Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/456

 440 NISA. The structure of this elevated chain, consisting of the lofty groups of Sir Serah, the peaked glacier of Mat Khan, the All Tdgh, Sapdn, Nimriid, and Darkish, Tdghs, which are probably the highest range of Taurus, rising above the line of perpetual snow (10,000 feel?), remains yet undetermined. Limestone and gypsum prevail, with basalt and other volcanic rocks. Deep valleys separate the parallel ridges, and also break their continuity by occasional passes from the N. to the S. sides. (Ainsworth, Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldam, p. 18; Chesney, Exped. Euphrat. vol. i. p. 69 ; Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. X. p. 911.) fE- B. J.] NISA. [Isus.] NISA. [Nys..] NISAEA. [Nesaea.] NISAEA. [Megara.] NISAEI CAMPI, plains of considerable extent in the mountain district of Media, which were famous tor the production of a celebrated breed of horses. According; to Strabo, they were on the road of those who travelled from Persis and Babylon in the direc- tion of the Caspian Gates (xi. p. 529), and fed 50,000 brood mares for the royal stables. In another place, the same geographer states that the Nisaean horse were reared in the plains of Armenia (xi. p. 630), from which we infer that the plains them- selves extended fi-om Armenia southward through Media. Again, in the P^pitoiue of Strabo (iii. p. 536, ed. Kramer), the Nisaean plain is stated to be near the Caspian Gates, which lead into Parthia. The fact is, the disti'ict was not accurately defined. Herodotus states that the place, from which the best white horses (which were reserved for the use of the king) came, was a great plain in Media (vii. 40). And the same view is taken by Eustathius in his Conniientary on Dionysius (v. 1017), and con- finned by the notice in Arrian's account of Alex- ander's march (vii. 13). Ammianus, on the other hand, states that the Nisaean horses were reared in the plains S. of M. Coronus (now Demawend). It appears to have been the custom on the most solemn occasions to sacrifice these horses to the sun (Phi- lostr. Vit. Apoll. i. 20); and it may be inferred from Herodotus that they were also used to draw the chariot of the Sun (vii. 40.) (Of. also Steph. B. s. v.; Synes. Epist. 40; Themist. Orat. V. p. 72; Hehodor. Aeihiup. ix. p. 437; Suid. s. V. Niaaiov.) Colonel Eawlinson has examined the whole of this geographical question, which is much perplexed by the ignorance of the ancient writers, with his usual ability; and has concluded that the statements of Strabo are, on the whole, the most trustworthy, while they are, in a great degree, borne out by the existing character of the country. He states that in the rich and ex- tensive plains of Alisktar and KMwah he recog- nises the Nisaean plains, which were visited by Alexander on his way from Baghistane to Susa and Ecbatana ; and he thinks that the Nisaean horse came originally from the Nisaea of Khordsan, which is still famous for its Turkoman horses. Colonel Rawlinson further believes that Herodotus, who was imperfectly acquainted with Median geography, transferred the name Nisaea from Khordsan to Jledia, and hence was the cause of much of the con- fusion which has arisen. Strabo, on the other hand, describes correctly the great horse pastures as ex- tending along the whole line of Media, from the road which led from Babylon to the Caspian Gates to that conducting from Babylon into Persia. The NISYEUS. whole of this long district, under the names of Khd- icah, Alishtar, Huru, Siliikhur, Bmburud' Japa- Idk, and Feridun, is still famous for its excellent grazing and abundance of horses. Colonel Rawlin- son, indeed, thinks that Strabo's epithet, iizTroSoros, is a translation of Sildkhur, which means " a full manger." It was from this plain that Python brought his supply of beasts of burthen to the camp of Antigonus (Died. xix. 2) after the perilous march of the Greeks across the mountains of the Cossaeans. (Rawlinson, Royal Geogr. Journ. vol. ix. pt. i. p. 100.) [V.] NISIBIS (NiciSts). 1. A small place in Ariana, _ mentioned by Ptolemy (v. 18. § 11) and Ammianus H (xxiii. 6). It would appear to have been at the ^ foot of the chain of the Paropamisus. There are some grounds for supposing it the same place as the Nii of Isidorus [Nil], and that the latter has under- gone a contraction similar to that of Bitaxa into Bis. 2. The chief city of Mygdonia, a small district in the NE. end of Mesopotamia, about 200 miles S. of Tigranocerta ; it was situated in a very rich and fruitful country, and was long the centre of a veiy extensive trade, and the great northern emporium for the merchandise of the E. and W. It was situated on the small stream Mygdonius (Julian, Orat. i. p. 27 ; Justin. Excerpt, e. Legat. p. 173), and was distant about two days' journey from the Tigris. (Procop. Bell. Pers. i. 11.) It was a town of such great antiquity as to have been thought by some to have been one of the primeval cities of Genesis, Accad. (Hieron. Quaesi. in Genes, cap. x. V. 10; and of. Michael. Spicileg. i. 226.) It is pro- bable, therefore, that it existed long before the Greeks came into Mesopotaiuia; and that the tra- dition that it was founded by the Macedonians, who called it Antiocheia Mygdoniae, ought rather to refer to its rebuilding, or to some of the great works erected there by some of the Seleucid princes. (Strab. xvi. p. 747; Plut. Lucull. c. 32 ; Plin. vi. 13. s. 16.) It is first mentioned in history (under its name of Antiocheia) in the march of Antiochus against the satrap Molon (Polyb. v. 51); in the later wars between the Romans and Parthians it was constantly taken and retaken. Thus it was taken by Lucullus from the brother of Tigranes, after a long siege, which lasted the whole summer (Dion Cass. xxxv. 6, 7), but, according to Plutarch, towards the close of the autumn, without much re- sistance from the enemy. (Plut. I. c.) Again it was taken by the Romans under Trajan, and was the cause of the title of " Parthicus," which the senate decreed to that emperor. (Dion Cass. Ixviii. 23.) Subsequently to this it appears to have been besieged by the Osroeni and other tribes who had revolted, but who were subdued by the arras of Sept. Severus. Nisibis became on this occa- sion the head-quarters of Severus. (Dion Cass. Ixxv. 2, 3.) From this period it appears to have remained the advanced outpost of the Romans against the East, till it was surrendered by the Per- sians on the treaty which was made with that people by Jovian, after the death of Julian. (Zosim. iii. 33; Amm. Marc. xxv. 9.) Its present name is Nisibin, in the neighbourhood of which are still extensive ruins of the ancient city. (Niebuhr, vol. ii. p. 379.) [V.] NI'SYRUS (NiVupos), a rocky island opposite to Cnidus, between Cos in the north and Telos in the south, about 12^ Roman miles distant from Cape Triopion in Caria. (Plin. v. 36; Strab. xiv. p. 656,