Location information

Ascus

DAMASKOS (Ancient city) SYRIA
Ascus (Askos), a giant, who in conjunction with Lycurgus chained Dionysus and threw him into a river. Hermes, or, according to others, Zeus, rescued Dionysus, conquered (edamasen) the giant, flayed him, and made a bag (askos) of his skin. From this event the town of Damascus in Syria was believed to have derived its name. (Etym. M. and Steph. Byz. s. v. Damaskos.)

A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology (ed. William Smith)
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Per...