Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/524

 4!)2 HISTORY OF GREECE. Syna. That it was near the north-eastern corner of the Gulf, may also be <!ollecte'l from Strabo, Avho reckons the shortest line across Asia Minor, as stretching from Sinope or Amisus to Issiis — and who also lays down the Egyptian sea as having its northern termination at hsus (Strabo, xiv. p. 677 ; xvi. p. 749). The probable site of Issus has been differently determined by different authors ; Rennell (Illus- trations of the Geography of the Anabasis, p. 42-48) places it near Oseler or Yuslcr; as far as I can judge, this seems too far distant from the head of the Gulf, 'x)wards the south. In respect to the maritime pass, called the Gates of Kilikia and Syria, there is much discrepancy between Xenophon and Arrian. It is evident that, in Xenophon's time, this pass and the road of march through it lay between the mountains and the sea, — and that the ob- structions (walls blocking up the passage), which he calls insurmount- able by force, were mainly of artificial creation. But when Alexander passed, no walls existed. The artificial obstructions had disappeared during the seventy yeai's between Xenophon and Alexander ; and we can assign a probable reason why. In Xenophon's time, Kilikia was occupied by the native prince Syennesis, who, though tributary, main- tained a certain degree of independence even in regard to the Great King, and therefore kept a wall guarded by his own soldiei-s on his boundary towards Syria. But in Alexander's time, Kilikia was occu- pied, like Syria, by a Persian satrap. Artificial boundary walls, be- tween two conterminous satrapies Under the same master, were unne- cessary ; and must even have been found inconvenient, during the great collective military operations of the Persian satraps against the revolted Evagoras of Cyprus (principally carried on from Kilikia as a base, about 380 b. c, Diodor. xv. '2) — as well as in the subsequent operations against the Phenician towns (Diodor. xvi. 42). Hence we may discern a reason Avhy all artificial obstructions may have been swept away before the time of Alexander ; leaving only the natural difficulties of the neighboring ground, upon which Xenophon has not touched. The spot still retained its old name — " The Gates of Kilikia and Sjn-ia " — even after walls and gates had been dispensed with. But that name, in Arrian's description, designates a difficult and narrow point of the road over hills and rods ; a point which IMajor Rennell (Illustrations, p. 54) supposes to have been about a mile south of the liver and walls described by Xenophon. However this may be, the precise spot designated by Xenophon seems probably to be sought about seven miles north of Scanderoon, near the ruins now known as Jon?s's Pillars (or Sakal Tutan), and the Castle of Merkes, Avhere a rivei called Merkes, Maliersy, or Kara-su, flows across from the moun- tain to the sea. That this river is the same with the Kei*sus of Xeno- l)hon, is the opinion of Rennell, Ainsworth, and Miitzel ; as well as of Colonel Callicr, who surveyed the country when accompanying the