Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1105

 SYRTIS. mentions another promontory, Trieron (Tpirjpcou or Tptr}pov uKpov, ib.) and Zeitha (to ZeiOa, ib. § 12). The principal rivers were the Cinyps or Cinyplius (Ptol. ib. § 20), in the eastern part of the district, and the Triton, which formed its western boundary, and by which the three lakes called Tritonitis, Talks, and Libya were supplied (ib. § 19). Besides these waters there were extensive salt lakes and marshes along the coast (Strab. I. c. ; Tab. Pent. fab. vii.) The lotus is mentioned among the scanty products of this unfertile land (I'lin. xxiv. 1. s. 1), and a peculiar kind of precious stones, called after the country Syrtides gemmae, was found on the coast (Id. xsxvii. 10. § 67). The tribes that inhabited the coiHitry besides the Nasamones, Psytti, and Macae, who in the earlier times at least spread them.selves over this district, were the Lotophagi [Vol. II. p. 205], who dwelt about Syrtis Minor, and the Gin- dancs [Vol. I. p. 1002], who were situated to the W. of the former. Ptolemy, however, in place of these more ancient tribes, mentions others that are heard of nowhere else, as the Nigitimi, Samamycii, Nycpii, Nygbeni, Elaeones, Damnesii, &c. (iv. 3. §§ 23 — 27). But Egyptian and Phoenician colonists had been mixed at a very early period with these abori- ginal Libyan tribes, whom the Greeks found there when they settled upon the coast, and with whom, probably, they had. for some time previously had coimections. The most important towns of the Pegio Syrtica were the three from which it sub- sequently derived its name of Tripolitana, that is, Leptis Magna, Oea, and Sabrata ; besides which we find Tacape and other places mentioned by I'tolemj. Opposite to the coast lay the islands of Mcninx and Cercina. [T. H. D.] SYKTIS MA.JOR and MINOR (Siipris tJ-iydXri Koi fUKpd, Ptol. iv. 3), two broad and deep gulfs in the Libyan sea on the N. coast of Africa, and in the district called after them Regio Syrtica. The name is derived from the Arabic, Sert, a desert from the desolate and sandy shore by which the neighbourhood of the Syrtes is still characterised. The navigation of them was very dangerous because of their shallow and sunken rocks, so that the smaller Syrtis was considered in ancient times as altogether unnavigable, and even into the larger one only small ships ven- tured. (Strab. xvii. p. 835; Scylax, p. 48; Polyb. i. 39; Mela, i. 7; Plin. v. 4. s. 4; Procop. de Aed. vi. 3.) The reports of modern travellers, however, do not tend to establisli these dangers. (Lauthier, Relazlone'm Delia Cella's F/fir^^/jo, p. 2 1 4, sqq.) The Greater Syrtis, which was the eastern one, now the (iiilf of Sidra, extended from the promontory of Borcum on the E. side to that of Cephalae on the W. (Scyl. 46, s(j.; Polyb. iii. 29; Strab. I. c. and ii. p. 123; ]Iela and Plin. 11. cc.) According to Strabo it was from 4000 to 5000 stadia in circum- ference (I. c); but in another place (xvii. p. 835) he puts down the measure more accurately at 3930 sta- dia. Its depth, or landward recess, was from 1500 to 1800 stadia, and its diameter 1500 stadia. (Comp. Agathem. i. 3, and ii. 14). The smaller, or more western Syrtis (now Gulf of Cubes), was formed on the E. by the promontory of Zeitha and on the W. by that of Brachodes. (Scyl. p. 48; Polyb. i. 39, ii. 23, xii. 1; Strab. ii. p. 123, iii. p. 157, xvii. p. 834, &c.) According to Strabo it had a circum- ference of 1600 stadia and a diameter of 600 (comp. Agathem. /. c). Particulars resjiecting the size of both will likewise be found in Mela i. 7; and Itin. Afit. p. 64. sqq. The shores of both were TABAE. 1081 inhospitable, and sandy to such a degree that men and even ships were often overwhelmed by the huge cloud-like masses lifted by the wind (Diod. xx. 41; Sail. Juff. 79; Herod, iii. 25, 26, iv. 173; Lucan, ix. 294, sqq.); and it is affirmed by modern travellers that these descriptions of the ancients are not exaggerated. (See Browne's 7 ravels, p. 282: Bruce, Travels, iv. p. 458; Beecliey, Escjtedilion, (J-c. ch. 10; Ritter, Erdkunde, i. p. 1030.) [T.H.D.] SYSPIRI'TIS (2u(77ripiTis, Strab. xi. p. 503), a district in Armenia Major. [T. H. D.] SYTHAS. [AcHALV, p. 13, b.] TAANACII (&av6.K and Qavaax), a town in Palestine, not far from Jlegiddo, with which it is generally mentioned, was originally one of the royal cities of the Canaanites. {Josh. xii. 21; Judges, v. 19; KingSj'iy. .) It was assigned to Manasseli (Josh. xvii. 11), but was afterwards one of the cities given to the Leviles. (Josh. xxi. 25.) " Taanach by the waters of Jlegiddo" was the scene of the great battle of Deborah and Barak. (Judges, v. 19.) In the time of the Judges the Canaanitisli inhabitants still remained in Taanach (Judges, i. 27), but in the reign of Solomon it aji- pears as an Israelitish town. (1 Kings, iv. 12.) Eu.sebius describes it as 3 Roman miles, and Jerome as 4 Roman miles from Legio, which is undoubtedly the Megiddo of Scripture. [Legio.] Taanach is still called Taanmik, a village standing on the slope of the hills which skirt the plain of Esdraelon to- wards the south. (Robinson, Bibl. Res. vol. ii. p. 316, vol. iii. p. 117, 2nd ed.; Stanley, Sinai and Pales- tine, p. 331.) TABAE (Tdeai : Eth. Ta§riv6s), a town which, ac- cording to Strabo (xii. p. 570), was situated on the con- fines between Phrygia and Caria, and which, in another passage (p. 576), he evidently includes in Phrygia. The country was situated in a plain which derived from the town the name of ITeSioi' TaSrivov. (Strab. xii. p. 576.) Stephanus Byz. (s. v.) on the other hand calls Tabae a Lydian town, though he at the same time mentions another in Caria; but it is highly probable that not only both are one and the same town, but also the .'^ame as the one assigned by Strabo to Phrygia, and that in point of fact the town was in Caria near the confines of Phrygia. Slythi- cally the name of the place was derived from a hero Tabus, while others connected it with an Asiatic term rdSa, which signified a rock. (Steph. B. I. c.) The latter etymology is not inconsistent with Strabo's account, for though the town is described as being in a plain, it, or at least a part of it, may have been built on a rock. The plain contained several other little towns besides Tabae. Livy (xxxviii. 13), in liis account of the expedition of JIaidius, states that ho marched in three days from Gordiutiehos to Tabae. It must then have been a consideiable place, fur, having provoked the hostility of the Romans, it was ordered to jiay 20 talents of silver and furnish 10,000 mcdiumi of wheat. Livy remarks that it stood oa the borders of Pisidia towards the shore of the Pamphylian sea. There can bo no doubt that D'Anville is correct in identifying the modern Tliaovs or Dams, a place of some note north-cjust of Moglah, with the ancient Tabae. Col. Leake (A.na Minor, p. 153), relying too implicitly on Strabo, looks too far east for its site; for Hicroclcs