Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/56

 DYSTUS. DTSTUS (Adrrot : Eth. Aiffrios : DAytto), a town in Enboca in the Ticinitj of Eretm, men- tioned by Tfaeopompns. It still bean the name of DhjfstOf which village is sitoated a little to the northward of Porto Bi^faJo, (Steph. B. t. v, ; Leake, Northern Cfreeoef toL iL pp. 486, 439^ (M^f* E. EBAL MONS (5pos rwtfctx), a mountain of PaleBtine, always associated in the sacred narratire with the neighbonring Gerizim, from which it is separated by a narrow valley, in which is sitnated the town of Nablotue [Kbafolis], the ancient Shechem; Ebal being on the north of the valley, Geriaim on the south, which may account for a phenomenon remarked by some travellers, and thus described by Manndrell (p. 61): — ''Tho' neither of the mountains has much to boast of as to their pleasantness, yet, as cue passes between them, Gerizam seems to discover a somewhat more verdant, fruitful aspect than Ebal The reason of which may be, becanse fronting towards the north, it is shel- tered from the heat of the sun by its own shade: whereas Ebal, looking sonthward, and receiving the son that comes directly upon it, must by conse> qnence be rendered more scorched and unfruitful." It was from Mount Ebal that Moses commanded the blessings to be pronounced by the children of Israel, as the curses were frtrni Mount Gerizim {DeuL XL 29); and upon this mountain, according to the Hebrew text of the Pentateuch, they were to set up plaistered stones inscribed with the Decalogue, and to erect an altar and ofier sacrifices {DaiL zzvii. 4, 5; oomp. Josh, vm. 30, 31). The remark- able variation of the Samaritan Pentateuch, which assigns Gerizim to this use, is a matter of history and philology, which cannot be here discussed. It is remarkable that the identity of the two momitains in the vicinity of Nabhute with the Ebal and Gerizim of Soripture was called in question by Eusebius and S. Jerome, who assign to these Scrip- ture names a position £. of Jericho and in the vicinity of Gilgal (Ononuut t. v. Gabal)^ in ac- cordance, as the latter thinks, with the sacred nar- rative {CommaU. m DeuL), Independently, how- ever, of the &ct that no mountains or hills are found in the Valley of the Jordan, between Jericho and the river, it may be observed that the objection to the received sites is based on a misunderstanding of the text ; and although the transition in the history (Joshn, viii. 30) from the valley of the Jordan to the heart of Mount Ephraim is sudden and abrupt, yet the histoiy of Jotham (Judges, ix.) unmis- takeably places Gerizim in the immediate vicinity of Sbeohem, of the identity of which with Nabhuse [Nbapous], there can be no doubt The questiim is fully discussed by Beland, with his usual learning and acumen. {DitterL MitctU, pars L p. 121, &C.) [G. W.] EBELLI'NUM. [Ilbroetbs] EBLAKA, in Ireland, mentioned by Ptolemy as lymg between the outlets of the rivers Bubinda (Boyne) and Oboca, « DMm. [R. G. L.] EBOKA ("Efovpa: Evoroy Ru.), an important /inland city of Lusitania, on the high road from AugnsU Emerita (Mtfda) to Olisipo (Zw6o»). It was a munidpium, with the old Latin franchise and the surname of LibenUitas Julia. (Jtm, AnL pp. 418, 426; Plin. iv. 2L s. 35; PtoL il 5. § 8; EBORAGUML 79T Coins ap. Florez, Med, voL L pp. 380, folL ; Mion- net, vol L pi 2, SuppL vol L p. 3; Sestiui, p. 6; Eckhel, vol. L p. 11 ; Inscr. ap. Gruter, p^ 225, No, 3, p. 489, No. 9.) AmoDg the fine ruins of the dty. the most remarkable are those of an aqueduct and a temple of Diana. (Florez, Esp, S, vol xiv. p. 100; Murphy, Travds in Portugal, p. 302).fT;P. S.] EBORACUM ('E^d^Hucoi'), the chief Boman town in Britain. The first author who mentions Eborar cum is Ptolemy (iL 3. § 16), with whom it is a dty of the Brigantes, and the station of the Sixth (the Victorious) Legion. It ib by no means certain, how- ever, that the words Asyiwf s vuc%^pios may not be the gloss of some later writer. That, place for place, the station of the legion was Eboracum, is shoTvn by the context of the notice. For Eboracum and Camunlodunum, the latitudes and longitudes are given, but not for the locality of the Sixth Legion; these being the same with the former of those two places: — Aeyimv s vuc9^6pios .... KaiUiV¥>J^owfO¥ - - <i|« 9. 1^. That Eboracum is Torh has never been doubted. The Anglo-Saxon Eoforwic, and the Norse Jordvik, connect the ancient and modem forms, name for name. Place for place, too, the frequent notices of Eboracum (generally written Ebioraciun) in the Notitia, give us similar evidence. Lastly, a smgle inscription, which will be noticed in the sequel, with the name kbvracvx, has been found withm the area oi the present dty. The early importance of English and Saxon York has drawn a considerable amount of attention to its history and antiquities ; nevertheless, the Roman remains found within its precincts are by no means of first-rate importance. They fidl short of, rather than exceed, the expectations suggested by the historical prominence of Uie town. On the other hand, they have engaged the attention of able local archaeologists. First comes the consideration of the actual site of the Roman town, as determined by its line of wall. Of this, satisfactory remains have been discovered, in the shape of foundations ; as have also Roman bricks, transferred to several more recent structun 8. Remains, too, of one of the gates have been found, — probably the Praetorian ; though of this the evidence is only drcumstantiaL It fronts the north, the part most exposed to hostile inroads. Its locality is that part of the modem dty wall which adjoins Bootham Bar. Here we find two walls extoxling from 20 to 30 feet inwards, parallel to each other, and at right angles with the rampart- wall, and near them some radely-sculptured grit- stones, which seem to have formed part of a pediment or fneze. On one is seen a quadriga; the carving being bat rade and indifferent, and there Ijeing no inscriptions to throw a light over its meaning. Foun- dations, too^ of mora than one mural tower can be traced. The remains which have been discovered form the walls of three sides of the andent Eboracum only. For the fourth, the traces have still to be detected. From what, however, has been found, Mr. Wdl- beloved considers that '* we an warranted in ood- duding that the Roman dty was of a rectangular fonn, of about 650 yards by 550, enclosed by a wall and rampart-mound of earth on the inner side of the wall, and perhaps a fosse without." This area is not only inconsiderable as compared with that of t> ■< i'jj..
 * ^6p(uco9 - - - If. rf. 7.