Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/371

 B. xin. c. i. $ 36. THE TROAD. 363 bra, 1 is near, and the river Thymbrius, which runs through it, discharges itself into the Scamander, near the temple of Apollo Thymbraeus, but is distant 50 stadia from the present Ilium. The Erineos, 2 a rugged spot abounding with wild fig-trees, lies below the ancient city, so that Andromache might say in conformity with such a situation, " but place your bands near Erineos, where the city is most accessible to the enemy, and where they can mount the wall," 3 but it is very far distant from the present city. The beech- tree was a little lower than the' Erineos ; of the former Achil- les says, " When I fought with the Achaeans Hector was not disposed to urge the fight away from the wall, but advanced only as far as the Scseari gates, and the beech-tree." 4 36. Besides, the Naustathmus. which retains its name at present, is so near the present city that any person may justly be surprised at the imprudence of the Greeks, and the want of spirit in the Trojans ; imprudence on the part of the Greeks, that they should have left the place for so long a time unforti- fied with a wall, in the neighbourhood of so large a city, and so great a body of men, both inhabitants and auxiliaries ; for the wall, Homer says, was constructed at a late period ; or per- haps no wall was built and the erection and destruction of it, as Aristotle says, are due to the invention of the poet ; a want of spirit on the part of the Trojans, who, after the wall was built, attacked that, and the Naustathmus, and the vessels themselves, but had not the courage before there was a wall to approach and besiege this station, although the distance was not great, for the Naustathmus is near Sigeium. The Sca- mander discharges itelf near this place at the distance of 20 stadia from Ilium. 5 If any one shall say that the Naustath- mus is the present harbour of the Achaeans, he must mean a place still nearer, distant about twelve stadia from the sea, 1 Tumbrek. 2 Erineos, a wild fig-tree. Homer, it is to be observed, speaks of a single wild fig-tree, whereas Strabo describes a spot planted with them. This place, or a place near the ancient Ilium, is called by the Turks, ac- cording to M. Choiseul-Gouffier, Indgirdagh i. e. the mountain of fig- trees, although none were to be found there whether cultivated or wild. 3 II. vi. 433. * II. ix. 352. 5 1628 toises. The alluvial deposit has now extended the mouth of the Mendere 3400 toises from the ruins where the measurement indicated the position of New Ilium. Gossellin.