Chapter IV (4)

[1473] This name was given to books intended to be seen and read by every one, but which did not contain the fundamental dogmas which Aristotle only communicated to those of his own school. The books which contained these doctrines were called, by way of distinction, _esoteric_. Such at least is the opinion of those who admit of the existence of a secret doctrine, and a public doctrine, in the philosophy of Aristotle. This passage of Strabo however seems to favour those who maintained a different opinion, namely, that this celebrated distinction of _exoteric_ and _esoteric_ doctrines, which is peculiar to the works of Aristotle, is not founded on any essential difference of doctrine, but rather on a difference of method, so that the word _exoteric_ was applied to works where the opinions of the philosopher were set forth in a manner to be understood by all intelligent readers, whether of his own school or strangers; and _esoteric_ to those works where his opinions were thoroughly discussed, and in a scientific manner, and which, not being intelligible to every one, required to be explained by the master himself.

[1474] Tyrannion was a native of Amisus, whose lectures he attended (b. xii. c. iii. § 16). He is often quoted among the commentators of Homer. It was he also who gave copies of the works of Aristotle to Andronicus of Rhodes, for whom he made a catalogue of them.

[1475] Metrodorus was not only a fellow-countryman of Demetrius, who was one of the richest and most distinguished citizens of Scepsis, but also his contemporary and protegé. A small treatise of Metrodorus is cited, entitled περὶ ἀλειπτικῆς, which may mean “on anointing with oil,” or “on oil used in the public exercises.” It seems however very probable that the treatise on the Troad, (Τρωïκὰ,) which Athenæus attributes to another Metrodorus of Chios, was the work of this Metrodorus of Scepsis. The place of his birth, which was in the Troad, might have suggested, as it did to his patron, the idea of treating a subject liable to discussion, and to endeavour to throw light upon it by the words of Homer. Add to this that Strabo quotes also Metrodorus on the subject of the Amazons, whose history appears so closely connected with the Trojan war that all who have touched on the one, have also treated of the other. Pliny quotes also a Metrodorus on the subject of the serpents of the river Rhyndacus, near the Troad. It is also a question whether Metrodorus was one of those who occupied themselves with mnemonics, or the art of increasing and strengthening the memory. According to Plutarch, Metrodorus was the victim of Mithridates. Tigranes, who had placed the philosopher in his power, more from inadvertence than intentionally, so much regretted his death that he celebrated magnificent obsequies to his memory.

[1476] Gargara is the same town called above by Strabo Gargaris, unless he meant by the latter name the territory of Gargara, a distinction we find made below between Pedasa and Pedasis. The author of the Etymologicum Magnum calls the place Gargarus, and informs us that the inhabitants abandoned it on account of the cold, it being situated on Mount Ida; that they founded a new town in the plain, and that the town abandoned afterwards received the name of Old Gargara.

The town called Lamponia by Strabo is called Lamponium by Hellanicus and Herodotus.

[1477] By “the kings,” we must probably understand the kings of Bithynia rather than the kings of Persia, as understood by Rambach (De Mileto ejusque coloniæ); for if we suppose that colonists are here meant who came to Gargara from Miletus after the destruction of this latter town by the Persians, how could Demetrius of Scepsis say of the Gargareans that, “Æolians as they were, or instead of Æolians they became semi-barbarians?” He ought at least to have said, “that they became Ionians,” for Miletus, a Greek city of Ionia, at the time of its destruction by the Persians, was far from being barbarous. But Miletopolis, although from its name and position in the territory of Cyzicus was probably, like Cyzicus, a colony of Miletus, yet might have been peopled with barbarians at the time Gargara received colonists. Mualitsh is the modern name of Miletopolis.

[1478] Il. x. 428.

[1479] Budrun, the birth-place of Herodotus.

[1480] Herod. i. 175; viii. 104.

[1481] Paitschin?

[1482] Eski-Hissar.

[1483] C. vii. § 49.

[1484] Il. i. 366.

[1485] Il. ii. 691.

[1486] Il. ii. 295.

[1487] Il. i. 432.

[1488] Il. i. 439.

[1489] Il. i. 37.

[1490] Dikeli-koi.

[1491] For νησὶς Meineke reads γῆ τις, “a certain earth.” Pliny, b. ii. c. 95, speaks of islands “which are always floating;” something of the kind occurs in volcanic lakes.

[1492] Ak-su or Bakir.

