Papers of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (2.1883-1884(1888))

AN EP1 GRAPHICAL JOURNEY

de Galat. prov. Rom., p. in. Pomponius Bassus is mentioned as
vpto-fltvTijs in an inscription of Ephesus recently published in the
Mitiheilungen des Deutschen Arcliaeologischen Institutes in Atlicn,
1885, p. 401.

The above inscription (No. 356) is one of the most important
discoveries of the journey. The ancient Tavium was the i^x-Kopiov
tu>v Tavrr). It was of prime importance geographically, because it
was the centre from which diverged seven roads, five of which are
given in the Peutinger Table, and the remaining two in the Antonine
Itinerary. Distances along these roads were measured from Tavium ;
consequently it was of the highest importance to discover the real
site of Tavium, for on it depends the geography of the whole country
between Ancyra and Amasia. Tavium has been located by different
scholars at Tchorum, Boyiik Nefezkieui, Boghazkieui; but until
recently those best entitled to an opinion had settled on Boyiik
Nefezkieui as the true site, but always, be it understood, without any
documentary proof. In November, 1883, Professor Gustav Hirschfeld,
of Konigsberg, published an article "Tavium" in the Sitzungsberichte
der Academic der Wisscnschaften zu- Berlin, in which he declined to
accept for Tavium any of the sites hitherto suggested. He attempts
to show that Tavium must be sought on the left bank of the Halys,
and that its site is occupied by Iskelib, a degree north of Boytik
Nefezkieui. In January, 1884, Professor Heinrich Kiepert published
in the Sitzungsberichte (as above) his Gegenbcmerkungen zu der
Abhandlung des Urn. G. Hirschfeld fiber die Lagc von Tavium, from
which it appears that he is very loath to give up the site of Boyiik
Nefezkieui as that of Tavium ; but he finally suggests Aladja, or a
point immediately southeast of Aladja.

Now my inscription (No. 356) is the first milestone from some-
where, and as distances in this region were reckoned from Tavium, it
necessarily follows that it is the first milestone on the Roman road
from Tavium to Ancyra, and consequently Tavium is located beyond
dispute at Boyiik Nefezkieui. But to make the matter doubly sure
there is still another point to be taken into consideration. In the
cemetery of Tamba Hassan, a village just- two hours north of Boyiik
Nefezkieui, Mr. Haynes found Roman milliaria, one of which bore
the badly defaced inscription No. 377. Now, as I understand it,
Tamba Hassan is none other than the Tomba or Tonea of the