Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/674

 658 PONTIA. Vindelicia, on the road from Amber to Parthanum. (/«. Ant. p. 275 ; comp. iluchar, Noricum, i. p. 284.) [L. S.] PO NTIA or PO'NTIAE (nocTia : Po?iza), an island in the Tyrrhenian sea, situated off the coast of Italy, nearly ojiposile to the Circeian promontory. It is the most considerable of a group of three small islands, now collectively known as the Jsole di Ponza; the ancient names of which were, Pai.ma- EIA, now Palmai'uola, the most westerly of the three, I'ontia in the centre, and Sinonia (^Zannone) to the NE. (Plin. iii. 6. s. 12; Mel. ii. 7. § 18.) They are all of volcanic origin, like the Pithecusae (Aenaria and Proclyta), nearer the coast of Cam- pania, and the island of Pandataria (now called Vamhtena), about midway between the two groups. Strabi) places Pontia about 250 stadia from the mainland (v. p. 233), which is nearly about the truth, if reckoned (as he does) from the coast near Caieta; but the distance from the Circeian pro- montory does not exceed 16 geog. miles or 1 60 stadia. We have no account of Pontia previous to the settlement of a Roman colony there in B.C. 313, except tiiat it had been already inhabited by tl>e Volscians. (Liv. ix. 28 ; Diodor. xix. 101.) The colonisation of an island at this distance from the mainland offers a complete anomaly in the Eoman system of settlements, of which we liave no explana- tion; and this is the more remarkable, because it ■was not, like most of the maritime colonies, a " colo- nia maritima civium," but was a Colonia Latina. (Liv. xxvii. 10.) Its insular situation preserved it from the ravages of war, and hence it was one of the eighteen which during the most trying period of the Second Punic War displayed its zeal and fidelity to the Eoman senate, when twelve of the Latin colonies had set a contrary example. (Ibid.} Strabo speaks of it as in his time a well peopled island (v. p. 233). Under the Roman Empire it became, as well as the neighbouring Pandataria, a common place of confinement for state prisoners. Among others, it was here that Nero, the eldest son of Germanicus, was put to death by order of Tiberius. (Suet. Tib. 54, Cal. 15.) The island of Pvnza is about 5 miles long, but very narrow, and indented by irregular bays, so that in some places it is only a few hundred yards across. The two minor islands of the group, Palmariujla and Zannone, are at the present day uninhabited. Varro notices Palmaria and Pontia, as well as Pandataria, as frequented by great flocks of turtle doves and quails, which halted there on their annual migra- tions to and from the coast of Italy. (Varr. R. R. iii. 5. § 7.) [E. H. B.] PO'NTIAE {n6vTiai vriffoi, Scyl. p. 46), three islands off the coast of the Greater Syrtis. Pto- lemy (iv. 3. § 36 ; comp. Sladiasvi. §§ 72 — 75) calls these Jlisynus, Pontia, and Gaea. They may be identified with the reefs of Ghdra. (Beechey, Expedition to the N. Const of Africa, p. 238, App. p. X.; Smyth, Met/jterrawea7i, p. 455.) [E.B. J.] PONTI'NUS. [Argos, p. 201, a.] PONTUS (UovTos), a large country in the north- east of Asia Minor, which derived its name from its being on the co.-ist of the Pontus Euxinus, extending from the frontiers of Colchis in the east, to the river Halys in the west. In the earlier times the country does nut appear to have home any general appella- tion, but the various parts were designated by names derived from the different tribes by which they were inhabited. Xenophon (^Anab. v. 6. § 15) is the first PONTUS. ancient author who uses Pontus as the name of the country. Pontus formed a long and narrow tract of coast country from the river Phasis to the Halys, but in the western part it extended somewhat fur- ther south or inland. When its limits were finally fixed, it bordered in the west on Paphlagonia, where the Halys formed the boundary ; in the South on Galatia, Cappadocia, and Armenia Jlinor, the Anti- taurus and Mount Paryadres being the boundaries ; and in the east on Colchis and Armenia, from which it was separated by the river Phasis. Pontus thus embraced the modern pashaliks of Trebizond and Siivas. Although the country was surrounded by lofty mountains, which also sent their ramifications into Pontus itself, the plains on the coast, and espe- cially the western parts, were extremely fertile (Strab. xii. p. 548), and produced excellent fruit, such as cheiTies, apples, pears, various kinds of grain, olives, timber, aconite, &c. (Strab. xii. p. 545, &c. ; Theophrast. Hist. Plant, iv. 5, viii. 4, &c., ix. 16, xix. 17; Plin. xiv. 19.) The country abounded in game (Strab. xii. p. 548), and among the animals bees are especially mentioned, and honey and wax formed important articles of commerce. (Xenoph. Anab. iv. 8. §§ 16, 20 ; Dioscor. ii. 103 ; Plin. xxi. 45; Strab. iii. p. 163.) The mineral wealth of the country consisted chiefly in iron (Xenoph. Anab. v. 4. § 1; Strab. xii. p. 549; Steph. B. «. v. XdAu§ex; Pliny vii. 57) and salt. The chief mountains of Pontus are the Paryadres, and on the east of it the ScoEDiSES, two ranges of Antitaurus, which they connect with Mount Caucasus. The Paryadres sends two branches, Lithrus and Ophlimus, to the north, which form the eastern boundary of the plain of Phanaroea. Another mountain which terminates in a promontory 100 stadia to the west of Trapezus was called the Oros Hieron (Anonym. Peripl. p. 13 ; Apollon. Ehod. ii. 1015, with Schol.), and Teches is a mountain mentioned in the south-east of Trapezus. The promontories fonned by these moun- tains, if we proceed from west to east, are : the He- racleium, lasonium, and Zephyrium. These pro- jecting headlands form the bays of Amisus and Cotyora. The mountains in the south contain the sources of numerous streams and rivers, such as the Halys, Lycastus, Chadisius, Iris, Scylax, Lycus, Thermodon, Beris, Thoaris, Genius, Phigamus, Side- nus, Genethes, Melanthius, Pharmathenus, Hyssus, Ophis, Ascurus, Adienus, Zagatis, Piytanis, Pyxites, Archabis, Apsarus, Acampis, Bathys, Acinasis, Isis, Mogrus, and the Phasis. The only lake in Pontus noticed by the ancients is the Stiphane Palus, in the west, north of the river Scylax. Pontus was inhabited by a considerable number of different tribes, whose ethnological relations are either entirely unknown or extremely obscure. The most important among them, if we jiroceed from west to east, are : the Leucosyri, Tibareni, Chaly- BES, MosYNOECi, Heptacometae, Drilae, Be- CHiREs, Byzeres, Colchi, Maceones, Mares, Taociii, and Phasiani. Some of these tribes were wild and savage to the last degree, especially those of the interior; but on the coast Greek colonies con- tinued to be established ever since the middle of the 7th century b. c, and rose to great power and pros- perity, spreading Greek culture and civilisation around them. As to the history of the country, tradition stated- that it had been conquered by Ninus, the founder of the Assyrian empire (Diod. ii. 2) ; after the time of I Cyrus the Great it certainly was, at least nominally, J