S E L 



entitled " InftruAions Seleniques." The late Mr. Rud'el, 

 a painter of eminence, made excellent drawings of the 

 moon ; b'lt the mod accurate and complete that have yet 

 been publifhed, are thofe of the celebrated Schroeter, who 

 has given highly magnified views cf molt parts of the moon's 

 furface. Dr. I5rewfter, in his improved edition of Fer- 

 gufon's Aftronomy, has given feveral tables of the lunar 

 fpots. The firil of thefe tables is fo'-med from the obferva- 

 tions of Lambert, and contains the longitude and latitude 

 of 207 fpots, with the names given them by Riccioli and 

 Hevehus, together with remark-, on their pofition, appear- 

 ance, and ftructnre. The fecond table contains the loncji- 

 tude and latitude of 89 lunar fpots, as determined by To- 

 bias Mayer, with general remarks. The third table ex- 

 hibits the new names 'vhich have been given to the anony- 

 mous lunar fpots by Jer. Schroecer, with their poiitions, as 

 determined by the editor, from a comparifon of Schroeter'i 

 plates with Mayer's engraving of the moon, and his table 

 of the lunar fpots. Our limits wdl not allow of our in- 

 fertion of either of thefe tables, and they are incapable of 

 abridgment. 



SELENTI, in Geogrnphy, a town of Afiatic Turkey, 

 in Caramania, at the mouth of the river Selenti, which here 

 runs into the Mediterranean ; 45 miles E. of Alanieh. N. 

 lat. ;?9°3'. E. long. 29^ 18'. 



SELERNES, one of the fmaller Shetland illands. N. 

 lat. 60° 40'. W. long. 1° 22'. 



SELESTRIA, a'town of Afiatic Turkey, in Carama- 

 nia ; 50 miles S.W. of Tarfus. 



SELETZKAIA, a town of RulTia, in tlie government 

 of Archangel ; 80 miles S. of Archangel. 



SELELFCIA, in indent Geography, a famous city of 

 Afia, built by Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals, and 

 iituated on tlic weilern bank of the Tigris, about 45 miles 

 N. of ancient Babylon, was the capital of the Macedonian 

 conquefts in Upper Afia, and is laid to have been the firit 

 and principal caufe of the dellruclion of Babylon. Pliny 

 reports, that the intention of the firft of the Seleucidx was 

 to raife, in oppofition to Babylon, a Greek city, with the 

 privilege of being free. The ramparts and foffe of this 

 Grecian city are faid to be nearly oppofite to the ruins of 

 Ctefiphon (which fee) ; and in procels of time Seleucia and 

 Ctefiphon became united and identified, under the name of 

 Al Modain (which fee), or the two cities. For the precife 

 fituation of Babylon, Seleucia, Ctefiphon, Modain, and 

 Bagdad, cities often confounded witli each other, we refer 

 with Gibbon, to an excellent geographical traft of M. 

 d'AnviUe, in Mem. de I'Academie, torn. xxx. Many ages 

 after the fall of the Macedonian empire, Seleucia retained 

 the genuine charaders of a Grecian colony, arts, military 

 virtue, and the love of freedom. The independent republic 

 was governed by a fenate of 300 nobles ; the population 

 confilted of 600,000 citizens ; the walls were ftrong ; and as 

 long as concord prevailed among the feveral orders of the 

 ftate, they viewed with contempt the power of the Par- 

 thians ; but the madnefa of faction was fometimes provoked 

 to implore the dangerous aid of the common enemy, who 

 was polled almoit at the gates of the colony. The Par- 

 thian monarchs, like the Mogul fovereigns of Hmdoollan, 

 delighted in the paftoral life of their Scythian ancellors ; 

 and the imperial camp was frequently pitched in the plain 

 of Ctefiphon, on the ealiern bank ef the Tigris, at the 

 diftance of only three miles from Seleucia. (See Strabo, 

 lib. xvi. p. 743.) By the influx of tiie innumerable at- 

 tendants on luxury and defpotifm, who reforted to the 

 court, the little village of Ctefiphon infenfibly fwelled 

 into a great city. Under the reign of Marcus, A.D. 165, 



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the Roman generals penetrated as far as Ctefiphon and Se- 

