Listed 10 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "SUDAN Country MIDDLE EAST" .
PTOLEMAIS THERON (Ancient city) SUDAN
Ptolemais Theron (Ptolemais Theron, Ptol. 1 8. § 1, iv. 7. § 7, viii.
16. §. 10; Ptolemais, Strab. xvii. pp. 768--76 ; Agatharch. ap. Phot. pp. 457-459,
ed. Bekker; Ptolemais Epitheras, Plin. vi. 29. s. 34), was originally an Aethiopian
village situated on the southern skirts of the forest which extended from the
S. side of the Troglodytic Berenice to lat. 17° N. Its convenient situation on
the coast of the Red Sea and in the heart of the region where elephants abounded
induced Ptolemy Philadelphus (B.C. 282-246) to occupy, enlarge, and fortify the
village, which thenceforward was named Ptolemais after its second founder. Philadelphus,
indeed, before he colonised this outpost of his kingdom, used every effort to
persuade the Aethiopian hunters to abstain from the flesh of these animals, or
to reserve a portion at least of them for the royal stables. But they rejected
his offers, replying that for the kingdom of Aegypt they would not forego the
pleasure of hunting and eating elephants. Hitherto the Aegyptians had imported
these animals from Asia, the Asiatic breed being stronger and larger than the
African. But the supply was precarious: the cost of importation was great; and
the Aethiopian forests afforded an ample supply both for war and the royal household.
As the depot of the elephant trade, including that also in hides and ivory, Ptolemais
attained a high degree of prosperity, and ranked among the principal cities of
Aethiopia. From its market it is probable that Carthage also derived its supply
of elephants, since about the period of Philadelphus' reign the Carthaginians
employed these animals more frequently in war. (Liv. xvii. Epit.; Florus, ii.
2. § 28.) Ptolemais had, properly speaking, no harbour, and the Aegyptian vessels
were compelled to run up to Berenice whenever the N. or E. winds prevailed: in
the present day the Red Sea coast at this point is approachable only by boats.
The roadstead of Ptolemais, however, was partially sheltered from the E. winds
by an island covered with olive-trees. In its [p. 678] neighbourhood the freshwater
lake Monoleus afforded it a good supply of water and fish. The shell of the true
land-tortoise was found at Ptolemais: it is described by Agatharchides (ap. Geogr.
Minor. p. 40, Hudson; Peripl. Mar. Erythr. p. 17) as covered with small lozenge-shaped
plates, of the whiteness of the pearl-oyster. To ancient geographers the position
of Ptolemais was of great importance, being one of the points from which their
computations of latitude were made. Modern geographers, however, are not agreed
as to the degree in which it should be placed, some identifying it with Bas-Assiz,
opposite the island of Wellesley, while others (Vincent, Voyage of Nearchus, vol.
ii. p. 92) prefer a more southerly site, near the port of Mirza-Mombarrik. (Comp.
Manner, vol. x. 1. p. 48, seq.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
MEROWE (Town) SUDAN
Meroe, the island formed by the rivers Astapus (Blue Nile) and Astaboras (Atbarah), and the portion of the Nile between their mouths, was a district of Ethiopia. Its chief city, also called Meroe, became at a very early period the capital of a powerful State. The priests of Meroe were closely connected in origin and customs with those of Egypt; and, according to some traditions, the latter sprang from the former, and they from India. From Meroe in the eighth century B.C. sprang the Ethiopian dynasty of Egypt (the twenty-fifth), reigning at Thebes.
PTOLEMAIS THERON (Ancient city) SUDAN
A port on the W coast of the Red Sea, S of Berenice. It was founded
by the Ptolemies (Strab. 17.768-71) in the Land of the Troglodytes as a hunting
preserve, especially for elephants. Ptolemy II appears to have been the first
to train African elephants for war. At the battle of Raphia (217 B.C.), Ptolemy
IV had 73 African elephants against the 102 Indian elephants of the victorious
Antiochos the Great. Ptolemais Theron served also as a sea port to Meroe.
S. Shenouda, ed.
This extract is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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