Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/325

 B. xii. c. iv. 6, 7. BITHYNIA. 317 " Palmys, Ascanius, and Morys, sons of Hippotion, the leader of the Mysi, fighting in close combat, who came from the fertile soil of Ascania, as auxiliaries." 1 It is not then surprising that he should speak of an Asca- nius, a leader of the Phrygians, who came from Ascania, and of an Ascanius, a leader of the Mysians, coming also from Ascania, for there is much repetition of names derived from rivers, lakes, and places. 6. The poet himself assigns the JEsepus as the boundary of the Mysians, for after having described the country above Ilium, and lying along the foot of the mountains subject to ^Eneas, and which he calls Dardania, he places next towards the north Lycia, which was subject to Pandarus, and where Zeleia 2 was situated ; he says, " They who inhabited Zeleia, at the very foot of Ida, Aphneii Trojans, who drink of the dark stream of ^Esepus ; " 3 below Zeleia, towards the sea, on this side of -<Esepus, lies the plain of Adrasteia, and Tereia, Pitya, and in general the pre- sent district of Cyzicene near Priapus, 4 which he afterwards describes. He then returns again to the parts towards the east, and to those lying above, by which he shows that he con- sidered the country as far as the -ZEsepus the northern and eastern boundary of the Troad. Next to the Troad are My- sia and Olympus. 5 Ancient tradition then suggests some such disposition of these nations. But the present changes have produced many differences in consequence of the con- tinual succession of governors of the country, who confound- ed together people and districts, and separated others. The Phrygians and Mysians were masters of the country after the capture of Troy ; afterwards the Lydians ; then the ^Eolians and lonians ; next, the Persians and Macedonians ; lastly, the Romans, under whose government most of the tribes have lost even their languages and names, in consequence of a new partition of the country having been made. It will be proper to take this into consideration when we describe its present state, at the same time showing a due regard to antiquity. 7. In the inland parts of Bithynia is Bithynium, 6 situated above Tieium, 7 and to which belongs the country about Salon, 1 II. xiii. 792. 2 Sarakoi. 3 II. ii. 824. 4 Karabogha. 5 Keschisch-Dagh. 6 Claudiopolis, now Boli. 7 Tilijos.