CHAP. 23.—THE SPORADES.
The islands thus far are considered as belonging to the
Cyclades; the rest that follow are the Sporades[1]. These
are, Helene[2], Phacussa, Nicasia, Schinussa, Pholegandros,
and, at a distance of thirty-eight miles from Naxos, Icaros[3],
which has given its name to the surrounding sea, and is the
same number of miles in length[4], with two cities, and a
third now no longer in existence: this island used formerly
to be called Doliche, Macris, and Ichthyoëssa[5]. It is situate
fifty miles to the north-east of Delos, and thirty-five from the
island of Samos. Between Eubœa and Andros, there is an
arm of the sea ten miles in width, and from Icaros to
Geræstus is a distance of 112 1/2 miles.
After we pass these, no regular order can be well observed;
the rest must therefore be mentioned indiscriminately.
There is the island of Scyros[6], and that of los[7], eighteen miles
distant from Naxos, and deserving of all veneration for the
tomb there of Homer; it is twenty-five miles in length, and
was formerly known by the name of Phœnice; also Odia,
Oletandros, and Gyara[8], with a city of the same name, the
island being twelve miles in circumference, and distant from
Andros sixty-two. At a distance of eighty miles from
Gyara is Syrnos, then Cynæthus, Telos[9], noted for its
unguents, and by Callimachus called Agathussa, Donusa[10],
Patmos[11], thirty miles in circumference, the Corassiæ[12], Le-
binthus[13], Leros[14], Cinara[15]; Sicinus[16],
formerly called Œnoe[17];
Hieracia, also called Onus; Casos[18], likewise called Astrabe;
Cimolus[19], or Echinussa; and Melos[20], with a city of that name,
which island Aristides calls Memblis, Aristotle Zephyria, Callimachus Mimallis, Heraclides Siphis and Acytos. This last
is the most circular[21] in form of all these islands. After this
comes Machia, then Hypere, formerly Patage, or, as others
have it, Platage, but now called Amorgos[22], Polyægos[23],
Phyle, and Thera[24], known as Calliste when it first sprang
from the waves. From this, at a later period, the island of
Therasia[25] was torn away, and between the two afterwards
arose Automate, also called Hiera, and Thia, which in our
own times came into existence in the vicinity of these islands.
Ios is distant from Thera twenty-five miles.
Next to these follow Lea, Ascania[26], Anaphe[27], Hippuris,
and Astypalæa[28], a free state. This island is eighty-eight
miles in circumference, and 125 miles distant from Cadistus,
in Crete. From Astypalæa, Platea is distant sixty miles,
and Caminia thirty-eight from this last. We then come to
the islands of Azibintha, Lanise, Tragæa, Pharmacussa,
Techedia, Chalcia[29], Calymna[30], in which is the town of Coös,
Calymna, at a distance of twenty-five miles from which
is Carpathum[31], which has given its name to the Carpathian
Sea. The distance thence to Rhodes[32], in the direction of the
south-west wind, is fifty miles. From Carpathum to Casus
is seven miles, and from Casus to Sammonium, the promontory of Crete,
thirty[33]. In the Euripus of Eubœa, almost
at the very mouth of it, are the four islands called Petaliæ[34];
and, at its outlet, Atalante[35]. The Cyclades and the Sporades
are bounded on the east by the Asiatic shores of the Icarian
Sea, on the west by the Attic shores of the Myrtoan Sea,
on the north by the Ægean, and on the south by the Cretan
and Carpathian seas, extending 700 miles in length, and 200
in breadth.
The Gulf of Pagasa[36] has in front of it Euthia[37],
Cicynethus[38],
Scyros, previously mentioned[39], and the very furthermost
of the Cyclades and Sporades, Gerontia and Scandila[40]; the
Gulf of Thermæ[41], Iræsia, Solimnia, Eudemia, and Nea, which
last is sacred to Minerva. Athos has before it four islands;
Peparethus[42], formerly called Evœnus, with a city of that name,
at a distance from Athos of nine miles; Sciathus[43], at a
distance of fifteen, and Imbros[44], with a city of the same
name, at a distance of eighty-eight, miles. This last island
is distant from Mastusia, in the Chersonesus, twenty-five
miles; it is sixty-two[45] miles in circumference, and is washed
by the river Ilisus. At a distance of twenty-two miles from
it is Lemnos[46], being distant from Mount Athos eighty-
seven; it is 112 miles in circumference, and has the cities
of Hephæstia and Myrina[47]; into the market-place of which
last city Athos throws its shadow at the summer solstice.
