Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/719

RHAPTUM. RHEGIUM. 703 Rhapsian chiefs. From Rhapta they exported ivory (inferior to that of Adulis), tortoise-shell (the next best in quality to that of India), rhinoceros-horn, and nauplius (a shell probably used in dyeing). These commercial features are nearly repeated at the present day in this region. The African still builds and mans the ship; the Arab is the navigator and supercargo. The ivory is still of inferior qua- lity, being for the most part found in the woods, damaged by rain, or collected from animals drowned by tlie overflow of the rivers at the equinoxes. The liawksbill turtle is still captured in the neighbour- liood of the river Govind, and on the shore opposite the island of Pata. (See Vincent, Voyage of Nearckus, vol. ii. pp. 169 — 183; Cooley, Claudius Ptolemy and the Nile, pp. 68—72.) [W. B. D.]

RHAPTUM PROMONTORIUiM. [Rhapta.]

RHAPTUS FLUViUS. [Rhapta.]

RHASTIA ('PacTTia), a town in the country of the Trocmi in Galatia, in Asia Minor, which is noticed only by Ptolemy (v. 4. § 9). [L. S.]

EHATOSTATHYBIUS {'Voaoa-raeieios, Ptol. ii. 3. § 3), a river on the W. coast of Britannia Romana, according to Camden (p. 733) the Taf. [T.H.D.]

RHAUCUS ('Pawcos, Scyl. p. 19; Polyb. xxxi. 1. § 1, xxxiii. 15. § 1: Eth. 'VavKios, fern. 'Pav/cia, Steph. B. s. v.). From the story told about the Cretan bees by Antenor in his "Cretica " (ap. Aeliaii. N. A. xvii. 35; comp. Diodor. v. 70), it seems that there were two cities of this name in Crete. The existence of two places so called in the island might give rise to some such legend as that which he men- tions. Pashley (Crete, vol. i. p. 235) fixes the site of one Rhaucus at Hdghio Myro, between Cnossus and Gortyna, and froin its proximity to Sit. Ida infers that it is the more ancient. [E. B. J.]

COIN OF lUIAUCUS.

RHEBAS ('PTJgas), a veiy small river on the coast of Bithynia, the length of which amounts only to a few miles; it flows into the Euxine, near the entrance of the Bosporus, north-east of Chalcedon, and still bears the name of Riva. (Scvlax, p. 34 1 Dionys. Per. 794; Ptol. v. 1. § 5; An Ian, Peripl. P.P. p. 1.3; Marcian, p. 69; Phn. vi. 1; Steph. B. 8. V.) This little river, which is otherwise of no importance, owes its celebrity to the story of the Argonauts. (Orph. Arg. 711; Apollon. Rhod. ii. 650, 789.) It also bore the names of Rhesaeus ancl Rhesus (Plin. I. c; Solin. 43), the last of which seems to have arisen from a confusion with the Rhesus mentioned by Homer. PL S 1

RHE'DONES. [Redones.]

RHE'GIUM (: Eth., Rheginus: Reggio), an important city of Magna Graecia, situ- ated near the southern end of the Bruttian peninsula, oil the E. side of the Sicilian straits, and almost directly opposite to Messana in Sicily. The distance between the two cities, in a direct line, is only about 6 geog. miles, and the distance from Khegium to the nearest point of the island is somewhat less. There is no doubt that it was a Greek colony, and we have no account of any settlement previously existing on the site; but the spot is said to have been marked by the tomb of Jocastus, one of the sons of Aeolus. (Heraclid. PoUt. 25.) The foundation of Rhegium is universally ascribed to the Chalcidians, who had, in a year of famine, consecrated a tenth part of their citizens to Apollo: and these, under the direction of the oracle at Delphi, proceeded to Rhegium, whither they were also invited by their Chalcidic brethren, who were already established at Zancle on the oppo- site side of the strait. (Strab. vi. p. 257 ; Heraclid. I. c; Diod. xiv. 40; Time. vi. 4; Scymn. Ch. 311.) With these Chalcidians were also united a body of Mes^enian exiles, who had been driven from their country at the beginning of the First Messenian War, and had established themselves for a time at JIacistus. They were apparently not numerous, as Rhegium always continued to be considered a Chal- cidic city; but they comprised many of the chief families in the new colony; so that, according to Strabo, the presiding magistrates of the city were always taken from among these Messenian citizens, down to the time of Anaxilas, who himself belonged to this dominant caste. (Strab. vi. p. 257; Paus. iv. 23. § 6; Thuc. vi. 4; Heraclid. /. c. 1.) The date of the foundation of Rhegium is uncertain ; the state- ments just mentioned, which connect it with the First Messenian War would carry it back as far as the 8th century B.C.; but they leave the precise period uncertain. Pausanias considers it as founded after the end of the war, while Aiitiochus, vrho is cited by Strabo, seems to refer it to the beginning; but his expressions are not decisive, as we do not know how long the exiles may have remained at Macistus; and it is probable, on the whole, that we may consider it as taking place shortly after the close of the war, and therefore before 720 b. c. (Paus. /. c. ; Antioch. ap. Strab. I. c). In this case it was probably the tnost ancient of all the Greek colonies in this part of Italy. Various etymologies of the name of Rhegium are given by ancient authors; the one generally received, and adopted by Aeschylus (ap. Strab. I. c), was that which derived it from the bursting asunder of the coasts of Sicily and Italy, which was generally ascribed to an earthquake. (Diod. iv. 85; Justin, iv. 1, &c.) Others absurdly connected it with the Latin regium (Strab. I. c), while Heraclides gives a totally different story, which derived the name from that of au indigenous hero. (Heraclid. PoZ«7. 25.)

There seems no doubt that Rhegium rose rapidly to be a flourishing and prosperous city ; but we know almost nothing of its history previous to the time of Anaxilas. Tlie constitution, as we learn from He- raclides, was aristocratic, the management of affairs resting wholly with a council or body of 1000 of the principal and wealthiest citizens. After the legis- lation of Charondas at Catana, his laws were adopted by the Rhegians as well as by the other CLalcidic cities of Sicily. (Heraclid. i. c. ; Arist. Po/. ii. 12, v. 12.) The Rhegians are mentioned as affording shelter to the fugitive Phocaeans, who had been driven from Corsica, previous to the foundation of Velia. (Herod, i. 166, 167.) According to Strabo they extended their dominion over many of the adjoining towns, but these could only liave been small places, as we do not liear of any colonies of importance f(iunded by the Rhegians; and their territory extended only as far as the lialex on the E.,