Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/472

 456 NYCBII. NYCBII. [Syrtica.] NYGBENI. [Syutica.] NYMPHAEA, NYMPHAEUM. 1. (Ni/M^ai'o, Scykx, p. 29; Nt^/n</)aioi', Strab. vii. p. 309; Appian, b'. Jllthr. 108; Ptol. iii. 6. § 3; Anon. Peripl. p. 5 ; Plin. iv. 26; Craterus, ap. Harpocrat. s. v.; Nyniphae, Geoi;. Rav. v. 2), a Milesian colony of the Tivuric Chersonese, with a good harbour. (Strab. I. c.) The ruins of this town are to be found on the S. point of the gulf now called the Lake of Tchour- bdche. (Dubois de Montperreus, Foyage Autour du Caucase,vo.. pp. 246— 251; Maripny Taitbout, Fortidan de la Mer Noire, p. 74.) Pallas {Reise iiid. Sixdl. Statthalt. Rvsslands, vol. ii. p. 341) fixes it between the Paulofka Battery and Kamysch- burnu. 2. The harbour of Lissus in Illyricum, and 3 M. P. from that town (Caesar, B. C. iii. 26), on a pro- montory of the same name. (Plin. iii. 26.) [E.B.J.] NYMPHAEA (}ivpL(pa.ia), a small island off the coast of Ionia, is mentioned only by Pliny (v. 37). Respecting is^™?^'^ ^^ ^ nj-me of Cos, see Cos. [L- S.] NYMPHAEUM {liviJ.ipu.iov. Strab. vii. p. 330 ; Ptol. iii. 13. § 11), tlie promontory to the S. of the peninsula of Acta, from whence Mt. Athos rises jibrnntly to the very summit. It is now called Kara Hdghio Ghiorrjhi. (Leake, North. Greece, vuL iii. pp.' 114, 149.) [E. B. J.] NYMPflAEUAI {'Hufj.tpaiov.) 1. A {ilace on the eastern coast of Bithynia, at a distance of 30 stadia west of the mouth of the Oxines (Arrian, Peripl. Pont. Eux. p. 14), or, according to the Periplus of the Anonynms (p. 4), 45 stadia from Tyndaridae. 2. A place in Cilicia, between Celenderis and Soli, is mentioned onlv by Pliny (v. 22). [L. S.] NYMPHAEUS (Amm. Marc, xviii. 9. § 3; tivfupios. Procop. B. P. i. 8, 2 1 ; Suidas, s. v.), an affluent of the Tigris, 240 stadia from Amida, and the boundary between the Roman and the Pei-sian empires. Eitter {Erdkunde, vol. s. p. 98) identities it with the Zibeneh Sit. {London Geog. Journ. vol. X. p. 363; comp. St. Martin, Mem. sur TArmenie, vol. i. p. 166; Le Beau. Bas Empire, vol. v. p. 248.) ' [E. B. J.] NYMPHAEUS (Nin/a a small river of Latium, mentioned only by Pliny (iii. 5. s. 9), who describes it as flowing into the sea between Astura and Circeii. There can be no doubt that the stream meant is the one still called the Ninfa, though this does not now flow into the sea at all, but within a few miles of its source (which is at the foot of the Volscian moun- tains, iumiediately below the site of Xorba, forming a pool or small lake of beautifully clear water) stag- nates, and loses itself in the Pontine Marshes. A town called Ninfa arose, in the middle ages, close to its source, but this is now in ruins. We have no account of any ancient town on the site. [K.H.B.] XY.MPHAS. [Megalopolls, p. 309, b.] NYMPHA'SIA. [Methydiuum.] NYSA or NYSSA (Nuo-a or 'Hvcraa), is said to have been the name of the place in which the god Dionysus was born, whence it was transferred to a great many towns in all parts of the world which were distinguished for the cultivation of the vine. I. In Asia. 1. A town in Caria, on the southern slope of mount Messogis, on the north of the Maeander, and about midway between Tralles and Antioch. The mountain torrent Eudon, a tributary of the Maeander, flowed through the middle of the town by a deep NYSA. ravine spanned by a bridge, connecting the two parts of the town. (Strab. xiv. p. 650; Hom. Hymn. iv. 17; Plin. V. 29 ; Ptol. v. 2. § 18; Hierocl. p. 659; Steph. Byz. ,s. ».) Tradition assigned the foundation of the place to three brothers, Athymbrus, Athym-- bradus, and Hydrelus, who emigrated from Sparta, and founded three towns on the north of the Mae- ander; but in the course of time Nysa absorbed them all; the Nysaeans, however, recognise more especially Athymbrus as their founder. (Steph. B. s. v. "AQvfiSpa; Strab. I. c.) The town derived its name of Nysa from Nysa, one of the wives of Antiochus, the son of Seleucus (Steph. B. s. v. 'AfTiSx^ia), having previously been called Athymbra (Stepli. B. s. V. "Aflu/iS/jo) and Pythopolis (Steph. B. s. v. llvdS- TToAis). Nysa appears to have been distinguished for its cultivation of literature, for Strabo mentions several eminent philosophers and rhetoricians; and the geographer himself, when a youth, attended the lectures of Aristodemus, a disciple of Panaetius; another Aristodemus of Nysa, a cousin of the former, had been the instractor of Pompey. (Strab. I. c. ; Cic. ad Fam. xiii. 64.) Hierocles classes Nysa among the sees of Asia, and its bishops are mentioned in the Councils of Ephesus and Constantinople. The coins of Nysa are very numerous, and exhibit a series of Roman emperors from Augustus to Gallienus. The site of Nysa has been recognised by Chandler and other travellers at Sultan-hissar, above the plain of the JIaeander, on a spot much resembling that described by Strabo; who also mentions a theatre, a forum, a gymnasium for youths, and another for men. Remains of a theatre, with many rows of seats almost entire, as well as of an amphitheatre, gymnasium, &c., were seen by Chandler. (Leake, Asia Minor, p. 248; Fellows, Discover, pp. 22, foil. ; Hamilton, Researches, i. p. 534.) The country round Nysa is described as bearing evidence of the existence of subterraneous fires, either by exhalations and vapours, or by its hot mineral springs. I COIN OF KYSA IX CARIA. 2. A place in the district of Milyas in Pisidia, situated on the river Xanthus, on the south of Podalaea. (Ptol. v. 3. § 7 ; Hierocl. p. 6S4, where the name is misspelt Mi'crat.) 3. A town in Cappadocia, in the district called Muriane, not far from the river Halys, on the road from Ancyra to Caesareia. (Ptol. v. 7. § 8; It. Ant. pp. 505, 506; Hierocl. p. 699; Nicephor. xi. 44.) Its site is now occupied by a village bearing the name of Nirse or Nissa (Hamilton, Researches, ii. p. 265.) [L. S.] NYSA (NiJo-a). l. In Europe. 1. A village in Boeotia on Mt. Helicon. (Strab. ix. p. 405 ; Steph. B. s. V. Nuffai.) 2. A town in Thrace, in the district between the rivers Strymon and Nestus, which subsequently formed part of Macedonia. It is called Nyssos by Plmy. (Steph. B. s. v.: Plin. iv. 10. s. 17.)