Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/82

 66 ISAURIA. moantainous, though the capital, Isanra, was in the south. Strabo, in a somewhat obscure pas- sage (xii. p. 568), seems to distinguish between 'laavpia, the northern part, and 'laavpiKri, the southern and less known part, which he regards as belonging to Lycaonia. Later writers, too, de- signate by the name Isauria only the northern part of the country, and take no notice of the south, which was to them almost a terra incognita. The inhabitants of that secluded mountainous region of Asia, the Isauri or Isaurica gens, appear to have been a kindred race of the Pisidians. Their prin- cipal means of living were derived from plunder and rapine; from their mountain fastnesses they used to descend into the plains, and to ravage and plunder wherever they could overcome the inhabitants of the valleys in Cilicia, Phrygia, and Pisidia. These marauding habits rendered the Isaurians, who also took part in the piracy of the Cilicians, so dangerous to the neighbouring countries that, in b, c. 78, the Komans sent against them an army under P. Servi- lius, who, after several dangerous campaigns, suc- ceeded in conquering most of their strongholds and reducing them to submission, in consequence of which he received the surname of Isauricus. (Strab. I.e.; Diod. Sic. xviii. 22 ; Zosim. v. 25; Mela, i. 2; Plin. V. 23; Eutrop. vi. 3; Liv. Epit. 93 ; Dion Cass. slv. 16; Flor. iii. 6; Ptol. v. 4. § 12; Oros. V. 23; Amm. Marc, xiv. 2, xxv. 9.) The Isaurians after this were quite distinct from the Lycaonians, for Cicero (acZ Att. v. 21; comp. ad Fain. xv. 2) distinguishes between the Forum Lycaonium and the Isauricum. But notwithstanding the severe measures of Servilius, who had destroyed their strongholds, and even their capital of Isaura, they subsequently continued to infest their neighbours, which induced the tetrarch Amyntas to attempt their extirpation; but he did not succeed, and lost his life in the attempt. Although the glorious vic- tory of Pompey over the pirates had put an end to such practices at sea, the Isaurians, who in the midst of the possessions of Rome maintained their independence, continued their predatory excursions, and defied the power of Rome ; and the Romans, un- able to protect their subjects against the bold moun- t;dneers in any other way, endeavoured to check them by surrounding their country with a ring of fortresses. (Treb. Poll. XXX. Tyr. 25.) In this, however, the Romans succeeded but imperfectly, for the Isaurians fre(iuently broke through the sur- rounding line of fortifications; and their successes emboldened them so much that, in the third century of our aera, they united themselves with their kins- men, the Cilicians, into one nation. From that time the inhabitants of the highlands of Cilicia also are comprised under the name of Isauri, and the two, united, undertook expeditions on a very large scale. The strongest and most flourishing cities ■were attacked and plundered by them, and they re- mained the terror of the surrounding nations. In the third century, Trebellianus, a chief of the Cilician Isaurians, even assumed the title and dignity of Roman emperor. The Romans, indeed, conquered and put him to death; but were unable to reduce the Isaurians. The emperor Probus, for a time, succeeded in reducing them to submission; but they soon shook off the yoke. (Vopisc. Proh. 1 6 ; Zosim. i. 69, 70.) To the Greek emperors they were par- ticularly formidable, for whole armies are said to have been cut to pieces and destroj-ed by them. (Suid. s. V. Bpvxi-os and 'HpdKeios ; Philostorg. ISC A. Ilist. Eccles. xi. 8.) Once the Isaurians even had the honour of giving an emperor to the East in the person of Zeno, surnamed the Isaurian; but they were subsequently much reduced by the emperor Anastasius, so that in the time of Justinian they had ceased to be formidable. (Comp. Gibbon, Hist, of the Decline, (j-c, chap, xl.) The Isaurians are de- scribed as an ugly race, of low stature, and badly anned; in the open field they were bad soldiers, but as hardened mountaineers they were irresistible in what is called guerilla waifare. Their country, though for the most part consisting of rugged moun- tains, was not altogether barren, and the vine was cultivated to a considerable extent. (Amm. JIarc. xiv. 8.) Traditions originating in the favourite pur- suits of the ancient Isaurians are still current among the present inhabitants of the country, and an inte- resting specimen is related in Hamilton's Researches, vol. ii. p. 331. [L. S.] ISC A, the name of two towns in Britain. The criticism of certain difficulties connected with their identification is given under Muriduxum. Here it is assumed that one is Exeter, the other Caerkon- on-Ush. 1. IscA = £'x-eter, mentioned by Ptolemy (ii. 3. § 30). In the 12th and 15th Itineraries this appears as Isca Dumnoniorum, 15 miles from Muridunum. The word Dumnoniorum shows that Devonshire is the county in which it is to be sought. Name for name, jFxeter suggests itself. Nevertheless, Horslcy gives Uxela as the Roman name for Exeter, and placed Isca D. at Chiselhoro After remarking on Isaca, that " it is universally supposed to be the river Exe in Devonshire," and that " Isacae ostia must, theiefore, be Exmouth" he adds, " Isca Dumnonio- rum has been universally taken for Exeter ; I have placed it near Chiselboro' and South Petherton, near the borders of Somersetshire" (p. 371). His ob- jections (p. 462) he in the diflaculty of fixing JIu- ridunum {q. v.) ; but, beyond this, he considers himself free to claim Uxela {q. r.) as Exeter. For considering Isca Dumnoniorum to be Exeter, he sees no better reason than " general opinion and some seeming affinity of names." Yet the " affinity of names " lias been laid great stress on in the case of Isacae ostia. The Isca of Ptolemy must be about 20 or 30 miles north-east of the mouth of the Exe, " on which river Exeter stands. This reaches to the Ax.^' Hence he suggests Ilchester as Isca Dumn. ; but, as he admits that that town has a claim to be considered Ischalis {jq. v.), he also admits that some of the localities about Eampden Hill (where there are the remains of a Roman camp), South Petherton (where Roman coins have been found), and Chiselboro' (not far from the Axe^. have better claims. Hence, in his map, Jxe]a. = Exeter, and Isca D. = Chiselboro'. Assuming that some, if not all, these difficulties are explained under Uxela and JIukidunum, the positive evidence in favour of Exeter is something more than mere opinion and similarity of name. (1) The form Isca is nearer to Ex than Ax, and that Isaca = JE'j-e is admitted. The Ux- in Ux-ea, may better = ^a;. (2) There is no doubt as to the other Isca = Caerleon-on- Usk. Now, Roger Hoveden, who wrote whilst the Cornish was a spoken language, states that the name of Exeter was the same as that of Caerleon, in British, i. e. Caerwisc = civitas aquae. (3) The statement of Horsley, that " he could never hear of any military way leading to or from " Exeter, misleads. In Polwhele (p. 182) we have a