Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/467

 Chap. 17.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 43S chies^ lie between and around these cities, equal, each of them, to a kingdom, and occupying the same rank as so many kingdoms. Their names are, Trachonitis'-, Panias^j in wuich is Caesarea, with the spriug previously mentioned*, Abila", Arca^, Ampeloessa^, and Gabe,*^. CHAP. 17. (19.) PH(ENICE. "We must now return to the coast and to Phoenice. There was formerly a town here known as Crocodilon ; there is still a river ^ of that name : Dorum '" and Sycaminon^' are the names by princes who were vassals to the Roman emperors, or the kings of Syria. 2 Containing the northern district of Palestine, beyond the Jordan, between Antilibanus and the mountains of Arabia. It was bounded on the north by the territory of Damascus, on the east by Auranitis, on the south by Ituraea, and on the west by Gaulanitis. It was so called from its ranges of rocky mountains, or rpax^j^es, the caves in which gave refuge to numerous bands of robbers. 2 So called from the momitain of that name. Csesarea PhiUppi also bore the name of Panias. It was situate at the south of Momit Hermon, on the Jordan, just below its source. It was built by Phihp the Tetrarch, B.C. 3. King Agrippa called it Neronias ; but it soon lost that name. ^ In C. xiv. of the present Book, as that in which the Jordan takes its rise. * A place of great strength in Coele-Syria, now known as Nebi Abel, situate between Heliopolis and Damascus. ^ Situate between Tripolis and Antaradus, at the north-west foot of Mount Libanus. It lay within a short distance of the sea, and was famous for the worship paid by its inhabitants to Astai'te, the Syrian Aphrodite. A temple was erected here to Alexander the Great, in which Alexander Severus, the Roman Emperor, was born. Ids parents having resorted thither to celebrate a festival, a.d. 205. From this eir- camstance, its name was changed to Cajsarea. Burckhardt fixes its site at a liill called Tel-Arka. ^ Of this place, which probably took its name from its numerous vines, notliing wliatever is known. ^ Called by Phny, in B. xii. c. 41, Gabba. It was situate at the foot of Mount Carmel between CsEsarea and Ptolemais, sixteen miles li-om the former. No remains of it are to be seen. It must not bo eon- founrled with Gabala, in Galilee, fortified by Herod the Great. " The towTi was situate between Csesarea and Ptolemais. The river has been identified with the modem Nalu-el-Zerka, in which, according to Pococke, crocodiles have been found. ^•^ Called Dor, before the conquest of Canaan by the IsracUt<^s. See Jophua xvii. 11, and Judges i. 27. It afterwards belonged to the half- tribe of Manasseh. Its site is now called TDrtura. '^ Its site is now called Atlik, according to D'Anville. Parisot suggestB VOL. I. 2 F
 * So called from having been originally groups of four principalities, held