Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/118

 103 ALEXANDREIA. inches. The shaft, capital, and pedestal are ap- parently of different ages; the latter are of very in- ferior workmanship to the shaft. The substnictions of the colomn are fragments of older monuments, and the name of Psammedchus with a few hieroglyphics is inscribed upon them. The origin of the name Pompey's PilUr is very doubtful. It has been derived firoin UoftvoMSj " con- ducting," since the column served for a land-mark. In the inscription copied by Sir Gardner Wilkinson and Mr. l^t, it is stated that " Publius, the Eparch of Egypt," erected it in honour of Diocletian. For Pnblius it has been proposed to read " Pompeius." The Pillar originally stood in the centre of a paved area beneath ^e level of the ground, like so many of the later Roman memcnial columns. The pave- ment, however, has long been broken up and carried away. If Arabian traditions may be trusted, this now solitary Pillar once stood in a Stoa with 400 others, and formed part of the peristyle of the an- cient Serapeion. Next in interest are the Catacombs or remains of tJie ancient Necropolis beyond the Western Gate. The approach to this cemetery was through vmeyards and gardens, which both Athenaens and Strabo cele- brate. The extent of the Catacombs is remarkable: they are cut partly in a ridge of sandy calcareous stone, and partly in the calcareous rock that faces the sea. They all communicate with the sea by narrow vaults, and the most spacious of them is about 3830 yds. SW. of Pompcy's PUlar. Their style of decoration is purely Greek, and in one of the chambers are a Doric entablature and mould- ings, which evince no decline in art at the period of their erection. Several tombs in that direction, at the water's edge, and some even below its level, are entitled " Boffni di Cleopatra" A more particular account of the Ruins of Alex- andreia will be found in Sir Gardner Wilkinson's Topography of Thebes^ p. 380, seq., and his Hand- Bookfor Traveilers inEgypty pp. 7 1 — 1 00, Murray, 1847. Besides the references already given for Alexandreia, its topography and history, the follow- ing writers may be consulted : — Strab. 'p. 79 1, seq. ; Ptol. iv. 5. § 9, vii. 5. §§ 13, 14, &c. &c; Died, xvii. 52; Pausan. v. 21, viii. 33; Arrian, Ej^. Akx, iii. 1. § 5, seq.; Q.Curtius, iv. 8. §2, x. 10. §20; Plut. Alex, 26; Mela, i. 9. §9; Plin. v. 10, 11; Amm. Marc. xxii. 16; It Anton, pp. 57, 70; Joseph. B. J. ii. 28 ; Polyb. xxxix. 14 ; Caesar, B. C. iiL 112.^1.'/ -* >^> ■'iJ29/'SrM''*^W, B. D.] ALEXANDREIA (ii 'AAc((£v8peia). Besides the celebrated Alexandreia mentioned above, there were several other towns of this name, founded by Alex- ander or his successors. 1. In ARACHoaiA, also called Alexandropolis, on the river Arachotus; its site is unknown. (Amm. Marc xxiii. 6.) 2. In Ariaka (ji 4tf 'Apiois^ or Alexandreia Arion as Pliny, vi. 17, names it), the chief city of the country, now Herat^ the capital of Khoraesany a town which has a considerable trade. The tradition is that Alexander the Great founded this Alexandreia, but like othere of the name it was probably only so called in honour of him. (Strab. pp. 514, 516, 723; Amm. Marc, xxiii. 6.) 3. In Bactbxana, a town in Bactriana, near Bactra (Steph. Byz.). 4. In Carmania, the capital of the country, now Kerman. (Amm. Marc xxiii. 6.) 5. Ad Issum (rj tcaf "Icffov. Alexandreumj ALEXANDREIA. Ishendenm), a town on the east side of the Gulf of Issns, and probably on or close to the site of the Myriandrus of Xenophon (^Anab. L 4), and Arrian (Anab. ii. 6). It se^ns probable that the place re- ceived a new name in honour of Alexander. Ste- phanus mentions both Myriandrus and Alexandrda of CiUcia, by which he means tliis place; but this does not prove that there were two towns in his time. Both Stephanus and Strabo (p. 676) place this Alex- andreia inCilida [Auakus]. A place called Jacob's Well, in the neighbouriiood of /«bsiMfenm, has been supposed to be the site of Myriandrus (^London Geog. Joum. vol. vii. p. 414); but no proof is given of this assertion. Iskenderun is about 6 miles SSW. of the Pylae Ciliciae direct distance. [Amanus.] The place is unhealthy in summer, uid oontamed only sixty or seventy mean houses when Niebuhr visited it; but in recent times it is said to have improved. (Niebuhr, ReitAetchre&nmg, voL iii. p* 19 ; London Geog. Joum, vol. x. p. 511.) i 6. OXIANA. [SOODIAIVA.] 7. In PaROPAMISUS. [PAROPAXiaADAK.] 8. Troas ('AAc((iy8pc(a ^ T/Mvas), sometimes called simply Alexandreia, and sometimes Troas( Acts Apost. xvL 8), now Esld Stambul or Old SUmbul, was situated on tlie coast of Troas, opposite to the south-eastern point of the island of Tenedos, and north of Assus. It was founded by Antigonos, one of the most able of Alexander's successora, under the name of Antigoneia Troas, and peopled with settlers from Scepsis and other neighbouring towns. It was improved by Lysimachus king of Thrace, and named Alexandreia Troas ; but both names, Antigoneia, and Alexandreia, appear on some coins. It was a fioa- riahing place under the Roman empire, and had re- ceived a Roman colony when Strabo wrote (p. 593), which was sent in the time of Augustas, as the name Col. Avo. Troas on a coin shows. In the time of Hadrian an aqueduct several miles in length was constructed, partly at the expense of Herodes Atticus, to bring water to the dty fixxn Ida. Many of the supports of the aqueduct still remain, but all the arches are broken. The ruins of this city cover a large surface. Chandler says that the walls, the laipst part of which remain, are several miles in circumference. The remains of the Thermae or baths are very considerable, and doubtless belong to the Roman period. There is little marble (m the site of the city, for the materials have been carried off to build houses and public edifices at Constanti- nople. The place is now nearly deserted. There is a story, perhaps not worth much, tiiat the dictator Caesar thought of transferring the seat of empire to tins Alexandreia or to Ilium (Suet. Caee. 79); and eame writera have conjectural that Au- gustus had a like design, as may be inferred from the words of Horace ( Carm. iii. 3. 37, &c.). It may be true that Constantine thought of Alexandreia (Zosim. ii. 30) for his new capital, but in the end he made a better selection. 9. Ulti&ia ('AAc^eUSpfia i^xdrri, or 'AXc^oy- SpcVxara, Appian, Sgr. 57), a dty founded among the Scythians, according to Appian. It was founded by Alexander upon the Jaxartes, which the Greeks called the Tanais, as a bulwark against the eastern barbarians The colonists were Hellenic mercenaries, Macedonians who were past service, and some of tho adjacent barbarians : tiie dty was 60 stadia in drcuit. (Arrian, Anab. iv. 1. 3; Curtius, viL 6.) There is no eidcncc to determine the exact site, which may be that of Kkodjend^ as some suppose. [G. L.j