670 



C E R 



trphalonia, While this island was under the power of the Ve- 

 t cphalo- ne tian republic, it was governed by a nobleman sent 

 pnora. f rom Venice, who, along with two counsellors, resided 

 X " - "~ Y ~" < at Argostoli. The governor of the fortress of Axo 

 was also a nobleman of the same city, but dependent 

 on the former. The military commander was sta- 

 tioned at Lixuri, and the whole troops on the island 

 did not exceed 300 men. The higher ranks of the 

 inhabitants held a kind of senate, in which the nobles 

 of Corfu were entitled to vote, as a reciprocal pri- 

 vilege was t -joyed by the Cephalonians at Corfu. 



Cephalonia has now declined from that importance 

 which many concurring circumstances prove it held 

 in antiquity. Its cities, temples, fleets, and the en- 

 terprizes of its inhabitants, were all celebrated of old ; 

 and the contests for dominion over it, shew its con- 

 sequence to neighbouring kingdoms. The ruins still 

 existing on the surface, and the remains occasionally 

 dug from the earth, testify that it was once more splen- 

 did and populous, and also that considerable progress 

 had been attained in the arts. Four principal cities^are 

 mentioned by the ancients, all of which have long gone 

 to decay, and the site of some can scarcely be recog- 

 nised, though still known by analogous appellations. 

 These were, Palis, Samos, Croni, and Pronus. The 

 first stood about a mile from the port of Argostoli, in 

 the most fertile part of the island, which is still cal- 

 led Palichi, and appears from the ruins to have been 

 of considerable extent. Notwithstanding the rava- 

 ges of time, the fragments occasionally discovered 

 bear evidence of having been employed in elegant 

 structures ; thus corroborating the testimony of the 

 ancient authors by whom they are described. About 

 30 years ago was found a tablet of Parian marble, 

 bearing the following inscription in Greek : " By a 

 decree, the senate and people of Palis have erected 

 a statue in honour of the high priestess Flaviana Eu- 

 tiches, the daughter of Pithodorus Glaucus, and 

 spouse of Bion Aristomantides. It was merited by 

 her chaste and exemplary life." The theatre at Elis, 

 for the celebration of the Olympic games, was erected 

 by the inhabitants of Palis. 



Samos was in ruins in the time of Strabo, nearly 

 2000 years ago. Perhaps it was more extensive than 

 the other towns, as the island, according to a passage 

 in the Eneid, was called by that name. Gold and 

 silver coins, sculptured fragments, and vases of bronze 

 and marble, are yet recovered from among the ru- 

 ins, which mark the site of the city as having been 

 on the declivity of a hill. It has been affirmed, that 

 ; an odour still sensibly issued from the latter when 

 first opened, resembling the perfumes which were used 

 by the ancients in their funereal rites. 



The position of the other two towns can scarcely be 

 recognised; but from the ruins dispersed through the 

 island, it is not improbable that there were several be- 

 tiides. The uncle of Mark Antony, according to Stra- 

 bo, being exiled here after his consulate with Cicero, 

 founded a city, called Petulia, the progress of which 

 was interrupted by his recal to Rome. Near Lixuri, 

 a marble urn with a pedestal was lately found in 

 a pit, which, from an inscription, seemed to con- 

 tain the ashes of one of his friends who had perished 

 by a violent death. Coins, portions of bronze tablets, 

 and marble statues, were at the same time discovered. 

 A temple on Mount Enos, consecrated to Jupiter, is 

 mentioned in history as one of the most celebrated 

 throughout Greece, (c) 



CEPHALOPHORA, a genus of plants of the 



CerigO. 



class Syngenesia, and order Polygamia ^qualis. See Cepheus 

 BOTANY, p. 296. 



CEPHEUS. See ASTRONOMY, vol. ii. p. 757. 



CERASTIUM, a genus of plants of the class De- 

 candria, and order Pentagynia. See BOTANY, p. 219. 



CERATIOLA, a genus of plants of the class 

 Dioecia, and order Monandria. See BOTANY, p. 333. 



CERATOCARPUS, a genus of plants of the 

 class Moncecia, and order Monandria. See BOTANY, 

 p. 319. 



CERATONIA, a genus of plants of the class 

 Polygamia and order Dioecia. See BOTANY, p. 347. 



CERATOPETALUM, a genus of plants of the 

 class Decandria, and order Monogynia. See BO- 

 TANY, p. 211. 



CERATOPHYLLUM, a genus of plants of the 

 class Moncecia, and order Polyandria. See BOTANY, 

 p. 326. 



CERATOSTEMA, a genus of plants of the class 

 Decandria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, 

 p. 222. 



CERBERA, a genus of plants of the class Pen- 

 tandria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 141. 



CERCIS, a genus of plants of the class Decan- 

 dria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 208. 



CERES. See ASTRONOMY, vol. ii. p. 638. 



CERESIA, a genus of plants of the class Trian- 

 dria, and order Digynia. See BOTANY, p. 115. 



CERIGO, an island in the Mediterranean, cele- 

 brated in ancient history, from its capital Cythera, 

 dedicated to Venus. 



This island, which is begirt with rocks and shoals, 

 sometimes proving fatal to mariners, lies at the mouth 

 of the Archipelago : it is of an oval figure, and 

 about 50 or 60 miles in circumference. Near the 

 coast are capacious grottos, the roofs of which are 

 supported by pillars of stalactite, so regularly dispo- 

 sed, as at first sight to appear the work of art. 



The climate, though temperate, is subject to sud- 

 den vicissitudes : shocks of earthquakes, generally 

 slight and of short duration, are felt ; and sometimes 

 violent hurricanes, accompanied by scorching heat, 

 waste the vegetation, and root up the trees. 



The soil being rocky, the crops are not abundant; 

 but a greater quantity of grain than is requisite 

 for home consumption is obtained by the industry of 

 the inhabitants, and its quality renders it an object 

 of research by the neighbouring islanders. A cer- 

 tain kind of small onions, and olives also very small, 

 produced here, are greatly esteemed, and reserved 

 solely for presents. Such is likewise the case with 

 two kinds of wine, one called liatico, which are too 

 inconsiderable for exportation. 



The only indigenous quadrupeds of Cerigo are 

 hares and rabbits : but the inhabitants possess goats, 

 and import a few cattle from the Morea. Many mi- 

 gratory birds, particularly quails, frequent the island ; 

 and fish are abundant on the coast, affording a con- 

 stant and copious resource. But the Neapolitans, in 

 prosecuting the coral fishery, avail themselves more 

 of the latter ; and the hazard of falling into the hands 

 of pirates is besides a great restraint on the islanders. 

 Scorpions of a large size are found here. 



From the uncertainty of protection, the limited 

 productions of the island, and the want of opportu- 

 nities to ameliorate the condition of the inhabitants, 

 the population is at present inconsiderable. It scarce- 

 ly exceeds 8000 souls, dispersed in a town containing 

 1200, and in about thirty or forty villages and ham- 