[1493] It is difficult to clear up this passage ἣν ΑΙΓΑ τινὲς ὀνομαζουσιν ὁμωνύμως τῷ ξώῳ· δεῖ δὲ μακρῶς τὴν δευτέραν συλλαβὴν ἐκφέρειν ἈΙΓΑΝ ὡς ἈΚΤΑΝ καὶ ἈΡΧΑΝ. There is no doubt that the first of these words in capitals, to be homonymous with _goat_, should be αἶγα, as is read in the old editions, and in many manuscripts, and not αἰγᾶ, αἰγὰ, or αἰγὰν, as in others. Αἶγα is the accusative of Αἲξ, (Æx,) _a goat_, which name Artemidorus actually gives to this promontory. But as our language has no termination of cases, the passage requires some explanation. If the Greeks desired to express in the nominative case the position of the promontory with respect to the island of Lesbos, they would say, according to Artemidorus, _The cape Æx_ (Αἲξ) _is in front of Lesbos_; according to Strabo, _The cape Æga_ (Αἰγᾶ) _is in front of Lesbos_. The first, Æx, signifies _a goat_, as Artemidorus intended; the second, Æga, in the Doric dialect (for Æge, Αἰγῆ) means a goat’s skin. If they desired to employ the word in the accusative, they said, according to Artemidorus, _We have doubled Cape Æga_ (Αἶγα); according to Strabo, _We have doubled Cape Ægan_ (Αἰγᾶν). The matter is clear thus far, but what follows, δεῖ δὲ μακρῶς * * * ὡς ἀκτᾶν καὶ ἀρχᾶν, is difficult to explain. The two last words are Doric genitive plurals, the first for ἀκτῶν, _shores_, the second for ἀρχῶν, _beginnings_; and yet one would expect to find examples of accusatives in the singular number, as ἀκτὰν and ἀρχὰν; the difference of accent is here of no importance, for the last syllables of these accusatives are long, as Strabo wishes to make the last syllable long of Ægan (Αἰγᾶν). If he had required examples agreeing with this last word in quantity, accent, and case, he might have cited sycan, (συκᾶν, a fig-tree,) or some other word of this form. It might be supposed that Ακτᾶν was here taken in the acceptation [ἀκτέην, ἀκτῆν, and, in the Doric dialect, ἀκτᾶν]; but there still remains ἀρχᾶν, unless we change the word to ἀρχτᾶν, _a bear’s skin_.--_Coraÿ._

[1494] Od. xi. 521.

[1495] Eurypylus, son of Telephus, being invited by Priam to come to his assistance, answered that he could not do so without the permission of his mother, Astyoche. Priam by rich presents obtained from her this permission. There are other explanations equally uncertain. Bryant asserts that the Cetæi were pirates, and exacted young women as tribute from the people whom they attacked.

[1496] Sigri.

[1497] Molyvo.

[1498] Cape Sta. Maria.

[1499] Adshane.

[1500] This is the number given in Agathermus, and there is no difference in manuscripts in this part of the text. Falconer thinks we ought to read χιλίων ἑκατὸν καὶ δέκα (1110) for χιλίων ἑκατὸν (1100), to make the sum-total given agree with the sum-total of the particular distances. I am more inclined to deduct 10 stadia from the 210, which is the distance given between Sigrium and Methymne.--_Coraÿ._

[1501] Arginusi Islands; according to others, Musconisia.

[1502] The entrance to the Gulf of Caloni.

[1503] Pira.

[1504] We should probably read here Melanchus, tyrant of Lesbos, who, assisted by the brothers of Alcæus, overthrew Pittacus.

[1505] Diophanes was the friend of Tiberius Gracchus, and was the victim of his friendship. Potamo was professor of rhetoric at Rome, and was the author of the Perfect Orator, the Life of Alexander the Great, the Praise of Cæsar, the Praise of Brutus, and the Annals of Samos. Pliny mentions a sculptor of the name of Lesbocles, whose name seems to indicate his origin from Lesbos. Athenæus also names a sculptor from Mitylene called Lesbothemis. Strabo is probably the only person who makes mention of Crinagoras. Theophanes is known as an historian, and especially as the friend of Pompey, whom however he advised to retire to Egypt. The philosopher Lesbonax, father of Potamo, was a native of Mitylene.

[1506] Eresso.

[1507] To the N. E. of Sigri.

[1508] In which are comprehended the Arginusi mentioned above.

[1509] According to Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, Hecatonnesoi means the “hundred islands,” the word being composed not of Hecatus but of Hecaton, ἑκατὸν, “a hundred,” and νῆσοι, “islands.”

[1510] The name appears to be wanting.

[1511] Derived from πορδὴ and πέρδω.

[1512] Il. vi. 414, 421.

[1513] Il. ii. 692; xix. 296.

[1514] Il. x. 428.

[1515] Il. xiv. 443.

[1516] Il. xxi. 86.

[1517] Il. xxi. 87.

