320 plikt's KATUEAL HISTOET. [Book ly. 



and after that, Minois. At a distance of seven miles from 

 this last island is Naxos\ with a town of the same name; 

 it is eighteen miles distant from Delos. This island was 

 formerly called Strongyle^ then Dia, and then Dionysias^, 

 in consequence of the fruitfulness of its vineyards ; others 

 again have called it the Lesser Sicily, or Callipolis"'. It is 

 seventy-five^ miles in circumference — half as large again as 

 Paros. 



CHAP. 23. THE SPOHADES. 



The islands thus far are considered as helonging to the 

 Cyclades ; the rest that follow are the Sporades^. These 

 are, Helene", Phacussa, Nicasia, Schinussa, Pholegandros, 

 and, at a distance of thirty-eight miles from Naxos, Icaros^, 

 which has given its name to the surrounding sea, and is the 

 same number of miles in length^, with two cities, and a 

 third now no longer in existence : this island used formerly 

 to be called Doliche, Macris, and Ichthyoessa^°. It is situate 

 fifty miles to the north-east of Delos, and thirty-five from the 

 island of Samos. Between Euboea and Andros, there is an 

 arm of the sea ten miles in width, and from Icaros to 

 Geraestus is a distance of 112^ miles. 



^ jSTow ISTaxia, famous both in ancient and modem times foi' its re- 

 markable fertility. 



2 From arpoyyvXo?, "round," its shape being somewhat inchned to 

 cu'cular, though by Eustathius it is compared to the shape of a vine-leaf. 

 It is commonly called Dia by the poets. Tournefort says tliat it is distant 

 forty miles from Delos. ^ From Ai6vv(tos, or Bacchus, the god of wine. 



'^ Or " Fine City." It took its other name from the fact of its rivalling 

 the fertihty of Sicily. 



^ According to Brotier, the Jesuit Babin, on visiting it, found its cir- 

 cumference estimated at tliirty-six miles only. 



^ So called from lying scattered at random as it were, cnropd^ "scattered." 



7 Helene is supposed to be the modern Pu^a ; Phacussa, Fecussa ; 

 Nicasia, Rachia ; Scliinussa, Scliinusa ; and Pholegandros, Pohcandro. 



8 Now Nikaria, to the west of Samos. According to tradition, it 

 derived its name from Icarus, the son of Dsedalus, who was believed to 

 have fallen into the sea in its vicinity. 



** Its length is not so gi-eat as is here mentioned by Pliny. Its tovms 

 were Drepanum, or Dracanum, Qilnoe, and Isti. 



^^ The first two names are from the Greek, in allusion to its long, 

 narrow shape, and the last bears reference to the fact of its shores 

 aboimding in fish. 