 leucia. They were received as friends by the Greek colony ; 

 they attacked as enemies the feat of the Parthian kings ; 

 and yet both experienced the fame treatment. The fack 

 and conflagration of Seleucia, with the maflacre of 300,000 

 of the inhabitants, tarniflied the glory ot the Roman 

 triumph ; though it has been alleged in their favour, that 

 the citizens of Seleucia had firil violated their faith. Se- 

 leucia, already exhaulted by the neighbourhood of a too 

 powerful rival, lunk under the fatal blow : but Ctefiphon, 

 in about 33 years, had fufficiently recovered its itrength to 

 maintain an obftinate fiege againll the emperor Severus. 



Browne (Travels in Africa, p. 391.) identifies Seleucia 

 with Suadea, the port of Antioch, about four hours dif- 

 tant from it. Its former pofTellors, he lays, took immenfe 

 pains to render it convenient for traffic; but it is now ren- 

 dered ufelels, by the negligence of its prefent mailers. A 

 large gate, fays this traveller, yet remains entire ; it ap- 

 proaches to the Doric order. The rock near it has been 

 excavated into various apartments. A part exiils of the 

 thick and fubllantial wall which defended Seleucia towards 

 the fea. The port mutt have been commodious and fecure, 

 thougli fmall, as it was formed by a mole of very large 

 Hones. Although it be at prefent dry, the fand in the 

 bottom appears no higher than the furface of the fea. A 

 little to the north is a remarkable palTage, cut in the rock, 

 leading, by a gentle defcent, from the iummit of the moun- 

 tain t'Hvards the water. It is about 600 common paces 

 long, from 30 to 50 feet high, and above 20 broad. In 

 the middle of it is a covered way, arched through the 

 rock, but both the ends are open. A channel for water 

 runs along the lide, conveying the pure element down from 

 the mountain to Seleucia. The whole rock above is full 

 of artificial cavitie?, formed for fome purpofe now unknown. 

 A Greek infcription of five lines is vifible on the S. fide of 

 the cavern. Towards the fea are fome catacombs, orna- 

 mented with pilaltcrs, cornices, and mouldings. 



Jackfon, in his " Journey from India," confiders Bagdad 

 as the fcite of the ancient Seleucia, and he fays that feveral 

 of the coins of Seleucus are found in Bagdad. The gold p 

 coin IS worth about Iwo guineas ; it bears as ftrong an 

 impreflion of the head as the ancient Roman coins, but has 

 a long beard. 



Seleucia, a town of Afia Minor, winch was anciently 

 in Cihcia ; but in the 4th century of the Chritliaa era, the 

 province of Ifauria was made to conllitute a part of Ci- 

 licia ; and this city became the metropolis of the pro- 

 vince. The Notitia of Hierocles reprefents Seleucia as 

 founded by Seleucus Nicanor, and as being one of the 

 largefl. and richeft towns of the Ealt. The river Calycadnus 

 was navigable near this city, and facilitated the commerce 

 of the country. In the year 116, Seleucia threw off the 

 Roman yoke ; but Trajan fent hither a body of troops in 

 the beginning of the year 117, who reduced it to fubjec- 

 tion. However it again recovered its liberty, as we learn 

 from a medal of Gordian and another of Philip, on which 

 it is denominated cleothera, or free. 



Seleuch, a large town of the Perfide, in the territory 

 of Elymais, on the river Edyphonte, according to Strabo. 

 It was alfo named Soloee. — Alfo, a town of Afia, in Pi- 

 iidia, according to the Notitia of Hierocles. Appian re- 

 lates that it vras one of the nine towns built by Seleucus 

 Nicanor, who gave it his own name. — Alfo, the name given 

 to the town of Trallis, in Lydia. Pliny. — Alfo, an epif- 

 copal town of Afia, in Pamphylin. 



Seleucia PierLi, a town of Afi;:, in Syria, fituated on 



the coall of the Mediterranean fea, N.W, of the river 



1 Orontcp, 