[1518] Il. xxi. 84.

[1519] Il. ii. 840.

[1520] Il. xvii. 301.

[1521] Kramer adopts Coraÿ’s correction of ἑλόντας for ἐλθόντας, although he at the same time remarks, that we have no other information of Larisa being then taken.

[1522] Karasu, or Kutschuk-Meinder.

[1523] Sarabat.

[1524] Salambria.

[1525] In spite of the improbability of these anecdotes, there must have been something real in the dulness of the Cymæans; for Cymæan was employed by the Greeks as a word synonymous with stupid. Cæsar, among the Romans, (Plutarch, Cæsar,) adopted this name in the same sense. This stupidity gave occasion to a proverb, ὄνος εἰς κυμαίους, an ass among the Cymæans, which was founded on the following story. The first time an ass appeared among the Cymæans, the inhabitants, who were unacquainted with the beast, deserted the town with such precipitation that one would have said they were escaping from an earthquake.

[1526] Il. ii. 814.

[1527] Bergamo.

[1528] Sart.

[1529] A building raised in commemoration of a victory. It was destroyed by Philip of Macedon, Polyb. xvi. 1. It appears, however, that he restored it to its ancient splendour, as forty-fire years afterwards it was devastated a second time by Prusias, king of Bithynia, which Strabo notices hereafter.

[1530] The circumstances are differently narrated by Plutarch “On brotherly love,” and by Livy, xlii. c. 15 and 16.

[1531] Diegylis, king of the Cæni, a Thracian people, was the father-in-law of Prusias.

[1532] Aristonicus, brother of Attalus, and a natural son of Eumenes, for some time contended with the Romans for the possession of this inheritance; but finally he was vanquished and made prisoner by the consul Perperna, carried to Rome, and there died in prison. B. xiv. c. i. § 38.

[1533] ἐξέδρα The exhedra was that part of the building added to the portico, and, according to Vitruvius, when spacious it consisted of three parts, and was provided with seats. It probably here means a place for sitting and resting, protected by a covering supported by columns, so as to afford a view all round.

[1534] Pliny also places Macedonians, surnamed Cadueni, near Tmolus. B. v. c. 29.

[1535] Bouz-dagh.

[1536] Il. ii. 865.

[1537] Some pretended miracle relating probably to the baskets carried by the virgins on their heads at festivals.

[1538] Il. ii. 864.

[1539] B. ix.

[1540] Il. vii. 221.

[1541] Il. ii. 783.

[1542] Pliny does not approve of the word Pithecussæ being derived from πίθηκος, a monkey; but from πίθος, a cask. This latter derivation is not natural, whilst the former is at least conformable to analogy. Hesychius confirms the Tyrrhenian meaning of the word Arimi, calling Ἄριμος, πίθηκος. The expression in Homer, εἰν Ἀρίμοις, “among the Arimi,” (which in Roman letters would be _ein Arimis_, and which is translated into Latin by _in Arimis_,) signifies “in the Pithecussæ Islands,” according to the opinion of those who placed Typhoëus in Italy. But it is remarkable that from the two words _ein Arimis_ of Homer the name _Inarimis_ has been invented; and quoted as Homer’s by Pliny (iii. 6): Ænasia ipsa, a statione navium Æneæ, Homero Inarime dicta, Græcis Pithecussa, non a simiarum multitudine, ut aliqui existimavere sed a figlinis doliorum. It is not Homer, however, that he ought to have quoted, but Virgil, who was the first to coin one word out of the two Greek words.

Inarime Jovis imperiis imposta Typhoëo.
Æn. ix. 716.

The modern name is Ischia.

[1543] Pyth. i. 31.

[1544] Kelikdni.

[1545] Herod. i. 93.

[1546] Pyrgela.

[1547] Il. ii. 461.

[1548] Catania.

[1549] The range of mountains on the south of the Caÿster, bearing various names.

[1550] Celænæ was the citadel of Apameia Cibotus, Afuim-Kara hissar.

[1551] Cape Sta. Maria.

[1552] Coraÿ proposes to read for Καρῶν Καρούρων, translate, “between Carura and Nysa.”

[1553] Sultan-hissar.

[1554] Eski-hissar.

[1555] Pambuk-kalessi.

[1556] They were the priests of Cybele, and so called from a river of Phrygia.

[1557] Madder-root.

[1558] Geira.

[1559] Jenedscheh.

[1560] Chorsum.

[1561] Dekoï.

[1562] Il. vi. 184.

[1563] Il. vi. 203.

[1564] Ebedschek-Dirmil.

[1565] Giaur-Kalessi.

[1566] Urludscha.

JOHN CHILDS AND SON, BUNGAY.