Strabo, Geography, Horace Leonard Jones (Translator), 10.2.17

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[17] The poet also uses the name “Samos” for that Thrace which we now call Samothrace. And it is reasonable to suppose that he knows the Ionian Samos, for he also appears to know of the Ionian migration; otherwise he would not have differentiated between the places of the same name when referring to Samothrace, which he designates at one time by the epithet,

high on the topmost summit of woody Samos, the Thracian,

¹and at another time by connecting it with the islands near it,

unto Samos and Imbros and inhospitable² Lemnos.

³And again,

between Samos and rugged Imbros.

⁴He therefore knew the Ionian island, although he did not name it; in fact it was not called by the same name in earlier times, but Melampylus, then Anthemis, then Parthenia, from the River Parthenius, the name of which was changed to Imbrasus. Since, then, both Cephallenia and Samothrace were called Samos at the time of the Trojan War (for otherwise Hecabe would not be introduced as saying that he⁵ was for selling her children whom he might take captive “unto Samos and unto Imbros”), ⁶ and since the Ionian Samos had not yet been colonized, it plainly got its name from one of the islands which earlier bore the same name. Whence that other fact is also clear, that those writers contradict ancient history who say that colonists came from Samos after the Ionian migration and the arrival of Tembrion⁷ and named Samothrace Samos, since this story was fabricated by the Samians to enhance the glory of their island. Those writers are more plausible who say that the island came upon this name from the fact that lofty places are called “samoi,”⁸

for thence all Ida was plain to see, and plain to see were the city of Priam and the ships of the Achaeans

⁹ But some say that the island was called Samos after the Saïi, the Thracians who inhabited it in earlier times, who also held the adjacent mainland, whether these Saïi were the same people as the Sapaeï or Sinti (the poet calls them Sinties) or a different tribe. The Saïi are mentioned by Archilochus:

One of the Saïi robbed me of my shield, which, a blameless weapon, I left behind me beside a bush, against my will.

¹⁰

Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Geography (Books 6-14) (English) (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 10.2.17 focus

[17] καλεῖ δʼ ὁ ποιητὴς Σάμον καὶ τὴν Θρᾳκίαν, ἣν νῦν Σαμοθρᾴκην καλοῦμεν. τὴν δʼ Ἰωνικὴν οἶδε μέν, ὡς εἰκός· καὶ γὰρ τὴν Ἰωνικὴν ἀποικίαν εἰδέναι φαίνεται· οὐκ ἂν ἀντιδιέστειλε δὲ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν, περὶ τῆς Σαμοθρᾴκης λέγων, τοτὲ μὲν τῷ ἐπιθέτῳ

ὑψοῦ ἐπʼ ἀκροτάτης κορυφῆς Σάμου ὑληέσσης,

Θρηικίης

¹ τοτὲ δὲ τῇ συζυγίᾳ τῶν πλησίον νήσων

ἐς Σάμον ἔς τʼ Ἴμβρον καὶ Λῆμνον ἀμιχθαλόεσσαν

²καὶ πάλιν

μεσσηγύς τε Σάμοιο καὶ Ἴμβρου παιπαλοέσσης.

³ᾔδει μὲν οὖν, οὐκ ὠνόμακε δʼ αὐτήν· οὐδʼ ἐκαλεῖτο τῷ αὐτῷ ὀνόματι πρότερον, ἀλλὰ Μελάμφυλλος, εἶτʼ Ἀνθεμίς, εἶτα Παρθενία ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ Παρθενίου, ὃς Ἴμβρασος μετωνομάσθη. ἐπεὶ οὖν κατὰ τὰ Τρωικὰ Σάμος μὲν καὶ ἡ Κεφαλληνία ἐκαλεῖτο καὶ ἡ Σαμοθρᾴκη (οὐ γὰρ ἂν Ἑκάβη εἰσήγετο λέγουσα ὅτι τοὺς παῖδας αὐτῆς πέρνασχʼ ὅν κε λάβοι ἐς Σάμον ἔς τʼ Ἴμβρον), Ἰωνικὴ δʼ οὐκ ἀπῴκιστό πω, δῆλον ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων τινὸς τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν ἔσχεν· ἐξ ὧν κἀκεῖνο δῆλον, ὅτι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἱστορίαν ὃ λέγουσιν οἱ φήσαντες, μετὰ τὴν Ἰωνικὴν ἀποικίαν καὶ τὴν Τεμβρίωνος παρουσίαν ἀποίκους ἐλθεῖν ἐκ Σάμου καὶ ὀνομάσαι Σάμον τὴν Σαμοθρᾴκην, ὡς οἱ Σάμιοι τοῦτʼ ἐπλάσαντο δόξης χάριν. πιθανώτεροι δʼ εἰσὶν οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ Σάμους καλεῖσθαι τὰ ὕψη φήσαντες εὑρῆσθαι τοῦτο τοὔνομα τὴν νῆσον· ἐντεῦθεν γάρ

