BOOK V. x.xxvi. 132-134 



XXXVI. But the most beautiful is the free island Riiodes. 

 of Rhodes, which nieasures 125, or, if we prefer to 

 beHeve Isidore, 103 miles round, and which contains 

 the cities of Lindus,Camirus and Ialysus,and nowthat 

 of Rhodcs." Its distance from Alexandria in Egypt 

 is 583 miles according to Isidore, 468 according to 

 Eratosthenes, 500 according to Mucianus ; and it is 

 176 miles fi-om Cj^rus. It was previously called 

 Ophiussa, Asteria, Aethria, Trinacrie, Corymbia, 

 Poeeessa, Atabyria after its king, and subsequently 

 Macaria and Oloessa. Islands belonging to the 

 Rhodians are Carpathus which has given its name 

 to the Carpathian Sea, Casos, formerly Achne, 

 Nisyros, previously called Poq^hyris, 15j miles dis- 

 tant from Cnidus, and in the same neighbourhood 

 lying between Rhodes and Cnidus, Syme. Syme 

 measiu*es 37| miles in circumference ; it provides 

 the welcome of eight harbours. Other islands 

 in the neighbourhood of Rhodes besides those 

 mentioned are Cyclopis, Teganon, Cordylusa, the 

 four Diabatae, Hymos, Chalce with its town, 

 Teutlusa, Narthecusa, Dimastos, Progne, and in 

 the direetion of Cnidus Cisserusa, Therionarcia, 

 Calydne with the three towns of Notiimi, Nisyrus and 

 Mendeterus, and the town of Ceramus on Arconnesus. 

 Off the coast of Caria are the Argiae, a group of 

 twenty islands, and Hyetusa, Lepsia and Leros. But 

 the most famous island in this gulf is that of Cos,which 

 is 15 miles distant from HaUcarnassus and 100 miles 

 in circumference ; it is gcnerally beUeved to have 

 been caUed Merope, but according to Staphylus its 

 former name was Cea and according to Dionysius 

 Meropis and later Nyrnphaea. On Cos is Mount 

 Prion ; and the island of Nisyros, formerly caUed 



321 



