Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/231

 B. xi. c. ii. $ 11. SEA OF AZOFF. 223 Phanagoria, a considerable city, Cepi, Hermonassa, and Apa- turum, the temple of Venus ( Apatura). Of these cities Phana- goria and Cepi are situated in the above-mentioned island on the left hand at the entrance of the lake ; the others are on the right hand in Sindica beyond the Hypanis. There is Gorgipia, 1 but the royal seat of the Sindi is in Sindica near the sea, and Aborace. All those who are subject to the princes of the Bosporus are called Bosporani. The capital of the European Bospo- rani is Panticapseum, and of the Asian Bosporani, the city of Phanagorium, 2 for this is the name given to it. Phanagoria seems to be the mart for those commodities which are brought down from the Maeotis, and from the barbarous coun- try lying above it ; and Panticapaeum, the mart for the com- modities which are transported thither from the sea. There is also in Phanagoria a magnificent temple of Venus Apa- tura, the Deceitful. This epithet of the goddess is derived from a fable, according to which the giants assaulted her in this place. Having obtained the assistance of Hercules she hid him in a cave, and then admitted the giants one by one into her presence, and delivered them over to Hercules, thus craftily 3 to be put to death. 11. The Sindi, Dandarii, Toreatae, Agri, Arrhechi, and besides these, the Tarpetes, Obidiaceni, Sittaceni, Dosci, and many others, belong to the Ma3ota3 ; to this people belong the Aspurgiani also, who live between Phanagoria and Gorgi- pia, at the distance of 500 stadia [from the Masotis ?]. Pole- mon, the king, entered the country of these people under a curate knowledge, both in ancient and modern times, of these unfre- quented parts, much must be left to conjecture. The positions therefore assigned to ancient cities are doubtful. The names indeed are inserted in Kiepert's maps, but without the assistance of recent travellers it would be hazardous to pretend to fix upon their exact sites. 1 tan ct teal TopyiTria. Some word or words appear to be wanting here. Kiepert assigns a place to this name, but it seems doubtful whe- ther a place or a district is to be understood. Below, 14, the Sindic harbour and city are mentioned, which may have been situated at Sound-jouk-kale. D' Anville places them here or at Anapa, but the contour of the coast in his map does not resemble that of any modern maps. - The modern town Phanagoria does not seem to occupy the site of the ancient city. 3