Chap. 4.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 393 



tion of the Psylli*, and above them again the Lake of Lyco- 

 medes^, surrounded with deserts. The Augylae themselves 

 are situate almost midway between ^Ethiopia which faces 

 the west^, and the region which lies between* the two Syrtes, 

 at an equal distance from both. The distance along the 

 coast that lies between the two Syrtes. is 250 miles. On it 

 are found the city of (Ea*, the river Cinjrps", and the country 

 of that name, the towns of Neapolis', Graphara**, and Abroto- 

 num', and the second, surnamed the Greater, Leptis^". 



We next come to the Greater Syrtis, 625 miles in cir- 

 cumference, and at the entrance 312 miles in width ; next 

 after which dwells the nation of the Cisippades. At the 

 bottom of this gulf was the coast of the Lotophagi, whom 

 some writers have called the Alachroae^^ extending as far as 

 the Altars of the Phila^ni^^ ; these Altars are formed of heaps 



1 For an account of the Psylli see B. vii. c. 2. They probably dwelt 

 in the vicinity of the modem Cape Mesurata. 



2 Now Lake Lynxama, according to Marcus. 



3 Marcus observes that in order properly to understand this passage we 

 must remember that the ancients considered Africa as terminating north 

 of the Equator, and imagined that from the Straits of Hercules the western 

 coast of Africa ran, not towards the south-west, but slanted in a south- 

 easterly direction to the Straits of Babelmandel. ■* The modem TripoU. 



5 A flourishing city with a mixed population of Libyans and Sicilians. 

 It was at tliis place that Apuleius made his eloqtJcnt and ingenious de- 

 fence against the charge of sorcery brought against him by his step-sons. 

 According to some writers the modem Tripoh is biult on its site, while 

 other accounts make it to have been situate six leagues from that city. 



8 Now called the Wady-el-Quaham. 



' Mannert is of opinion that this was only another name for the city 

 of Leptis Magna or the "Greater Leptis" here mentioned by PHny. 

 There is little doubt that his supposition is correct. 



** The more common reading is Taplira or Taphara. D'Anville iden- 

 tifies it with the town of S fakes. 



" Scylax identifies it with NeapoHs or Leptis, and it is generally looked 

 upon as being the same place as Sabrata or Old TripoU. 



10 Now called Lebida. It was the birth-place of the Emperor Sep- 

 timius Severus. It was almost destroyed by an attack from a Libyan 

 tribe a.d. 366, and its ruin was completed by the iavasion of the Arabs. 

 Its ruins are considerable. 



11 " Men of sea complexion," is the meaning of this Greek name. Ac- ' 

 cording to Marcus they dwelt between the Greater Leptis and the Lake 

 Tritonis, at the present day called Schibkah-el-Loudeah. For a further 

 account of the Lotophagi, see B. xiii. c. 32. 



12 Two brothers, citizens of Carthage, who in a dispute as to their 



