Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/488

 472 OLBIA. which records the exploits of Protogenes, who, in the extreme distress ot his native city, aided it both with his purse and person. Tiiis inscription, ap- parently belungins; to the period B.C. 218 — 201, mentions the Galatians and Sciri (perhaps the same as those who are afterwards found united with the Heruli and Rugii) as the worst enemies of Olbia, a clear proof that in the thud century b. c. Celtic tribes had penetrated as far to the E. as the Borysthenes. Dion Clirysostom {Orat. xxxvi. p. 76), who came to Olbia when he escaped from Domitian's edict, relates how it had been destroyed by the Getae about 150 years before the date of his arrival, or about B. c. 50, but had been restored by the old in- liabitants. From the inscriptions it appears that Augustus and Tiberius conferred favours on a cer- tain Ababus of Olbia (No. 2060), who, in gratitude, erected a portico in their honour (No. 2087), while Antoninus Pius assisted them against the Tauro-Scy- thians. (Jul. Capit. Anton. 9.) The citizens erected statues to Caracalla and Geta (No. 2091). The city was in all pmbability destroj'ed in the invasion of the Goths A. D. 250, as the name does not occur hence- forth in history. For coins of Olbia, besides the works already quoted, see Eckhel, vol. ii. p. 3. (Pallas, Reise, vol. ii. p. 507 ; Clarke, Trav. vol. ii. p. 351; Murawien Apistol's Reise, p. 27; Biickh, Inscr. vol. ii. pp. 86 — 89 ; Niebuhr, Kleine Schrift. p. 352; Schafarik, Slav. Alt. vol. i. p. 397; Cieuzei", Heidelberg. Jdhrbuch, 1822, p. 1235; Biihr, Excursus ad Herod, iv. 18.) [E. B. J.] COIN OF OLBIA. O'LBIA ('0§ia : Eth. '0€iav6s, Olbiensis: Terranova). one of the most considerable cities of Sardinia, situated on the E. coast of the island not far from its NE. extremity, in the innermost recess or bight of a deep bay now called th« Golfo di Ter- ranova. According to Pausanias it was one of the most ancient cities in the island, having been founded by the colony of Thespiadae under lolaus, the com- panion of Hercules, with whom were associated a body of Athenians, who founded a separate city, which they named Ogryle. (Pans. x. 17. § 5 ; Diod. iv. 29; Solin. 1.^§'61.) The name of Olbia certainly seems to indicate that the city was of Greek origin ; but, with the exception of this myth- ical legend, we have no accomits of its foundation. After the Roman conquest of the island it became one of the most important towns in Sardinia ; and from its proximity to Italy and its opportune port, became the ordinary point of communication with the island, and the place where the Roman governors and others who visited Sardinia usually landed. (Cic. ad Q. Fr. ii. 3. § 7, 6. § 7.) In the First Punic War it was the scene of a naval engagement be- tween the consul Cornelius and a Carthaginian fleet, which had taken refuge in its spacious port; but was attacked and defeated there by Cornelius, who followed up his advantage by taking the city, B. c. 259. (Z.mar. viii. 1 1 ;>lor. ii. 2. § 16 ; Val. Max. V. 1. § 2.) In the Second Punic War (b.c. 210) its territoiy was ravaged by a Carthaginian OLBIANUS SINUS. fleet. (Liv. sxvii. 6.) Under the reign of Ho- norius, Olbia is still mentioned by Claudian as one of the principal sea-ports of Sardinia; and the Itine- raries give more than one line of road proceeding from thence towards different parts of the island. (Claudian, B. Gild. 519; liin.Ant.^^. 79,80, 82.) The name is there written Ulbia: in the middle ages it came to be known as Civita, and obtained its modern appellation of Terranova from the Spaniards. Ptolemy distinguishes the port of Olbia ('OA- Siavhs Kifj.-i]v, iii. 3. § 4) from the city itself: he probably applies this name to the whole of the spacious bay or inlet now known as the Gulf of Terranova, and the position given is that of the entrance. [E. H. B.] O'LBIA ('OA§ia: Eth. '0€ioTruiTr]s, and '0- Stavos). Stephanus (s. v. 'OASi'a) speaks of one city of this name as a Ligurian city, by which he means the Olbia on the Ligurian coast of Gallia ; for the name Olbia appears to be Greek. Mela (ii. 5), who proceeds from east to west in enumerating the cities on the Mediterranean coast of Gallia, places Olbia between Forum Julii (Frejus) and Massilia ( Marseille). The order of place is this : Forum Julii, Athenopolis, Olbia, Taurois, Citharistes, Massilia. Strabo (iv. p. 184), who proceeds from west to east in his enumer.ation of the cities of this coast, mentions Massiha, Tauroentium, Olbia, and Antipolis, and Nicaea. He .adds that the port of Augustus, which they call Forum Julii, is between Olbia and An- tipolis {Antibes). The Massaliots built Olbia, with the other places on this coast, as a defence against the Salyes and the Ligures of the Alps. (Strab. p. 180.) Ptolemy (ii." 10. § 8) places Olbia be- tween the promontory Citharistes (Co/; Cicier') and the mouth of the river Argenteus (^Argents), west of Frcjus. There is nothing that fixes the site of Olbia with precision ; and we must accept D'Anville's conjecture that Olbia was at a place now called Eoube, between Cap Combe and Briganson. Forbiger accepts the conjecture that Olbia was at St. Tropez, which he supports by saying that Strabo places Olbia 600 stadia from JIassilia ; but Strabo places Forum Julii 600 stadia from Massilia. [G.L.] O'LBIA ('OAgia). 1. A town in Bithynia, on the bay called, after it, the Sinus Olbianus (commonly Sinus Astacenus), was in all probability only another name for Astacus [Astacus]. Pliny (v. 43) is probably mistaken in saying that Olbia was the ancient name for Nicaea in Bithynia : he seems to confound Nicaea with Astacus. 2. The westernmost town on the coast of Pam- phylia. (Strab. xiv. pp. 666, foil.; Plin. v. 26.) Ptolemy (v. 5. § 2), consistently with this description, places it between Phaselis and Attaleia. Stephanus B. (s. I'.) blames Philo for ascribing this town to Pamphylia, since, as he asserts, it was situated in the territory of the Solymi, and its real name was Olba ; but the critic is here himself at fault, confounding Olbia with the Pisidian Olbasa. Strabo describes our Olbia as a strong fortress, and its inhabitants colonised the Lycian town of Cydrema. 3. A town of Cilicia, mentioned only by Stephanus Byz. (,?. «.), who may possibly have been thinking of the Cilician Olbasa or Olbe. [L. S.] OLBIA. [Oliba.] OLBIA'NUS SINUS (^OXSiavbs kSXttos), only another name for the Sinus Astacenus, the town of Olbia being also called Astacus. (Scylax, p. 35 ; comp. Astacus, and Olbia, No. 1.) [L. S.]