damafcenus. This aftonishing work, through the envy of his fucceffor Adrian, was demolished, Dio. lviii. 13.

The modern divifions of Dacia are, Wallachia and Moldavia, their capital Chotzim, fubject to the Turks; Tranfylvania, capital Hermanflad, fubject to the Houfe of Auftria.

The other provinces of the Turkish empire in Europe were anciently included in

SARMATIA or SCYTHIA,

UNDER this name was comprehended a confiderable part of Europe. It was inhabited by various ftates, whose very names were unknown to the Romans. The most noted were the Sarmătæ or Sauromăta, near the mouth of the Tanais, Plin. iv, 12. f. 25. vi. 7.; Mel. ii. 1. the Gelāni and Agathyrfi, east of the Borysthenes, who painted their bodies, Virg. n. iv. 146, and lived a wandering life, as their fucceffors the Tartars do ftill; whence campeftres SCYTHE, &c. Horat. od. iii. 24. 9. called Hamaxobii, (quia pro fedibus plauftra habebant,) Plin. ib. These countries were fucceffively occupied by the Goths and Vandals, Huns, Alans, Roxolanians, and other barbarous nations which over-ran the Roman empire. The modern divifions fubject to the Turks are, Beffarabia, between the mouth of the Danube and that of the Niefter, on which is fituate Bender, famous for being the retreat of Charles XII. of Sweden, when he fled to Turky, after being defeated by the Ruffians under Peter the Great at the battle of Pultowa, A. D. 1799.

Betwixt the Niefter and Boryfthenes is Budziac Tartary; eaft of which to the Tanais is Little Tartary.

At the bottom of the Palus Maotis is Crim Tartary, Cherfonefus Taurica, fome years ago the scene of bloody contests betwixt the Ruffians and the Turks. The town of Crim, whence the peninsula has its name, is now reduced to a village. On the Ifthmus, Precop, a place of small strength; and on the Straits, Caffa, the chief town.

The ancient towns on the Straits were, PANTICAPДUM, the capital of the Bofporani, at the mouth of the lake Mootis; and five hundred and thirty ftadia, or fixty-fix miles and a quarter from it, Theodofia, now fuppofed to be Caffa, Strab.yii. 309. & 311.

The inhabitants of thefe parts of Tartary used to be subject to the Turks, although governed by a Cham chofen by themfelves; but fince the late fuccefles of the Ruffians, they have been declared independent.

FABULOUS