Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/341

 B. xii. c. vin. $15. PHRYGIA. 333 cities are situated near the ridge, on the north side, Philome- lium, 1 on the south Antiocheia, surnamed Near Pisidia. 2 The former lies entirely in the plain, the other is on a hill, and occupied by a Roman colony. This was founded by the Magnetes, who live near the Mseander. The Romans liberated them from the dominion of the kings, when they delivered up the rest of Asia within the Taurue to Eumenes. In this place was established a priesthood of Men Arca3us, having attached to it a multitude of sacred attendants, and tracts of sacred territory. It was abolished after the death of Amyntas by those who were sent to settle the succession to his kingdom. Synnada is not a large city. In front of it is a plain planted with olives, about 60 stadia in extent. Beyond is Docimia, a village, and the quarry of the Synnadic marble. This is the name given to it by the Romans, but the people of the country call it Docimite and Docimasan. At first the quarry produced small masses, but at present, through the extravagance of the Romans, pillars are obtained, consisting of a single stone and of great size, approaching the alabastrite marble in variety of colours ; although the distant carriage of such heavy loads to the sea is difficult, yet both pillars and slabs of surprising magnitude and beauty are conveyed to Rome. 15. Apameia is a large mart of Asia, properly so called, and second in rank to Ephesus, for it is the common staple for merchandise brought from Italy and from Greece. It is built upon the mouth of the river Marsyas, which runs through the middle of it, and has its commencement above the city ; being carried down to the suburb with a strong and precipit- ous current, it enters the Ma^ander, 3 which receives also an- other river, the Orgas, and traverses a level tract with a gentle and unruffled stream. Here the Maeander becomes a large river, and flows for some time through Phrygia ; it then separates Caria and Lydia at the plain, as it is called, of the Mseander, running in a direction excessively tortuous, so that from the course of this river all windings are called Maeanders. Towards its termination it runs through the part of Caria occupied by the lonians ; the mouths by which it empties it- self are between Miletus and Priene. 4 It rises in a hill called Celrense, on which was a city of the same name. Antiochus 1 Ak Schehr. 2 lalobatsch. 3 Mender Tschai. 4 Samsun.