494 PLIlfT's NATTTEAL HISTOET. [Book Y. 



Olbia, and situate at the bottom of tlie Ascanian G-ulf ; as 

 also a second place called Prusa\ at the foot of Mount 

 Hypius. Pythopolis, Parthenopolis, and Coryphanta are 

 no longer in existence. Along the coast we find the rivers 

 JEsius, Bryazon, Plataneus, Areus, ^syros, Greodos, also 

 called Chrysorroas^, and the promontory' upon which once 

 stood the town of Megarice. The gulf that here runs 

 inland received the name of Craspedites from the circum- 

 stance of that town lying, as it were, upon its skirt^. Asta- 

 cum*, also, formerly stood here, from which the same gulf 

 has received the name of the * Astacenian' : the town of 

 Libyssa® formerly stood at the spot where we now see 

 nothing but the tomb of Hannibal. At the bottom of 

 the gulf lies Nicomedia-^, a famous city of Bithynia ; then 

 comes the Promontory of Leucatas^, by which the Asta- 

 cenian Gulf is bounded, and thirty-seven miles distant 

 from Nicomedia ; and then, the land again approaching 

 the other side, the straits" which extend as far as the 

 city are still in existence. Littre seems to think that there are two 

 Nicseas meant in these passages ; but it would seem that the same place 

 is alluded to in both lines. The only thing that seems to give counte- 

 nance to Littre's supposition (in which he is supported by Hardouin) 

 is, the expression " Et Prusa item altera." 



^ It has been suggested, that this is only another name for the town 

 of Cios, previously mentioned ; but it is most probable that they were 

 distinct "places, and that this was originally called Cierus, and belonged 

 to the territory of Heraclea, but was conquered by King Prusias, who 

 named it after himself. It stood to the north-west of the other Prusa. 



2 Or the *' Golden Stream." 



'' Suggested by Parisot to be the modem Cape Fagma. 



* From the Greek KpcKTireSov, a " skirt." 



s Or Astacus, a colony originally from Megara and Athens. From 

 Scylax it would appear that this city was also called Olbia. Its site is. 

 placed by some of the modem geographers at a spot called Ovaschik, 

 and also Bashkele. 



6 Called G^biseh, according to Busbequis, — at least in his day. The 

 modern Hereket, on the coast, has been suggested. 



7 Its ruins now bear the name of Izmid, or Iznikmid, at the north- 

 eastern corner of the Sinus Astacenus, or Gulf of Izmid. It was the 

 chief residence of the kings of Bithynia, and one of the most splendid 

 cities in the world. Under the Eomans it was made a colony, and waa 

 a favourite residence of Diocletian and Constantine the Great. Arnan 

 the historian was bom here. 



* Now Akrita. It is also called Akritas by Ptolemy. 



* The Straits, or Channel of Constantinople. 



