Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Various locations for destination: "SMYRNI Ancient city TURKEY".
Mountain near Smyrna.
A small river of Ionia, flowing close by the walls of Smyrna, and discharging its waters into the Hermaean gulf. (Strab. xii. p. 554, xiv. p. 646.) The little stream derives its celebrity from its connection with the legends about Homer, and from a report; about the healing powers of its waters. There was a tradition that near the sources of the river Meles there was a cave in which Homer had composed his epic poems, whence he is sometimes called Melesigenes. (Paus. vii. 5. § 6 ; Vit. Hom. 2 ; Stat. Silv. iii. 3. 60, 7. 33 ; Tibull. iv. 1. 200.) The belief in the healing power of its waters is attested by an inscription quoted by Arundell (Asia Minor, vol. ii. p. 406) and Hamilton (Researches, vol. ii. Append. No. 48). These circumstances are of some importance in identifying the river. It used to be supposed that a small, dirty, and muddy stream, flowing close by the modern town of Smyrna, was the same as the ancient Meles. But there is another stream, with bright and sparkling water, which rushes over its rocky bed near Bournoubat, and is still celebrated for its agreeable and wholesome qualities. Travellers are now justly inclined to identify this river with the ancient Meles. This supposition is confirmed by our more accurate knowledge of the site of ancient Smyrna, which was on the north of the bay, while new Smyrna was on the south of it, at a distance of 20 stadia from the former; the site of the ancient place is still marked by a few ruins; and close by them flows the clear stream which we must assume to be the ancient Meles. (Comp. Hom. Hymn. viii. 3; Ptol. v. 2. § 7; Steph. B. s. v. Meletou kolpos, according to whom the river was also called Meletus; Plin. v. 31; Hamilton, Researches, vol. i. p. 51, foll.)
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
Smyrnaeus sinus (Smurnaion kolpos), also called the bay of Hermus (Hermeios kolpos), from the river Hermus, which flows into it, or the bay of Meles (Meletou k.), from the little river Meles, is the bay at the head of which Smyrna is situated. From its entrance to the head it is 350 stadia in length, but is divided into a larger and a smaller basin, which have been formed by the deposits of the Hermus, which have at the same time much narrowed the whole bay. A person sailing into it had on his right the promontory of Celaenae, and on his left the headland of Phocaea; the central part of the bay contained numerous small islands. (Strab. xiv. p. 645; Pomp. Mela, i. 17; Vit. Hom. 2; Steph. B. s. v. Smurna.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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