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AFRICA.

ÆGYPTUS.

In the N.E. of Egyptus Superior

Egyptus (Mizraim) was situated? Africa. And anciently divided into? (Pathros) or Upper Egypt, and Ægyptus Inferior (Caphtor) or Lower Egypt. Ægyptus Superior extended from? Syene, on the frontiers of Ethiopia, to the Delta. And was divided into? Thebais (Upper Egypt or Saïde), so called from its capital Theba (No.—Diospolis and Hecatompylos); and Heptanomis (Middle Egypt), so called from the seven nomes or prefectures into which it was divided. Of this district the capital was? Memphis (Noph). In the neighbourhood of which were? The Pyramids (opposite Cairo, the modern capital of Egypt). Ægyptus Inferior comprehended? The Delta, and the country on both sides of it, extending alongst the shores of the Mediterranean, east and west; from Rhinocolūra (El Arish), to the borders of Libya. The capital of Lower Egypt was ? Alexandria (on the peninsula between Lake Mareōtis and the sea). Founded by? Alexander the Great, B.C. 332. And the royal residence of his successors, the Ptolemies, for nearly 300 years. Opposite Alexandria, and connected with it by a causeway, was the island ? Pharos. On which stood a celebrated lighthouse, said to have been visible at the distance of? 100 miles. The great river of Egypt? Nilus (Nile). Which anciently flowed into the sea by? Seven mouths. The only two of which now open are ? The Ostium Bolbitīnum (Rosetta branch), and the Ostium Phatniticum (Damietta branch). The Ostium Canopĭcum was? The westernmost of the seven mouths. And the Ostium Pelusiăcum ? The easternmost. The Ostium Sebenniticum flowed into? Lake Butos (Bourlos), between the Ostium Bolbitīnum, and the Ostium Phatniticum. And the Ostium Mendesium, and the Ostium Taniticum, into ? Lake Tanis (Menzaleh), between the Ostium Phatniticum, and the Ostium Pelusiacum.

OTHER COUNTRIES OF AFRICA.

West

To the S. of Ægyptus lay? ETHIOPIA (Cush, now Nubia and Abyssinia). The chief city of which was? Meröe. In the so called? Island Meröe. But in reality a peninsula formed by? The two eastern branches of the Nile. from Ægyptus, between Egypt and the Syrtis Major, lay? LIBYA. Extending alongst the Mediterranean from? The confines of Egypt, to the Syrtis Major. And comprehending? Cyrenaica in the W., and Marmarica in the E. The chief city of Cyrenaica? Cyrene, the birthplace of Aristippus, Carneǎdes, and Callimachus. The nomadic inhabitants of Marmarica were remarkable for their skill in? Taming serpents. The southern interior parts of Lybia were known by the name of? The Libyan Desert. In the E. of which was situated? The Ammonian Oasis (Siwah). Containing? The temple and oracle of Jupiter Ammon. REGIO SYRTICA or TRIPOLITANA, so called from its three cities, Leptis Magna, Ea (Tripoli), and Sabrăta, extended alongst the Mediterranean shore from the Syrtis Major (Gulf of Sidra), to the Syrtis Minor (Gulf of Cabes). The coast between the two Syrtes was inhabited by? The Lotophagi. That is? Eaters of the lotus. A fruit so delicious, that strangers who eat of it? Forgot their native country.— -AFRICA PROPRIA (Tunis) lay? ·S.W. from Sicily, between Numidia (Algeria) and Tripolitana. Its two great divisions were? Byzacium in the S., and Zeugitana in the N. Principal river ? The Bagrădas. Cities? On the N. coast, on the opposite sides of the bay into which the Bagradas flows, Carthago (long the rival of Rome, the destruction of which, by Scipio Africanus the Younger, B.C. 146, put an end to the third Punic war), and Utica; on the east coast. Hadrumētum; and in the interior was Zama, where Hannibal was completely defeated by Scipio Africanus, B.C. 202. W. from Africa Propria lay? NUMIDIA (Algeria). The two chief cities of which were? Hippo Regius, on the coast, near the site of the modern Bona; and Cirta, inland, the modern Constantīna, the residence of the Numidian kings. The

territory westward from Numidia to the Atlantic, was called? MAURETANIA (Morocco and Fez). And was divided into the districts of? Mauretania Tingitāna in the W., and Mauretania Cæsariensis in the E. To the S. of Mauretania and Numidia lay? GETULIA (Belad-el-djerid). Separated from Mauretania and Numidia by? Mount Atlas. And the unexplored interior of Africa towards the S. was called, loosely and indiscriminately? AFRICA, LIBYA, and ÆTHIOPIA.

