Chap. 19.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 439' 



has the town of Apamea\ divided by the river Marsyas from 

 the Tetrarchy of the Nazerini'' ; Bambyx, the other name of 

 which is Hierapolis', but by the Syrians called Mabog^ 

 (here the monster Atargatis^, called Derceto by the Greeks, 

 is worshipped) ; and the place called Chalcis' on the Belus', 

 from which the region of Chalcidene, the most fertile part of 

 Syria, takes its name. We here find also Cyrrhestice, with 

 Cyrrhum*', the Gazatce, the Gindareni, the Gabeni, the two 

 Tetrarchies called Granucomatae', the Emeseni^", the Hyla- 



* Now Kulat-el-Mudik, situate in the valley of the Orontes, and capital 

 of the province of Apamene. It was fortified and enlarged by Seleucus 

 Nicator, who gave it its name, after his wife Apama. It also bore the 

 Macedonian name of Pella. It was situate on a hill, and was so far sur- 

 rounded by the windings of the Orontes, as to become a peninsula, whtuce 

 itB name of Chersonesus. Very extensive ruins of this place still exist. 



^ It is suggested, that these are the Phy larch i Arabes of Strabo, now- 

 called the Nosairis, who were situate to the east of Apamea. The river 

 Marsyas here mentioned was a small tributary of the Orontes, into 

 wliicli it falls on the east side, near Apamea. 



* This was situate in Cyrrhestica, in Syria, on the high road from 

 Antioch to Mesopotamia, twenty-four miles to the west of the Euplirates, 

 and thirty-six to the south-west of Zeugma ; two and a half days' jour- 

 ney from Beroea, and five from Antioch. It obtained its Greek name 

 of the " Sacred City" from Seleucus Nicator, owing to its being the cliief 

 seat of the worship of the Syrian goddess Astarte. Its ruins were first 

 discovered by MaundreU. 



* In the former editions it is " Magog ; " but Sillig's reading of 

 "Mabog" is correct, and corresponds with the Oriental forms of Mun- 

 bedj, Manbesja, Manbesjun, Menba, Manba, Manbegj, and the modem 

 name, Kara Bambuche, or Buguk Munbe^. 



* Astarte, the semi-fish goddess. 



^ This Chalcis is supposed to have been situate somewhere in the 

 district of the Buckaa, probably south of HeUopoUs, or Baalbec. It has 

 been suggested, that its site may have been at, or near Zahle ; in the 

 vicinity of which, at the village of Heusn Nieba, are to be seen some 

 remarkable remains. Or else, possibly, at Majdel Anjar, where Abul- 

 feda speaks of great ruins of hewn stone. 



^ Ansart suggests, that Belus is here the name of a mountain, and 

 that it may be the same that is now called Djebel-il-Semmaq. 



* To the north of Chalcidene, a town of Syria, on the slopes of the 

 Taiu-us, eighty miles to the north-east of Antioch. In the Roman times, 

 it was the head-quarters of the Tenth Legion, The ruins near the modem 

 village of Corus represent the ancient Cyrrhus. Of the Oazatae and 

 Gindareni, nothing is known. ' Possibly meaning the " Burghers 

 of Granum." Nothing is known of these people. 



^^ The people of Emesa, a city in the district of Apamene, on the right. 