The island of Thasos[48], constituting a free state, is six miles
distant from Lemnos; it formerly had the name of Aëria,
or Æthria. Abdera[49], on the mainland, is distant from
Thasos twenty-two miles, Athos sixty-two[50]. The island of
Samothrace[51], a free state, facing the river Hebrus, is the
same distance from Thasos, being also thirty-two[52] miles
from Imbros, twenty-two from Lemnos, and thirty-eight[53]
from the coast of Thrace; it is thirty-two miles in circumference,
and in it rises Mount Saoce[54], ten miles in height.
This island is the most inaccessible of them all. Callimachus
mentions it by its ancient name of Dardania.
Between the Chersonesus and Samothrace, at a distance
of about fifteen miles from them both, is the island of
Halonnesos[55], and beyond it Gethone, Lamponia, and
Alopeconnesus[56], not far from Cœlos, a port[57] of the
Chersonesus,
besides some others of no importance. The following names
may be also mentioned, as those of uninhabited islands in
this gulf, of which we have been enabled to discover the
names:—Desticos, Sarnos, Cyssiros, Charbrusa, Calathusa,
Scylla, Draconon, Arconnesus, Diethusa, Scapos, Capheris,
Mesate, Æantion, Pateronnesos, Pateria, Calate, Neriphus,
and Polendos[58].
1. So called from lying scattered at random as it were,
spora\s "scattered."
2. Helene is supposed to be the modern Pira; Phacussa, Fecussa;
Nicasia, Rachia; Schinussa, Schinusa; and Pholegandros, Policandro.
3. Now Nikaria, to the west of Samos. According to tradition, it
derived its name from Icarus, the son of Dædalus, who was believed to
have fallen into the sea in its vicinity.
4. Its length is not so great as is here mentioned by Pliny. Its towns
were Drepanum, or Dracanum, Œnoë, and Isti.
5. The first two names are from the Greek, in allusion to its long,
narrow shape, and the last bears reference to the fact of its shores
abounding in fish.
6. Now Scyro, east of Eubœa, and one of the Sporades. Here Achilles
was said to have been concealed by his mother Thetis, in woman's
attire.
7. Now Nio, one of the Sporades, inaccurately called by Stephanus one
of the Cyclades. The modern town is built on the site of the ancient
one, of which there are some remains. It was said that Homer died
here, on his voyage from Smyrna to Athens, and that his mother,
Clymene, was a native of this island. In 1773, Van Krienen, a Dutch
nobleman, asserted that he had discovered the tomb of Homer here, with
certain inscriptions relative to him; but they have been generally
regarded by the learned as forgeries. Odia and Oletandros seem not to
have been identified.
8. Now called Gioura, or Jura. It was little better than a barren rock,
though inhabited; but so notorious for its poverty, that its mice
were said to be able to gnaw through iron. It was used as a place
of banishment under the Roman emperors, whence the line of Juvenal,
i. 73—
"Aude aliquid brevibus Gyaris et carcere dignum."
"Dare some deed deserving of the little Gyara and the gaol." It is now
uninhabited, except by a few shepherds in the summer.
9. Now Telos, or Piskopi, a small island in the Carpathian Sea, and one
of the Sporades. It lies off the coast of Caria. Syrnos appears not to
have been identified.
10. Near Naxos. Virgil calls it 'viridis,' or 'green,' which
Servius explains by the colour of its marble. Like Gyara, it was used
as a place
of banishment under the Roman Empire. In C. 22, Pliny has mentioned
Cynæthus as one of the names of Delos.
11. Now Patmo, one of the Sporades, and west of the Promontory of
Posidium, in Caria. To this place St. John was banished, and here he
wrote the Apocalypse.
12. A group between Icaria and Samos. They are now called Phurni
and Krusi.
13. One of the Sporades, now Lebitha.
14. Now Lero. Its inhabitants were of Milesian origin, and of
indifferent character. In its temple of Artemis, the sisters of
Meleager were
said to have been changed into guinea-fowls. It was opposite the coast
of Caria.
15. Now Zinari, N.E. of Amorgos. The artichoke (called ki/nara in
Greek) is said to have given name to it.
16. Now Sikino; between Pholegandros and Ios.
17. So called, according to Stephanus, from its cultivation of the vine
and produce of wine, oi=/nos. It was situate between
Pholegandros and Ios.
It was said to have had the name of Sicinus from a son of Thoas and
Œnoë. Hieracia seems to be unknown.
18. Still known by that name, and lying between Carpathus and Crete.
The ruins of the ancient town of Casos are still to be seen at the village
of Polin. It is mentioned by Homer.
