in exprefs terms diftinguished from the Proper Afia of the Ro mans, as is likewife Caria, by what we read elsewhere in the fame book, ch. 20. What remains of Afia Proper, together with the feven churches mentioned in the revelations, were properly the Lydian Afia, or Lydia. Laodicea indeed is placed by fome in Caria, by fome in Phrygia, and by others in Lydia, the confines of thofe countries having been fo often altered, that it was not poffible, as Straba witneffes, to ascertain their exact boundaries. The Proconfular Afia, according to the diftribution of Auguf tus, comprehended the following countries, Lydia, Ionia, Caria, Myfia, Phrygia, and the Proconfular Hellefpont; and this is Ptolemy's Afia Proper. Pontus and Bithynia were alfo made a prætorian province by the fame emperor, and Afia a confular, containing all that part of Afia which lay on this fide the river Halys and mount Taurus. In the time of Conftantine the Proconfular Afia was much abridged, and feems then to have been much the fame with the Lydian Afia above-mentioned. At the fame time was established a new divifion termed the Afiatic Diocefe, which is fometimes taken in a more ftrict fenfe, as diftinct from the Proconfular Afia, and fometimes in a more extenfive fente, as comprehending alfo that province. In the reign of Theodofius the younger, all Afia confifted of eleven provinces, three whereof, namely, the Proconfular proper, the Confular Hellefpont, and that of Rhodes, with the islands called Cyclades, vere under the jurifdiction of the proconful of Alia. The other cight, namely, Lydia, Caria, Phrygia Salutaris, Phrygia pacatiana, Pamphylia, Lycia, Lycaonia, and Pifidia, which made up what was properly called the Afiatic Diocefe, were under the lieutenant or Vicarius of Afia*. This country is justly counted among the finest and most fruitful of the earth, and is highly extolled by antient writers, chiefly by the Romans, for the fertility of the foil, temper of the climate, nature of the feafons, excellence and variety of its productions and fruits, in all which refpects it was preferred by Tully to all the countries of the then known world t. The common epithet by which the Latin poets diftinguish this from other regions, is that of rich, alluding not only to the richness of the foil, but alfo to the wealth and opulence of the inhabitants, which may be eafily judged of from the immenfe fums that fome of the Roman governors are faid to have extorted 'from them, namely, Mark Antony, whom we are told by Plutarch, fqueezed from the inhabitants of Afia Minor, in the fpace of one year, the fum of 20,000 talents. This country is at prefent divided into four parts, namely, Natolia or the weftern part, Caramania the fouthern part, Aladulia the caftern, and Amafia the northern part. By the Turks the whole country is called Nadalu, and they divide it *See Ufher in his Geographical and Hiftorical Difquifition of Afia, properly fo called. Cic. pro Q. Ligario. into into five parts, under the government of five Beglerbegs, who refide at Cotyæum, Tocat, Frabezond, Marofch, and Iconium. These are divided into smaller governments, denominated from the city or town where the governor refides. THE SECT. II. The hiftory of the PHRYGIAN s. fions. HE works of those authors who have treated particularly of The orithe Phrygian hiftory, namely, Democritus, Hermefianactes, gin of the Timolaus, Aretazes, and Cornelius Alexander, not having name reached us, we are left quite in the dark as to fome of the moft undetermaterial points of that hiftory. Not to trouble our readers mined. with the various and uncertain etymologies of the name of Phrygia, we fhall only prefent them with the opinion of Bochart, who fuppofes that the country was fo called from a Greek verb, fignifying to burn or dry, which, according to him, is a tranflation of its Hebrew name Gomer, derived from the verb Gamar, importing, among other fignifications, to burn or confume. Part of Phrygia, washed by the rivers Cayler and Meander, was diftinguished by Strabo and Diodorus with 'the epithet of burnt, probably from the drynefs of the foil, which they tell us is impregnated with fulphur, bitumen, and other combuftible fubftances. The appellation which at firft Its diviwas peculiar to one part might, in length of time, become common to the whole country +. The true boundaries of the country, according to Strabo, are impoffible to be fixed. He tells us, that the Trojans, Mycians, and Lydians, are by the poets all blended under the common name of the Phrygians, which Claudian even extends to the Pifidians, Bithynians, and Ionians. Phrygia proper, according to Ptolemy, was bounded