Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/411

 B. xin. c. iv. 6. SARDES. 403 The Pactolus flows from the Tmolus. 1 It anciently brought down a large quantity of gold-dust, whence, it is said, the proverbial wealth of Croesus and his ancestors obtained re- nown. No gold-dust is found at present. The Pactolus de- scends into the Hermus, into which also the Hyllus, now called Phrygius, discharges itself. These three and other less con- siderable rivers unite in one stream, and, according to Hero- dotus, empty themselves into the sea at Phocsea. The Hermus takes its rise in Mysia, descending from the sacred mountain of Dindymene, after traversing the Catace- caumene, it enters the Sardian territory, and passes through the contiguous plains to the sea, as we have mentioned above. Below the city lie the plains of Sardes, of the Cyrus, of the Hermus, and of the Cayster, which are contiguous to one another and the most fertile anywhere to be found. At the distance of 40 stadia from the city is the lake Gygasa, as it is called by the poet. 2 Its name was afterwards altered to Coloe. Here was a temple of Artemis Coloene, held in the highest veneration. It is said that at the feasts celebrated here the baskets dance. 3 I know not why the cir- culation of such strange and absurd stories should be pre- ferred to truth. 6. The verses in Homer are to this effect, " Mestliles and Antiphus, sons of Talaemenes, born of the lake Gygasa, were the leaders of the Meones, who live below Tmolus." 4 Some persons add a fourth_yerse to these, "below snowy Tmolus, in the rich district of Hyda." But no Hyda 5 is to be found among the Lydians. Others make this the birth-place of Tychius, mentioned by the poet, "he was the best leather-cutter in Hyda." 6 They add that the place is woody, and frequently struck with lightning, and that here also were the dwellings of the Arimi ; for to this verse, " Among the Arimi, where they say is the bed of Typhoeus," 7 1 Bouz-'dagh. 2 IL iiL 865t 3 Some pretended miracle relating probably to the baskets carried by the virgins on their heads at festivals. 4 II. ii. 864. * B. ix. 6 II. vii. 221. 7 II. ii. 783. 2 D 2