Strabo, Geography, Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator), 13.1.52

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Chapter

← Previous Next →

[52] Palescepsis is situated above Cebrene towards the most elevated part of Ida near Polichna. It had the name of Scepsis¹ either for some other reason or because it was within view of the places around, if we may be allowed to derive words then in use among Barbarians from the Greek language. Afterwards the inhabitants were transferred to the present Scepsis, 60 stadia lower down, by Scamandrius, the son of Hector, and by Ascanius, the son of Aeneas; these two families reigned, it is said, a long time at Scepsis. They changed the form of government to an oligarchy; afterwards the Milesians united with the Scepsians, and formed a democracy.² The descendants of these families had nevertheless the name of kings, and held certain dignities. Antigonus incorporated the Scepsians with the inhabitants of Alexandreia (Troas); Lysimachus dissolved this union, and they returned to their own country.

Geography. Strabo. Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator). London. 1854-1857.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Tufts University.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 13.1.52 focus

[52] ἔστι δʼ ἡ μὲν Παλαίσκηψις ἐπάνω Κεβρῆνος κατὰ τὸ μετεωρότατον τῆς Ἴδης ἐγγὺς Πολίχνας· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ τότε Σκῆψις, εἴτʼ ἄλλως εἴτʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ περίσκεπτον εἶναι τὸν τόπον, εἰ δεῖ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐν τῷ τότε ὀνόματα ταῖς Ἑλληνικαῖς ἐτυμολογεῖσθαι φωναῖς· ὕστερον δὲ κατωτέρω σταδίοις ἑξήκοντα εἰς τὴν νῦν Σκῆψιν μετῳκίσθησαν ὑπὸ Σκαμανδρίου τε τοῦ Ἕκτορος καὶ Ἀσκανίου τοῦ Αἰνείου παιδός· καὶ δύο γένη ταῦτα βασιλεῦσαι πολὺν χρόνον ἐν τῇ Σκήψει λέγεται· μετὰ ταῦτα δʼ εἰς ὀλιγαρχίαν μετέστησαν, εἶτα Μιλήσιοι συνεπολιτεύθησαν αὐτοῖς καὶ δημοκρατικῶς ᾤκουν· οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐκαλοῦντο βασιλεῖς, ἔχοντές τινας τιμάς· εἶτʼ εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν συνεπόλισε τοὺς Σκηψίους Ἀντίγονος, εἶτʼ ἀπέλυσε Λυσίμαχος, καὶ ἐπανῆλθον εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν.

Translations (1)

Geography (Books 6-14) Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).) — 13.1.52 focus

[52] Palaescepsis lies above Cebren near the highest part of Mt. Ida, near Polichna; and it was then called Scepsis (whether for another reason or from the fact that the place is visible all round, if it is right to derive from Greek words names then used by barbarians),¹ but later the inhabitants were removed sixty stadia² lower down to the present Scepsis by Scamandrius the son of Hector and Ascanius the son of Aeneias; and their two families are said to have held the kingship over Scepsis for a long time. After this they changed to an oligarchy, and then Milesians settled with them as fellow-citizens;³ and they began to live under a democracy. But the heirs of the royal family none the less continued to be called kings and retained certain prerogatives. Then the Scepsians were incorporated into Alexandreia by Antigonus; and then they were released by Lysimachus and went back to their home-land.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. From σκέπτομαι, (sceptomai,) I see to a distance, from which the compound πεοͅισκέπτομαι, (perisceptomai,) I see to a distance around. Strabo perceived the absurdity of such an etymology. Others derived the name of this place from σκήτομαι, I pretend, whence σκῆψις, (skepsis,) a pretext, because it was on this part of the chain of Ida that Rhea, on the birth of Jupiter, substituted for him a stone clothed as an infant, and presented it to be devoured by Saturn in place of her child. This etymology is conformable to analogy, although founded on a ridiculous fable.

2. B. xiii. c. i. § 6.

Strabo Geography 13.1.52

Hans Claude Hamilton (Translator), William Falconer (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

Notes on the current edition

Stable identifiers