on the north by Pontus and Bithynia; on the weft by Myfia, Troas, the Egean fea, Lydia, Maeonia, and Caria; on the fouth by Lycia; and on the eaft by Pamphylia and Galatia; extending from the 37th to the 41ft degree of north latitude, and from the 56th to the 6zd of longitude. The inhabitants of this country mentioned by Ptolemy are the Lycaones and Anthemifeni towards Lycia, the Cyddefes or Cydiffes towards Bithynia, and between thefe the Peltini or Speltini, the Moxiani, Phylacenfes and Hierapolita. To these we may add, the Berecyntes mentioned by Strabo. The country is commonly divided into the greater and lefler Phrygia, called alfo Troas; which divifion did not take place till Troas was fubdued by the Phrygians. * Plut. de fluv. & Laert. in Demo rit. + Boch. Phaleg. 1. 3. Diod. 1. 3. + L. 2. in Eutrop. Strab. I. 12, 13. 5 In In the reign of Conftantine the Great, the greater Phrygia was divided into two governments, the one called Phrygia Pacatiana, and the other Phrygia Salutaris. Its foil and Being for the most part a plain country, covered with a deep climate. rich foil, and plentifully watered by fmall rivers, it abounded in all forts of grains. It was alfo well stocked with cattle, having large plains and pafture grounds. The air was antiently reckoned moft pure and wholefome, though it is now in fome parts thought extremely grofs, great part of the country lying uncultivated, owing to the oppreffive government of the Turks. The cities The cities of note in Phrygia Major were, Apamea, feated at the confluence of the Marlyas and Maander, a famous mart, and the metropolis of all Phrygia, till the above-mentioned divifion of Conftantine took place. It was built by Antiochus Soter, and named from his mother Apamea, having alfo the appellation of Cibotos, or ark, to diftinguish it from eight other cities of the fame name in other countries. of note. Laodicea, now Efkihiffar, feated on the banks of the river Lycus, a few miles fouth weft from Apamea. It was first called Diofpolis, afterwards Rheas, and at laft Diocefarea, and Lacdicea. This city was famous for its wool, which was univerfally preferred, on account of its foftnefs, and was befides of a very extraordinary blacknefs. With this the inhabitants carried on a very confiderable trade, and were accounted the most wealthy people of all Afia Minor. A few ruins only of this once populous and flourishing city are now to be seen *. Hierapolis, now called Bambakkale, ftood about twenty miles north from Laodicea. It was famous for its mineral waters, which, according to Strabo, petrified within the fpace of a year, when expofed to the air, and yet were endued with fuch a virtue, as to render the fields they watered exceeding fruitful, and afford a prefent remedy againft innumerable diftempers to fuch as ufed them. Some footsteps of what it once was are to be feen in the many heaps of ruins and fine pillars in the fields where it ftood t. On the borders of Phrygia towards Cappadocia ftood Gordium, the feat of Gordius king of Phrygia, and famous for the Gordian knot, which we fhall have occafion to mention hereafter. Not long after the death of Gordius it was reduced to a poor beggarly village, as Strabo calls it, and continued in this defpicable condition till the triumvirate of Auguftus, when it was again made a city, and called Juliopolis, by one Cleo, a famous robber, native of that place, who raifed his fortune by ferving with his troop of banditti fometimes the chief of one party, and fometimes the chief of another 1. *Spon's Account of the Seven Churches, 1. 3. 6 + Strabo, Coloffe, ་ Coloffe, now Chonos, on the fouth fide of the Maander, to the inhabitants of which St. Paul wrote that epistle which is part of our canon. Sipylus, the refidence of king Tantalus, and therefore called alfo Tantalis. It is obfervable, that four cities, namely, Sipylus, Archæopolis, Colpe, and Lebade, were fucceffively built on the fame fpot, and deftroyed by earthquakes. Synnada, noted for its marble quarries, was, by Conftantine the Great, declared the metropolis of Phrygia Salutaris. Befides these and several other cities of less note, mentioned by the antients, there were in later times fome of no fmall account, fuch as Saqua, where the father of Ottomon, first king of the Turks, refided; Chara-chifar, by the Greeks called Melampyrgus, or the black tower, Cillexuga, Einegiol, &c. Among the moft remarkable rivers of this country is the The chief Maander, now Madre and Mindre, fo celebrated by the an- rivers. tients for its windings and turnings that all obliquities are from thence called Maanders. According to Pliny and Strabo, it rifes from a lake