Book 13
1.35
The description of the poet is probable. First what he says of Mars, but on the other side Mars arose, like a black tempest, one while with a shrill voice calling upon the Trojans from the summit of the citadel, at another time running along Callicolone beside the Simoeis;Il. xx. 51. for since the battle was fought on the Scamandrian plain, Mars might, according to probability, encourage the men, one while from the citadel, at another time from the neighbouring places, the Simoeis and the Callicolone, to which the battle might extend. But since Callicolone is distant from the present Ilium 40 stadia, where was the utility of changing places at so great a distance, where the array of the troops did not extend? and the words The Lycii obtained by lot the station near Thymbra,Il. x. 430.Il. x. 430. which agree better with the ancient city, for the plain Thymra,Tumbrek. is near, and the river Thymbrius, which runs through it, discharges itself into the Scamander, near the temple of Apollo Thymbraeus, but is distant 50 stadia from the present Ilium. The Erineos,Erineos, a wild fig-tree. Homer, it is to be observed, speaks of a single wild fig-tree, whereas Strabo describes a spot planted with them. This place, or a place near the ancient Ilium, is called by the Turks, according to M. Choiseul-Gouffier, Indgirdagh—i. e. the mountain of figtrees, although none were to be found there whether cultivated or wild. a rugged spot abounding with wild fig-trees, lies below the ancient city, so that Andromache might say in conformity with such a situation, but place your bands near Erineos, where the city is most accessible to the enemy, and where they can mount the wall,Il. vi. 433. but it is very far distant from the present city. The beech-tree was a little lower than the Erineos; of the former Achilles says, When I fought with the Achaeans Hector was not disposed to urge the fight away from the wall, but advanced only as far as the Scaean gates, and the beech-tree.Il. ix. 352.