ἐφαίνετο πᾶσα μὲν Ἴδη, φαίνετο δὲ Πριάμοιο πόλις καὶ νῆες Ἀχαιῶν.

⁴τινὲς δὲ Σάμον καλεῖσθαί φασιν ἀπὸ Σαΐων, τῶν οἰκούντων Θρᾳκῶν πρότερον, οἳ καὶ τὴν ἤπειρον ἔσχον τὴν προσεχῆ, εἴτε οἱ αὐτοὶ τοῖς Σαπαίοις ὄντες ἢ τοῖς Σιντοῖς, οὓς Σίντιας καλεῖ ὁ ποιητής, εἴθʼ ἕτεροι. μέμνηται δὲ τῶν Σαΐων Ἀρχίλοχος

ἀσπίδα μὲν Σαΐων τὶς ἀνείλετο, τὴν παρὰ θάμνῳ

ἔντος ἀμώμητον κάλλιπον οὐκ ἐθέλων.

⁵

Translations (1)

Geography Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 1-3. Hamilton, Hans Claude, translator; Falconer, William, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854-1857.) — 10.2.17 focus

[17] The poet also gives the name of Samos to Thracia, which we now call Samothracé. He was probably acquainted with the Ionian island, for he seems to have been acquainted with the Ionian migration. He would not, otherwise, have made a distinction between islands of the same names, for in speaking of Samothrace, he makes the distinction sometimes by the epithet,

on high, upon the loftiest summit of the woody Samos, the Thracian,¹

Il. xiii. 12. sometimes by uniting it with the neighbouring islands,

to Samos, and Imbros, and inaccessible Lemnos;²

Il. xxiv. 753. and again,

between Samos and rocky Imbros.³

Il. xxiv. 78. He was therefore acquainted with the Ionian island, although he has not mentioned its name. Nor had it formerly always the same name, but was called Melamphylus, then Anthemis, then Parthenia, from the river Parthenius, the name of which was changed to Imbrasus. Since then both Cephallenia and Samothracé were called Samos⁴ at the time of the Trojan war, (for if it had not been so Hecuba would not have been introduced saying, that Achilles would sell any of her children that he could seize at Samos and Imbros,⁵) Ionian Samos was not yet colonized (by Ionians), which is evident from its having the same name from one of the islands earlier (called Samos), that had it before; whence this also is clear, that those persons contradict ancient history, who assert, that colonists came from Samos after the Ionian migration, and the arrival of Tembrion, and gave the name of Samos to Samothracé. The Samians invented this story out of vanity. Those are more entitled to credit, who say, that heights are called Sami,⁶ and that the island obtained its name from this circumstance, for from thence

was seen all Ida, the city of Priam, and the ships of the Greeks.⁷

Il. xiii. 13. But according to some writers, Samos had its name from the Saii, a Thracian tribe, who formerly inhabited it, and who occupied also the adjoining continent, whether they were the same people as the Sapae, or the Sinti, whom the poet calls Sinties, or a different nation. Archilochus mentions the Sail;

one of the Saii is exulting in the possession of an honourable shield, which I left against my will near a thicket.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. Hom. Il. 13.12

2. Or “smoky”; the meaning of the Greek word is doubtful.

3. Hom. Il. 24.753

4. Hom. Il. 24.78

5. Achilles.

6. Hom. Il. 24.752 .

7. See 14. 1. 3.

8. See 8. 3. 19.

9. Hom. Il. 13.13

10. Archil. Fr. 6 (51) (Bergk) Two more lines are preserved: “but I myself escaped the doom of death. Farewell to that shield! I shall get another one as good.”

Strabo Geography 10.2.17

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

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