Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/639

 PHRYGIA. Semitic races exercised the greatest influence upon the Phrygians ; for not only was their political im- portance weakened, but their national independence was lost, and their language and religion were so deeply affected that it is scarcely possible to sepa- rate the foreign elements from what is original and indigenous. In the north also the Phrygians were hard pressed, for the same Thracians who had driven them out of Europe, also invaded Asia; for although Homer does not distinctly mention Thra- cians in Asia, yet, in the historical ages, they occu- pied the whole coast from the Hellespont to Hera- cleia, under the names of Thyni, Bithyni, and Mari- andyni. (Comp. Herod, vii. 75.) The conflicts between the ancient Phrygians and the Thracians are alluded to in several legends. Thus king Midas killed himself when the Treres ravaged Asia Minor as far as Paphlagonia and Cilicia (Strab. i. p. 61) ; the Mariandyni are described as engaged in a war against the Mysians and Bebryces, in which Mygdon, the king of the latter, was slain. (Apollud. i. 9. § 23, ii. 5. § 9; Apollon. Ehod. ii. 752, 780, 786, with the Schol. ; Tzetz. Chil. iii. 808, &c.) The brief period during which the Phrygians are said to have exercised the supremacy at sea, which lasted for twenty-five, and, according to others, only five years, and which is assigned to the beginning of the ninth century b. c, is probably connected with that age in which the Phrygians were engaged in per- petual wars (Died. vii. 13; Syncell. p. 181); and it may have been about the same time that Phrygians from the Scamander and from Troy migrated to Sicily. (Paus. v. 25. § 6.) It was a salutary circumstance that the numerous Greek colonies on the coast of Asia Minor counter- acted the spreading influence of the Semitic race; but still the strength of the Phrygians was broken; they had withdrawn from all quarters to the cen- tral parts of the peninsula, and Croesus incorpo- rated them with his own empire. During the con- quests of Cyrus, Greater and Lesser Phrygia are already distinguished (Xenoph. Cyrop. i. 5. § 3, vi. 2. § 10, vii. 4. § 16, viii. 6. § 7), the former being governed by a satrap (ii. 1. § .5), and the latter, also called Phrygia on the Hellespont, by a king, (vii. 4. §8). After having thus isached the period of authentic Ijistory, we are enabled to turn our attention to the condition of the Phrygians, and the country which they ultimately inhabited. As to the name Phryges, of which Bryges, Briges, Breuci, Bebryces, and Be- recynthae are only different forms, we are informed by Hesychius («. v. Bpiyes) that in the language of the kindred Lydians (that is, Maeonians) it signified " freemen." The nation bearing this name appears throughout of a very peaceable disposition, and un- able to resist foreign impressions and influences. None of their many traditions and legends points to a warlike or heroic period in their history, but all have a somewhat mystic and fantastic character. The whole of their early history is connected with the names Midas and Gordius. After the conquest of their country by Persia, the Phiygians are gene- rally mentioned only with contempt, and the Phry- gian names Midas and Manes were given to slaves. (Cic. p. Flacc. 27; Curt. vi. 11; Strab. vii. p. 304.) But their civilisation increased in consequence of their peaceful disposition. Agriculture was their chief occupation; and whoever killed an ox or stole agri- cultural implements was put to death. (Nicol Damasc. p. 148, ed. Orelli.) Gordius, their king, is PHRYGIA. 623 said to have been called from the plough to the throne. (Arrian, Anab. ii. 3. § 1 ; Justin, xii. 7.) Pliny (vii. 6) calls the biga an invention of the Phrygians. Great care also was bestowed upon the cultivation of the vine ; and commerce flourished among them in the very earliest times, as we must infer from their well-built towns mentioned by Homer (//. iii. 400). The foundation of all their great towns, which were at the same time commercial emporia, belongs to the mythical ages, as, e. g., Pes- sinus, Gordium, Celaenae, and Apamea. The reli- gious ideas of the Phiygians are of great interest and importance, and appear to have exercised a greater influence upon the mythology of the Greeks than is commonly supposed, for many a mysterious tradition or legend current among the Greeks must be traced to Phrygia, apd can be explained only by a reference to that country. Truly Phrygian divini- ties were Cybele (Rhea or Agdistis), and Sabazius, the Phrygian name for Dionysus. (Strab. x. p. 470, &c.) With the worship of these deities were connected the celebrated orgiastic rites, accompanied by wild music and dances, which were subsequently introduced among the Greeks. Other less important divinities of Phrygian origin were Olympus, Hyag- nis, Lityerses, and Marsyas. It also deserves to be noticed that the Phiygians never took or exacted an oath. (Nicol. Damasc. p. 148.) But all that we hear of the religion of the Phrygians during the his- torical times appears to show that it was a mixture of their own original fonn of worship, with the less piu-e rites introduced by the Syro-Phoenician tribes. The once extensive territoiy inhabited by the Phrygians, had been limited, as was obsered above, at the time of the Persian dominion, to Lesser PiiKYGiA, on the Hellespont, and Greater Phry- gia. It is almost impossible accurately to define the boundaries of the former; according to Scylax (p. 35; comp. Pomp. Mela, i. 19) it extended along the coast of the Hellespont from the river Cius to Sestus; but it certainly embraced Troas likewise, for Pto- lemy marks the two countries as identical. To- wards the interior of the peninsula the boundaries are not known at all, but politically as a province it bordered in the east on Bithynia and Great Phrygia, and in the south on Lydia. Great Phrygia formed the central country of Asia Minor, extending from east to west about 40 geographical miles, and from south to north about 35. It was bounded in the north by Bithynia and Paphlagonia, and in the east by Cappadocia and Lycaonia, the river Halys forming the boundary. (Herod, v. 52.) The southern frontier towards Pisidia and Cilicia was formed by IMount Taurus ; in the west Mounts Tmolus and Messogis extend to the western ex- tremity of Mount Taurus ; but it is almost impossible to define the boundary line towards Mysia, Lydia, and Caria, the nationalities not being distinctly marked, and the Romans having intentionally obli- terated the ancient landmarks. (Strab. xii. p. 564, xiii. p. 629.) The most important part in the north of Phrygia was the fertile valley of the San- garius, where Phrygians lived in the time of Homer (//. iii. 187, xvi. 719), and where some of their most important cities were situated. Iconium, the easternmost city of Phrygi.i, was situated in a fertile district; but the country to the north-west of it, with the salt lake Tatta, was barren and cold, forming a high plateau, which was only fit for pasture, and suffered from frequent droughts. The southern portion of Phrygia, surrounded by Mount Taunas, a