Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/177

 B. x. c. ii. 18, 19. ZACYNTHUS. ECHINADES. 169 called Sami, 1 and that the island obtained its name from this circumstance, for from thence " was seen all Ida, the city of Priam, and the ships of the Greeks." 2 But according to some writers, Samos had its name from the Saii, a Thracian tribe, who formerly inhabited it, and who oc- cupied also the adjoining continent, whether they were the same people as the Sapae, or the Sinti, whom the poet calls Sinties, or a different nation. Archilochus mentions the Saii ; "one of the Saii is exulting in the possession of an honourable shield, which I left against my will near a thicket." 18. Of the islands subject to Ulysses there remains to be described Zacynthus. 3 It verges a little more than Cephal- lenia to the west of Peloponnesus, but approaches closer to it. It is 160 stadia in circumference, and distant from Cephallenia about 60 stadia. It is woody, but fertile, and has a consider- able city of the same name. Thence to the Hesperides be- longing to Africa are 3300 4 stadia. 19. To the east of this island, and of Cephallenia, are situ- ated the Echinades 5 islands; among which is Dulichium, at present called Dolicha, and the islands called Oxeice, to which the poet gives the name of Thoas. 6 Dolicha is situated opposite to the CEniadse, and the mouth of the Achelous : it is distant from Araxus, 7 the promontory of Elis, 100 stadia. The rest of the Echinades are numerous, they are all barren and rocky, and lie in front of the mouth of the Achelous, the most remote of them at the distance of 15, the nearest at the distance of 5 stadia; they formerly were farther out at sea, but the accumulation of earth, which is brought down in great quantity by the Achelous, has al- ready joined some, and will join others, to the continent. This accumulation of soil anciently formed the tract Paracheloitis, which the river overflows, a subject of contention, as it was continually confounding boundaries, which had been de- termined by the Acarnanians and the -ZEtolians. For want of arbitrators they decided their dispute by arms. The most 2 II. xiii. 13. 3 Zante. 4 3600 stadia ? see b. xvii. c. iii. 20. 5 Curzolari, Oxia, Petala, &c. 6 CM. xv. 293. 7 C. Papa.