Читать книгу The Natural History of Pliny (Vol. 1-6) - Pliny the Elder - Страница 227

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But the fairest of them all is the free island of Rhodes, 125, or, if we would rather believe Isidorus, 103 miles in circumference. It contains the inhabited cities of Lindos, Camirus4208, and Ialysus4209, now called Rhodos. It is distant from Alexandria in Egypt, according to Isidorus, 583 miles; but, according to Eratosthenes, 469. Mucianus says, that its distance from Cyprus is 166. This island was formerly called Ophiussa4210, Asteria4211, Æthria4212, Trinacrie4213, Corymbia4214, Pœeëssa4215, Atabyria4216, from the name of one of its kings; and, in later times, Macaria4217 and Oloessa4218. The islands of the Rhodians are Carpathus4219, which has given its name to the surrounding sea; Casos4220, formerly known as Achne4221; Nisyros4222, twelve miles distant from Cnidos, and formerly called Porphyris4223; and, in the same vicinity, midway between Rhodes and Cnidos, Syme4224. This island is thirty-seven miles and a half in circumference, and welcomes us with eight fine harbours. Besides these islands, there are, in the vicinity of Rhodes, those of Cyclopis, Teganon, Cordylussa4225, the four islands called Diabetæ4226, Hymos, Chalce4227, with its city of that name, Seutlussa4228, Narthecussa4229, Dimastos, Progne; and, off Cnidos, Cisserussa, Therionarce, and Calydne4230, with the three towns of Notium, Nisyros, and Mendeterus. In Arconnesus4231 there is the town of Ceramus. Off the coast of Caria, there are the islands known as the Argiæ, twenty in number; also Hyetussa4232, Lepsia, and Leros.

The most noted island, however, in this gulf is that of Cos4233, fifteen miles distant from Halicarnassus, and 100 in circumference, according to the opinion of many writers. It was formerly called Merope; according to Staphylus, Cea; Meropis, as Dionysius tells us; and, after that, Nymphæa. In this island there is Mount Prion. Nisyros4234, formerly called Porphyris, is supposed to have been severed from the island of Cos. We next come to the island of Caryanda4235, with a city of that name, and that of Pidosus4236, not far from Halicarnassus. In the Gulf of Ceramicus we also find Priaponnesos4237, Hipponnesos, Psyra, Mya, Lampsa, Æmyndus, Passala, Crusa, Pinnicussa, Sepiussa4238, and Melano. At a short distance from the mainland is an island which bears the name of Cinædopolis, from the circumstance that King Alexander left behind there certain persons of a most disgraceful character.