Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/791

Rh I L I G I A sidered by ancient geographers as constituting the limit between the two different provinces of Cilicia. From that point the mountains begin to recede from the coast, and leave a narrow strip of alluvial plain between them and the sea, which, beyond Soli to the east, opens out into the broad level expanse that gave name to Cilicia Pedias. The whole of this extensive plain, spreading out in some parts to more than 30 miles in width, is composed of alluvial deposits brought down by the rivers that intersect it. It has consequently a soil of great natural fertility, and would be capable of the richest cultivation ; but it is for the most part a desolate uncultivated tract, in which the towns of Tarsus and Adana, with their surrounding gardens and fruit-trees, appear like oases in the midst of a desert. The surrounding plains are the abode in winter of numerous hordes of Turcomans and Kurds, who wander over them freely with their flocks and herds ; while in summer they are rendered pestilential by the noxious miasmata produced by the marshes formed by the rivers that flow through the n, so that at this season they are almost wholly uninhabited. The plains of eastern Cilicia are traversed by three con siderable rivers. Of these the C3 r dnus, which flows by Tarsus, though much the most celebrated in ancient times, is the least considerable. It is formed by the junction of three streams, all of which rise on the southern slope of the Bulghardagh, as the portion of Mount Taurus imme diately north of Tarsus is called ; and it has consequently but a short course from thence to the sea. But it is a deep and rapid stream, and was celebrated in antiquity for the coolness and clearness of its waters, a bath in which nearly cost Alexander the Great his life. The other two rivers, the Sarus and Pyramus, now known as the Sihun and Jihun, are much more important. Both of these take their rise in the upland plains of Cappadocia, beyond the range of Mount Taurus, through which they force their w T ay to the Cilician plains below. On arriving in these they spread out into stagnant pools and marshes, through which the main streams are continually changing their courses, and cutting out for themselves new channels. These changes have caused much confusion in reconciling the accounts given by ancient writers with the present geography of the country. It appears certain that in ancient times the Sarus joined the Pyramus near its mouth, and both together fell into the sea immediately to the west of the small rocky headland called Karatasch Burma, near the site of the ancient city of Mallus ; but at the present day the Sihun holds a separate course from Adana towards the south-west, flowing into the sea within a few miles of the mouth of the Cydnus, while the Jihun, as it approaches the sea, takes a sudden turn to the east, and flows into the Gulf of Scanderoou, between the site of Mallus and that of the ancient Agse, now known as Aias. Imperfectly as the plains of this part of Cilicia are cultivated, they produce cotton, wheat, barley, tobacco, and sesame in sufficient quantities to show of what they would be capable if properly drained and tilled ; while the gardens around the towns of Tarsus and Adana are planted with palms, orange-trees, figs, and other fruit trees, which flourish with the utmost luxuriance. The climate in summer is intensely hot ; and the plains at that season are burnt up and parched ; but the abundant means of irrigation at hand, if properly utilized, would effectually remedy that disadvantage. These extensive plains are frequented by numbers of gazelles and jerboas, as well as bustards, francolins, and other game. Buffaloes also abound in the marshy tracts near the sea. In the ranges of Mount Taurus leopards, for which the province was noted in the time of Cicero, are still found not unfrequently. Besides Tarsus and Adana, which retain their ancient names as well as sites, there were in ancient times several other important cities in the eastern portion of Cilicia. Among these Soli (afterwards called Pompeiopolis, from its having been repeopledand rebuilt byPompeythe Great) was situated at the western extremity of the great plain, a few miles west of Mersina, the modern port of Tarsus ; while Mallus occupied the promontory now called Karatasch Burun, at its eastern extremity. In the interior were Mopsuestia (now Missis) on the River Pyramus, and Anazarbus (still called Ain Zarba) higher up the valley of the same river, which, under the Roman and Byzantine empires, became one of the most flourishing cities of Cilicia. In modern times Adana, which is the capital of the pashalic or vilayet that comprises all Cilicia, is much the most important town in the province, and is estimated to contain 18,000 inhabitants, while Tarsus does not possess more than 7000 or 8000. Mersina, the port of Tarsus, though still but a small place, is gradually becoming the seat of a considerable trade, being the only outlet for the productions of the interior. Cilicia is bounded on the east (as already stated) by Mount Amanus, one of the most considerable of the branches or offshoots of Mount Taurus. But the range to which this name was given by ancient geographers is in fact a double one, which forks into two branches about midway between Marasch and the sea, and sends down two arms, the one in a south-west direction, ending in the Cilician plain before reaching the sea ; the other running nearly due south till it curves round the Gulf of Scanderoon, and ends in the lofty mountain promontory of Ras el Khanzin, the Rossicus Scopulus of Ptolemy. Between these two ranges lies the deep bay or inlet called in ancient times the Gulf of Issus, and now known as the Gulf of Scanderoon, from the seaport of that name ; this is above 50 miles long and about 20 miles wide at its entrance. On its shores were situated in ancient times the towns of AZgte (now Aias) on the western side, and Issus, Myriandrus, and Rhosus on the eastern ; but after the foundation of Alexandria on the same side of the gulf, these last towns sank into comparative insignificance. Alexandria still survives under the name of Alexandretta, or Iskenderun (commonly corrupted into Scanderoon) as it is called by the Turks, and is a place of considerable trade. Tke southern branch of Mount Amanus unquestionably constitutes the natural limit of Cilicia, and hence Strabo correctly assigns all the towns north of the promontory of Rhosus to Cilicia, and those on the other side of it to Pieria in Syria. But for political purposes the limit was fixed at a point some miles north of Alexandria, where there was a fortified pass called the Syrian Gates. The name of Pyke Syria? or Syrian Gates was also given, however, to the mountain pass across the range of Mount Amanus, now known as the Pass of Beilan, which has in all ages formed the direct route from Asia Minor into Syria. It was to its command of these passes, as well as that called the Cilician Gates on the north, leading directly across the chain of Mount Taurus, that Cilicia owed much of its importance in a military and political point of view. History. Though the boundaries of Cilicia, ad above defined, were generally recognized in ancient times, the people of that name appears to have been in early days much more widely spread, and occupied a considerable extent of country north of Mount Taurus, as well as in the mountain regions extending towards Armenia. Thus Herodotus extends the name of Cilicia to the Euphrates, and must have comprised a large portion of Cappadocia under that appellation. There can be no doubt that the Cilicians, as well as the Cappadocians, were of Semitic or Aramaic descent, and belonged to the same stock as the V 08