ISLANDS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Of islands in the Mediterranean, the easternmost was ? Cyprus, S. from Cilicia, sacred to Venus. Chief towns ? Salamis, in the E., built by Teucer and a colony from the Grecian Salamis; and in the S.W., Paphos, where Venus was especially worshipped. In the N. of the Ægeum Mare were? Thasos, Samothracia, Imbros, and Lemnos. Samothracia remarkable for? The worship of the Dii Cabīri. And Lemnos? The fabled residence of Vulcan. Of the islands on the Asiatic side of the Ægean, the most noted were? Tenědos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Icaria, Patmos, Cos, and Rhodus. In Lesbos were the towns? Mitylene and Methymna. Lesbos, too, was the island of? Pittacus, Alcæus, and Sappho. Samos was sacred to? Juno. And the birthplace of? Pythagoras. The sea to the south of Samos and Icaria was called? Icarium Mare. And so called from? Icarus the son of Dædalus, who was drowned there. It was to Patmos that? St. John was banished (by Domitian). And there, too? He had his vision recorded in the Apocalypse. Cos was the birthplace of? Hippocrates the physician, and Apelles the painter. Rhodus was chiefly famous for? Its colossal statue of the Sun, which bestrode the entrance of the harbour, and was accounted one of the seven wonders of the world.* Between Rhodus and Creta lay? Carpă

The other six were-The Sepulchre of Mausōlus, king of Caria; the Palace of Cyrus; the Pyramids of Egypt; the Statue of Jupiter, at Olympia; the Temple of Diana, at Ephesus; and the Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

ISLANDS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

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thus. Whence the sea between that island and Creta was called? Carpathium Pelăgus. The usual abode of? Shape-changing Proteus. On the W. side of the Ægean, the principal island was? Eubœa. Its chief cities? Chalcis (opposite to Aulis, in Boeotia), and Eretria (S.E. from Chalcis). In the N.E. was the promontory? Artemisium. Off which the Greeks first encountered? The fleet of Xerxes. East from Euboea was? Scyros, where Achilles spent the earlier years of his life, in concealment, at the court of Lycomedes. In the S. of the Ægean were? The Cyclades, so called because they were supposed to be grouped in a circle around Delos. The most noted of them were? Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and Diana; Cos, the birthplace of Simonides; Paros, which supplied marble for the matchless creations of Phidias and Praxiteles; Antipăros, famous for its stalactitic grotto; and Naxos, sacred to Bacchus, whose (future) wife, Ariadne, was there basely abandoned by Theseus. The numerous islands scattered around the Cyclades were called? The Sporades. To the S. of the Ægean lay? Creta. The most noted mountains of which were? Ida in the centre, and Dicte in the E., in a cave of which Jupiter was brought up by the Corybantes (priests of Cybele). Chief towns? Gnossus, the capital, and Cydonia, famous for its archery, on the N. side of the island; and towards the S., Gortys or Gortyna, near which was the Dædalæan Labyrinth, where Minos II. confined the Minotaur. An elder Minos, the grandfather of Minos II., and first king of Creta, is said to have been the originator of? Government according to law. And for his justice and impartiality to have been constituted? Supreme judge in the infernal regions. His two subordinate assessors being? His countryman Rhadamanthus, and Eăcus of Ægina. The principal islands off the west coast of Greece were ? Corcyra (Corfu), called also Drepǎne, Scheria, and Phæacia; (Leucas or) Leucadia, from the western promontory of which, Leucate, Sappho is said to have thrown herself into the sea; Ithaca, the domain of Ulysses; the Echinades, a rocky group at the mouth of

the Achelous; Cephallenia or Same, over against the entrance into the Corinthiacus Sinus; Zacynthus, opposite Elis; S. from Zacynthus, the Strophades, where Calaïs and Zethes turned back from the pursuit of the Harpies; and off Pylos, Sphacteria, where a body of Lacedemonians surrendered themselves to the Athenians, in the seventh year of the Peloponnesian war. Near Cape Malea was? Cythera, sacred to Venus. Near which she is said to have sprung from? The foam of the sea. Whence her name? Aphrodite. And in the Saronic Gulf were? Egina, the dominion of king Eacus, where money was first coined; and Salamis (Koulouri), in the straits of which the Persian fleet was signally defeated by Themistocles, B.C. 480. Sicilia, called also Sicania; and from its triangular shape? Triquetra. And from its three promontories? Trinacria. Is separated from Bruttium by the? Fretum Siculum. Its three promontories were? Pelorum, in the N.E.; Pachýnum, in the S.; and Lilybæum, in the N.W. The two principal mountains? Etna, formerly, as still, a famous volcano, in the E.; and Eryx, in the N.W., sacred to Venus. Most noted river? The Anapus, in the S.E. Near which was the fountain? Cyǎne. Through which? Pluto descended with Proserpine into the infernal regions. Towns? Messana, on the Siculum Fretum; and in the S.E., on the N. side of the Anapus, Syracuse, the city of Theocritus, the Dionysii, and Archimedes-taken by the Roman general Marcellus, B.C. 212, Near which was the fountain? Arethusa. In the island? Ortygia. On the S. side of Sicilia was? Acrăgas or Agrigentum, where Phalaris reigned. On the N. coast, towards the W., lay? Panormus. And in the centre of the island was? Enna. The scene of? The rape of Proserpine. N. from Sicilia lay the? Insulæ Æoliæ, v. Vulcaniæ. The most noted of which were? Hiera or Vulcania, where Vulcan had his workshop; Lipăra, furnishing the modern name for the group; and Strongyle (Stromboli), the residence of Eolus, king of the winds, which is volcanic, and has for ages been the great lighthouse of the Mediterranean. N.W. from Lilybæum lay? The Insulæ Ægates, where Lutatius Catulus, by his

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