Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/471

 Chap. 18.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, ETC. 437 are, Cariie Balanea^, Paltos', and Gabale^ ; then the pro- montory upon which is situate the free town of Laodicea* ; and then Diospolis^ Heraclea^, Charadrus^, and Posidium®. (21.) AVe then come to the Promontory of Syria Antio- chia. In the interior is the free city of Antiochia'" itself, surnamed Epidaphnes", and divided by the river Orontes'^. ^ Also called Antarados, as lying nearly opposite to the city of Arados. According to Strabo, the port of Antarados was called Came, or Camos. In the time of the Crusades, it was known under the name of Tortosa. Its present name is Tartus. ' Now Banias. It was situate twenty-four miles north of Antarados. Its name is supposed to have originated in the baths in its vicinity. The site is deserted ; but a few ruins of the ancient town are still to be seen. 3 Eight miles from Balanea. Its ruins are known by the name of Boldo. Laodicea, or Latakia. The sun was probably worshipped here, and hence the Emperor Heliogabalus derived his name. noted for the excellence of its tobacco, which has an European reputation. It was built by Seleucus I., on the site of an earlier city, called Kamitha. It was afterwards greatly favoured by Juhus Casar. Herod the Great built an aqueduct liere, the ruins of which are still in existence. It is now a poor Turkish village ; but there are considerable remains of the ancient city to be seen in its vicinity. tribe of Benjamin, which of course would be veiy much to the south, and quite out of the order in which he is proceeding. If that is not the place meant, this Diospolis is utterly unknown. 7 At some miles' distance to the north of Laodicea. Pococke found some traces of its site at a spot called Minta Baurdeleh, or the Bay of the Tower. being in Syria which in reahty was inCilicia, between Plat anus andCragus. The name imphes its situation near a mountain torrent. 9 On a small bay, some miles north of lieraclea. ^^ Or Antioch, the capital of the Greek kings of Syria, and the most famous of the sixteen cities built by Seleucus Nicator, and called after the name of his father, (or son, a;* some say,) Antioclius. It was built on the Orontes, and formed one of the most beautiliil and ])liasant cities of the ancient world. The modern Antakieh is a ])oor town, built on the north-western part of the site of the ancient city, by the river. The walls, built by Justinian, may stUl be traced for a circuit of four mUcs. Here the followers of our Savioiu* first obtained the name of "Christians." ^' That is, " Near Daphne," there being a celibrated grove of that name, consecrated to Apollo, in its immediate vicinity. ^2 Now called the Nahr-cl-Asy.
 * Its site is now known as Djebeleh, a small village m the vicinity of
 * About fifty miles south of Antioch, now called Ladikiyeh, or Latakia,
 * It has been suggested, that Phny means the city of Lydda, in the
 * Phny is in error here most probably, and is sjieaking of a place aa