Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/622

 606 PHOENICIA. that he makes the river Elcutherus the N. boun- dary, and does not mention Aradus, which lay a little to the N. of that stream. There can be no question, however, that Aradus belonged to Phoe- nicia. So, too, at the southern extremity, the town of Dora was unquestionably Phoenician, whilst Caesarea, the first town S. of the Chorseus, be- longed to Palestine. Phoenicia, as thus defined, lies between lat. 32° 38' and 34° 52' N., and long. 35—36° E. It forms a narrow slip of land about 120 miles in length, and seldom more, but frequently less, than 12 miles broad. The range of Libanus, which skirts the greater part of its eastern side, throws out spurs which form promontories on the coast, the most remarkable of which are Theu-prosopon (beov- ■irp6cru>vov) between the towns of Trieris and Botrys, and the Promontorium Album between Tyre and Ecdippa. Farther to the S. Mount Carmel fomis another bold promontory. The whole of Phoenicia presents a succession of hills and valleys, and is traversed by numerous small rivers which descend from the mountains and render it well watered and fruitful. The coast -line trends in a south-westerly direction; so that whilst its northern extremity lies nearly under long. 36°, its southern one is about under 35°. Aradus, its most northerly town, lies on an island of the same name, between 2 and 3 miles from the mainland, and nearly opposite to the southern extremity of Mount Bargylus. On the coast over against it lay Antaradus. From this point to Tripolis the coast forms an extensive bay, into which several rivers fill, the principal being the Eleutherus {Nukr-el-Kebir-), which flows through the valley between Mount Bargylus and Libanus. To the N. of the Eleutherus lie the towns of Simyra andMarathus; to the S. the principal town before arriving at Tripolis was Orthosia, close to the sea- shore. Tripolis stands on a promontory about half a mile broad, .and running a mile into the sea. It is washed by a little river now called El-Kadisha, " the holy." Tripolis derived its name from being the federal town of the three leading Phoenician cities. Tyre, Sidon, and Aradus, each of which had here its separate quarter. To the S. of Tripolis the country rises into chalk hills, which press so closely on the sea as to leave no room for cultivation, and scarcely even for a road, and which form the bold promontory already mentioned of Theuprosopon. Ras-es-Shekah.) The chief towns of this district are Calamos and Trieris. To the S. of Theu- prosopon the hills recede a little from the sea, but at a distance of between 20 and 30 miles form another lofty promontory called Climax (A'fw Walta SiUaii), from the circumstance that the steepness of the cliffs rendered it necessary to cut steps in them. Along this tract several rivers descend into the sea, the principsil of which is the Adonis {Xakr- el-Ihrahini). The chief towns are Botrys, 7 miles S. of Theuprosopon, and Byblus, a little S. of the Adonis. Palai-byblus Liy still further S., but its site is unknown. Aphaca, noted for its licentious wor- ship of Venus, was seated in the interior, at the source of the river Adonis in Libanus. The pro- montory of Climax formed the N. point of the bay, now called Kesruan, the S. extremity of which, at a distance of about 1 2 miles, is formed by the head- land Ras-en-Nahr-el-Kelh, on which the town of Berytus formerly stood. At about the middle of this bay the river Lycus (^Nahr-el-Kelh) discharges itselt into the sea through a narrow chasm the PHOENICIA. nearly perpendicular clitls of which are 200 feet in height. At the eastern extremity of the valley of the Lycus rises the Gebel-el-Sannin, the highest summit of Libanus. The southern side of this valley is enclosed by steep and almost inaccessible cliffs, up the face of which traces of a road are still visible, m.ade probably by the Egyptians during their wars in Palestine. A lower and broader road of more gradual ascent was constructed by the em- peror M. Aurelius. To the S. of this spot, the plain between Libanus and the sea at Berytus is of greater length than in any other p.art of Phoenicia. The land, which consists of gentle unduhations, is ver}' fertile, and produces orange and mulberry trees in abundance. This plain extends southwards as far as the river Tamyras, a distance of about 10 miles. Berytus (Beiroui) is washed by the river Magoras. From the headlaiid on which it stands — the most projecting point in Phoenicia — the coast again forms a long cuiTe down to Sidon. On this part of the coast stand the towns of Platanus and Porphyrium. A little to the N. of Platanus is the river Tamyras (Damour), already mentioned, and between Porphyrium and Sidon the river Bos- trenus {Auwaleh). To the S. of the Tamyras the country again becomes I'ugged and barren, and the hills press closely upon the sea. The narrow plain of the Bostrenus, however, about 2 miles broad, is of the highest fertility, and produces the finest fruits in Syria. Sidon stands on a small promontory about 2 miles S. of the Bostrenus. From Sidon a plain extends to a distance of about 8 miles S., as far as Sarepta, the Zarepthah of the Book of Kings (1 A't«r7s, xvii. 9), which stands on .an eminence near the sea. From Sarepta to Tyre is about 20 miles. Nine miles to the N. of Tyre the site of the ancient Ornithonopolis is supposed to be marked by a pLace called Adnon or Adloun. At this place the plain, which had expanded after passing Sarepta, again contracts to about 2 miles, and runs along the coast in gentle undulations to Tyre, where it expands to a width of .about 5 miles. The hills which bound it are, however, of no great height, and are cultivated to the summit. At about 5 miles N. of Tyre this plain is crossed by the river Kasiniieh, supposed to be the ancient Leontes, the most considerable of Phoenicia, and the only one which makes its way through the barrier of the mountains. It rises iu the valley of Bekaa, between Libanus and Anti- libanus, at a height of 4000 feet above the level of the sea. The upper part of its course, in which it is known by the name of El-Litani, is consequently precipitous and romantic, till it forces its way through the defiles at the southern extremity of Libanus. Sudden and violent gusts of wind frecjuently rush down its valley, rendering the navigation of this part of the coast veiy dangerous. From Tyre, the site of which will be found described under its proper head, the coast runs in a westerly direction for a distance of about 8 miles, to the Promontorium Album (^Ras-el-Ablad). before mentioned, — a bluff headband consisting of white perpendicular cliffs 300 feet high. The road from Tyre to its summit seems originally to have consisted of a series of steps, whence it was called Climax Tyriorum, or the Tyri.an staircase; but subsequently a road was laboriously cut through the rock, it is said, by Alexander the Great. From this promontory the coast proceeds in a straight and almost southerly direction to Ptolemais or Acco (^Acre), a distance of between 20 and 30 miles. About midway lay