on the top of the hill Celana, and after 600 windings, by which it feems to flow back to its fountain head, empties itself into the Archipelago, between Priene and Miletus. From the fame fource flows the river Marfyas, which at first falls with great noife between rugged rocks and precipices, and afterwards joins the Meander at Apamea. The river Lycus fprings from mount Olympus, and difcharges itself alfo into the Meander, a little below Laodicea. Sangarius or Sangaris, fprings from the hill Dyndymus, washes Phrygia and Bithynia, and empties itself into the Black fea. Phryx, now Sarabat, divides Phrygia from Caria, and difembegues itself into the Hermus. This river, much celebrated by the poets for its golden fands, takes its rife near Dorylaum, and falls into the Archipelago near Smyrna. There are alfo Myfias, Orga, Obrima, and feveral others. The Phrygians deemed themselves the most antient people The an- determined by the accents uttered by the children nourished the Phry gians. As to the origin of the Phrygians, fome fuppofe them defcended from Togarmah, one of Gomer's fons; and of this opinion Their ori are Jofephus and St. Jerom, who add, that they were known gin. to the Hebrews under the name of Tigrammanes. Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny, and Euftathius, led by the fimilitude of names, a deceitful guide, derive them from the Brygians, a people of Macedonia, who pafled over into Afia Minor. But allowing the Brygians and Phrygians to be the fame people, it is more VOL. II. *Diod. Sic. 1. 1. probable Their character, Govern ment, Language. 'Their re ligion. probable that they peopled Phrygia before they paffed into Macedonia. According to Bochart, Gomer planted Phrygia, which word is the Greek tranflation of his name. Jofephus makes Gomer the father of the Galatians, but by the Galatians he muft neceffarily mean the Phrygians inhabiting that country, afterwards poffeffed by the Galatians. According to the best authorities we may therefore look upon them as the descendants of Gomer. They are defcribed as a fuperftitious, voluptuous, and effeminate race, without any prudence or forecaft, and of fuch a fervile temper, that nothing but ftripes and ill ufage could make them comply with their duty. They are faid to have been the firft inventors of divination, by the finging, flying, and feeding of birds. Their mufic, commonly called the Phrygian mood, is alleged by fome as an argument of their effeminacy. Their government was monarchical; but fome time before the Trojan war we find the country divided into several petty kingdoms, and read of divers princes reigning at the fame time. That Phrygia was fubdued either by Ninus, as Diodorus Siculus informs us, or by the Amazons, as we read in Saidas, is not fufficiently warranted. Gordius, we are told, was chofen king, by the advice of an oracle, as the beft means to put an end to their inteftine broils, whence we may conclude, that fome time before his acceffion to the crown an aristocratical, or democratical form of government had been introduced. Their trade muft have been confiderable, for Apamea was the chief emporium of all Afia Minor, and was reforted to by merchants from the neighbouring iflands. Syncellus informs us, that the Phrygians were for 28 years mafters of the fea, on which element none but trading nations ever prevailed. The country was stocked with many choice and ufeful commodities, and was well able to afford confiderable exports. We have no fet form of their laws; and as to their learning, we may, from what has been faid, allow them a competent fkill in geography, geometry, and aftronomy; and add to thefe, a more than ordinary knowlege of mufic. Their language, according to the opinion of fome, bore a great refemblance to the Greek; but the contrary is manifeft, from the few Phrygian words that have been tranfmitted to us, and carefully collected by Bochart and Rudbechius. Strabo likewife declares, that it is difficult to difcover any fimilitude betwixt the two languages. Gothofredus Lakemaherus, after obferving that Homer in feveral påflages diftinguishes the language of the Gods from that of men, endeavours to fhew that the poet, by the language of the Gods, meant the Greek, and by that of men the Phrygian. The antient Phrygians were a very fuperftitious people, and had many idols; but the goddefs Cybele feems to have been their principal deity. She was called Cybele, Berecynthia, Dyndymene, from Cybelus, Berecynthius, Dyndymenus, all hills of their chief Phrygia, and Idea from mount Ida in Troas, because on these hills the was worshiped in a particular manner. Our readers Cybele deity, will |