19. Now Kimoli, one of the Cyclades, between Siphnos and Melos. It
took its name of Echinussa from the 'Echinus,' or Sea-urchin, of which
various fossil specimens are still found on the coast; but nowhere else in
these islands, except the opposite coast of Melos. There are considerable
ruins of its ancient town.
20. Now Milo, the most westerly of the Cyclades. It is remarkable for
its extreme fertility. Its town, which, according to most authorities,
was called Byblis, was situate on the north of the island.
21. Ansart remarks, that our author is mistaken in this assertion, for
not only are many others of these islands more circular in form, but
even that of Kimolo, which stands next to it.
22. Now Amorgo, S.E. of Naxos. It was the birth-place of the Iambic
poet Simonides. It is noted for its fertility. Under the Roman
emperors, it was used as a place of banishment.
23. Now Polybos, or Antimelos, an uninhabited island near Melos.
Phyle seems not to have been identified.
24. Now Santorin, south of the island of Ios. The tradition was, that
it was formed from a clod of earth, thrown from the ship Argo. It is
evidently of volcanic origin, and is covered with pumice-stone. It was
colonized by Lacedæmonians and Minyans of Lemnos, under the Spartan
Theras, who gave his name to the island.
25. A small island to the west of Thera, still known by the same name.
26. In Lapie's map, Ascania is set down as the present Christiana.
27. Now Anaphe, Namfi, or Namphio, one of the Sporades. It was
celebrated for the temple of Apollo Ægletes, the foundation of which
was ascribed to the Argonauts, and of which considerable remains still
exist. It abounds in partridges, as it did also in ancient times.
28. Now Astropalea, or Stamphalia. By Strabo it is called one of the
Sporades, by Stephanus one of the Cyclades. It probably was favoured
by the Romans for the excellence and importance of its harbours. From
Hegesander we learn that it was famous for its hares, and Pliny tells us,
in B. viii. c. 59, that its mussels were (as they still are) very
celebrated.
29. None of these islands can be now identified, except perhaps Chalcia,
also mentioned by Strabo, and now known as Karki.
30. Now Kalymno, the principal island of the group, by Homer called
Calydne. According to most of the editions, Pliny mentions here
Calydna and Calymna, making this island, which had those two names, into
two islands. Although Pliny here mentions only the town of Coös, still,
in B. v. c. 36, he speaks of three others, Notium, Nisyrus, and
Mendeterus. There are still some remains of antiquity to be seen
here.
31. Or Carpathus, now Skarpanto. It gave name to the sea between
Crete and Rhodes.
32. It still preserves its ancient name, and presents some interesting
remains of antiquity.
33. Brotier says that the distance is really fifty-two miles.
34. So called from the town of Petalia, on the mainland. Ansart says
that their present name is Spili.
35. Now Talanti, giving name to the Channel of Talanti.
36. The present Gulf of Volo, mentioned in C. 15 of the present Book.
37. Ansart suggests that this may possibly be the small island now
called Agios Nicolaos.
38. Now Trikeri.
39. In the present Chapter.
40. Now Seangero, or Skantzoura, according to Ansart.
41. Now the Gulf of Saloniki, mentioned in C. 17. The islands here
mentioned have apparently not been identified.
42. Off the coast of Thessaly, now Piperi.
43. Now Skiathos. It was famous for its wine.
44. Now called Embro, or Imru. Both the island and city of Imbros
are mentioned by Homer.
45. This is double the actual circumference of the island.
46. Now called Stalimene.
47. Its site is now called Palæo Kastro. Hephæstia, or Vulcan's Town,
stood near the modern Rapanidi. That god was said to have fallen into
this island when thrown from heaven by Jupiter.
48. Now Thaso, or Tasso. Its gold mines were in early periods very
valuable.
49. Mentioned in C. 17 of this Book.
50. Ansart says that "forty-two" would be the correct reading here, that
being also the distance between Samothrace and Thasos.
51. Its modern name is Samothraki. It was the chief seat of the
mysterious worship of the Cabiri.
52. Only twelve, according to Ansart.
53. Barely eighteen, according to Brotier.
54. Now Monte Nettuno. Of course the height here mentioned by
Pliny is erroneous; but Homer says that from this mountain Troy
could be seen.
55. Now called Skopelo, if it is the same island which is mentioned
by Ptolemy under the name of Scopelus. It exports wine in large
quantities.
56. Or the Fox Island, so called from its first settlers having been
directed by an oracle to establish a colony where they should first meet a
fox with its cub. Like many others of the islands here mentioned, it
appears not to have been identified.
57. See C. 18 of this Book.
58. None of these islands appear to have been identified by modern
geographers.