Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/365

 B. xni. c. i. 2830. THE TROAD. 357 ancestors, a descendant of JEneas. He therefore assigned to them a district, and guaranteed their liberty with exemption from imposts, and they continue at present to enjoy these ad- vantages. They maintain by this evidence that the ancient Ilium, even by Homer's account, was not situated there. I must however first describe the places which commence from the sea-coast, where I made the digression. 28. Next to Abydos is the promontory Dardanis, 1 which we mentioned a little before, and the city Dardanus, distant 70 stadia from Abydos. Between them the river Rhodius discharges itself, opposite to which on the Cherronesus is the Cynos-sema, 2 which is said to be the sepulchre of Hecuba. According to others, the Rhodius empties itself into the -ZEsepus. It is one of the rivers mentioned by the poet, " Rhesus, and Heptaporus, Caresus, and Rhodius." 3 Dardanus is an ancient settlement, but so slightly thought of, that some kings transferred its inhabitants to Abydos, others re-settled them in the ancient dwelling-place. Here Cornelius Sylla, the Roman general, and Mithridates, sur- named Eupator, conferred together, and terminated the war by a treaty. 29. Near Dardanus is Ophrynium, on which is the grove dedicated to Hector in a conspicuous situation, and next is Pteleos, a lake. 30. Then follows Rhreteium, a city on a hill, and continuous to it is a shore on a level with the sea, on which is situated a monument and temple of Ajax, and a statue. Antony took away the latter and carried it to JEgypt, but Augustus Csesar restored it to the inhabitants of Rhceteium, as he restored other 1 Called above, $ 22, Cape Dardanium (Cape Barber). Pliny gives the name Dardanium to the town which Herodotus and Strabo call Darda- nus, and places it at an equal distance from Rhoeteium and Abydos. The modern name Dardanelles is derived from it. 2 The name was given, it is said, in consequence of the imprecations of Hecuba on her captors. Others say that Hecuba was transformed into a bitch. The tomb occupied the site of the present castle in Europe called by the Turks Kilid-bahr. s Pliny states that in his time there were no traces of the Rhodius, nor of the other rivers mentioned by Strabo in following Homer. According to others, the Rhodius is the torrent which passes by the castle of the Dardanelles in Asia, called by the Turks Sultan-kalessi, and therefore cannot unite with the ^Esepus.