Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/371

 MIGRON. MIGRON', a town in the tribe of Benjamin, men- tioned in 1 Samuel, xiv. 2 (where the LXX. reads Ma7Sc<Ji') as in the extreme border of Gibeah, celebrated for its pomegranate tree; and connected with Aiath (probably Ai) in Isaiah, x. 28 (where the LXX. reads Ma7765ai). Its site has not been | recovered in modern times. Dr. Robinson remarks, " Migron must have been situated between Deir Diwiin and Michmash ; " and so the line of the Assyrian march in Isaiah would seem to require. But the passage in Samuel implies that it was S. of Michmash, which was then occupied by the Philistine garrison, watched by the Israelites in Gibeah, which lay to the S. of " the passage of Michmash," and with which Migron is connected. (Robinson, JBibl. Res. vol. ii. p. 149.) [G. W.] MILETOTOLIS (MiAtjtoitoAis), a town in the north of Mysia, at the confluence of the rivers Ma- cestus and Rhyndacus, and on the west of the lake ■which derives its name from it. (Strab. xii. p. 575, xiv. p. 681; Steph. B. s. v. ; Plin. v. 32, 40.) Some modern geographers, as D'Anville and Man- nert, have identified Miletopolis with the modern Beli Kessr or Balikesri, but this place is situated too far S. Leake, too, seems to place Miletopolis too far SW. of the lake, and identifies it with Mi- nias, which others regard as the site of the ancient Poemanenum. The most probable view is, that the site of Miletopolis is marked by the modern Moalitsh or Muhalitsch, or by the place JIamamli, near which many ruins of an ancient town are found. (Hamilton, Researches, tf'c., vol. i. p. Sl.&c, vol. ii. p. 91.) [L.S.] MILETOFOLI'TIS LACUS (MiX-riTounoMTis Xijxvr]), a lake in the north-west of Mysia, deriving its name from the town of Miletopolis, near its western shore. (Strab. xii. pp. 575, 576.) Ac- cording to Pliny (v. 40) the lake aiso bore the name Artynia, and probably confounding the river Tar- sius with the Rhyndacus, he erroneously describes the latter river as ha'ing its origin in the lake, whereas, in fact, the Rhyndacus enters the lake in the south, and issues from it in the north. It now bears the name of the lake of Maniyas (Hamilton, Researches, (fc, vol. ii. p. 105, &c.) [L. S.] MILE'TUS (MiATjToy; Eth. MATjtrios, Milesius), once the most flourishing city of Ionia, was situated on the northern extremity of the peninsula formed, in the south-west of the Latmicus Sinus, by Mount Grion. The city stood opposite the mouth of the Maeander, from which its distance amounted to 80 stadia. At the time when the Ionian colonies were planted on the coast of Asia Minor, Miletus already existed as a town, and was inhabited, according to Herodotus (i. 146), by Carians, while Ephorus (ap. Strab. xiv. p. 634) related that the original inhabitants had been Leleges, and that afterwards Sarpedon in- troduced Cretan settlers. The testimony of Hero- dotus is bom out by the Homeric poems, in which (/^. ii. 867) Miletus is spoken of as a place of the Carians. That the place was successively in the liands of different tribes, is intimated also by the fact mentioned by Pliny (v. 30), that the earher names of Miletus were Lelegeis, Pityusa, and Anac- toria. (Comp. Pans. vii. 2. § 3; Steph. B. s. v.) On the arrival of the lonians, Neleus, their leader, with a band of his followers, took forcible possession of the town, massacred all the men, and took the women for their wives, — an event to which certain social customs, regulating the intercourse between MILETUS. 355 the sexes, were traced by subsequent generations. It appears, however, that Neleus did not occupy the' ancient town itself, but built a new one on a site somewhat nearer the sea. (Strab. I. c.) Tombs, forti- fications, and other remains, attributed to the ancient Leleges, were shown at Miletus as late as the time of Strabo (xiv. p. 611; comp. Herod, ix. 97). As in most other colonies the lonians had amalgamated with the ancient inhabitants of the countrj', the Milesians were believed to be the purest representa- tives of the lonians in Asia. Owing to its excellent situation, and the convenience of four harbours one of which was capacious enough to contain a fleet Miletus soon rose to a great preponderance among the Ionian cities. It became the m.ost powerful maritime and commercial place; its ships sailed to every part of the Mediterranean, and even into the Atlantic ; but the Milesians turned their attention principally to the Euxine, on the coasts of which, as well as elsewhere, they founded upwards of 75 colonies. (Plin. v. 31 ; Senec. Cons, ad Ilelv. 6; Strab. xiv. p. 635 ; Athen. xii. p. 523.) The most remarkable of these colonies were Abydos, Lamp- sacus, and Parium, on the Hellespont; Proconnesus and Cyzicus on the Propontis ; Sinope and Amisus on the Euxine ; while others were founded in Thrace, the Crimea, and on the Bory.sthenes. The period during which Miletus acquired this extraordinary power and prosperity, was that between its occu- pation by the lonians and its conquest by the Per- sians, B. c. 494. The history of Miletus, especially the eariier por- tion of it, is very obscure. A tyrannis appears to have been established there at an early time ; after the overthrow of this tyrannis, we are told, the city was split into two factions, one of which seems to have been an oligarchical and the other a demo- cratic party. (Plut. Quaest. Gr. 32.) The former gained the ascendant, but was obliged to take ex- traordinary precautions to preserve it. On another occasion we hear of a struggle between the wealthy citizens and the commonalty, accompanied with horrible excesses of cruelty on both sides. (Athen. xii. p. 524.) Herodotus (v. 28) also speaks of a civil war at Miletus, which lasted for two genera- tions, and reduced the people to great distress. It was at length terminated by the mediation of the Persians, who seem to have committed the govern- ment to those landowners who had shown the greatest moderation, or had kept aloof from the contest of the parties. All these convulsions took place within the period in which Miletus rose to the summit of her greatness as a maritime state. When the kingdom of Lydia began its career of conquest, its rulers were naturally attracted by the wealth and prosperity of Miletus. The first attempts to con- quer it were made by Ardys, and then by Sadyaltes, who conquered the Milesians in two engagements. After the death of Sadyattes, the war was continued by Alyattes, who, however, concluded a peace, be- cause he was taken ill in consequence, it was be- lieved, of his troops having burnt a temple of Athena in the territory of Miletus. (Herod i. 17, &c.) At this time the city was governed by the tyrant Thr.i- sybulus, a friend of Periander of Corinth (Herod, v. 92), and a crafty politician. Subsequently Miletus seems to have concluded a treaty with Croesus, whose sovereignty was recognised, and to whom tribute was paid. After the conquest of Lydia by the Persians, Miletus entered into a similar relation to Cyrua