DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0314
260
the sites of cytaeum,
[chap.
kastron to be the site of the ancient Cytaeum. The
existence here of a regularly constructed Venetian fort-
ress, accounts for the disappearance of all such remains
as might have indicated the site of the ancient city. It
may perhaps be objected that the term Palaedkastron
is applied to the mere ruins of the Venetian fortress.
I reply that Palaedkastron is rarely a designation of
middle-age remains, which are generally called Kastelia ;
and, a fact of much more importance to decide this
question, I find the place mentioned, under the same
name of Palaedkastron, in the very deliberations of the
Venetians respecting the propriety of erecting the fort-
ress on the spot7; so that the epithet, as usual, indicates
the existence of an ancient site.
No Cretan city has experienced a harder fate, since
the revival of letters, than the unfortunate Cytaeum.
Domenico Negri, Ferrarius, and most of the early geo-
graphers, placed it at Megalo-Kastron ; while others8
condemned it to exile near the eastern extremity of the
island. Meletius states its three supposed sites, and
rightly objects to the hypothesis of its having been at
Sitia9.
7 This I saw in MSS. at Venice. 1 find in the library of Trinity Col-
lege, Cambridge, an Italian manuscript, entitled, Descrittione de Candia,
and at fol. 207. are the words " La fortezza fatta nuovamente, sopra il sasso
nominato Paleo castro, spazza tutto il porto, e disloggia ogni sorte di vascello."
The MS. volume is marked R. 4. 6.
8 Belon, for instance; see his Singularitez etc. fol. 7- He was probably
struck by a fancied resemblance in sound, as Tournefort says (p. 31.) that
" La Sude semble conserver encore quelques restes du nom de Cydonia," that
is 'SouSa, the present name of the fortress and gulf, (on the etymology of which
word see Du Cange and Koray, cited above at p. 189.) resembles KvSwvLa:
which it does just as much as Su and Chi resemble each other when pro-
nounced by an Italian.
9 Meletius, Geograph. p. 409. ILvtolov XoyidZ^ovai -rives, on aind
vd elvai jj vvv KdvOLa. Kai aWoi Xeyova-iv, Sti to Kvtolov vd elvai tj
SiTTta, d\\' avTTj Tt0eTCU els to 'AvaroXiKOV /xepoi. Kai aXXoi OTl vd
elvai ij ®pd<TKia. La Fraschia is the name of this spot in Venetian writers :
the Capo della Fraschia is the Dium promontory. Mr Sieber, Reise,
Vol. ii. p. 269. supposes two towns of the name Cytaeum (Kvtulov) : in
order, I suppose, that he may have the pleasure of placing one of them at
Sitia.
the sites of cytaeum,
[chap.
kastron to be the site of the ancient Cytaeum. The
existence here of a regularly constructed Venetian fort-
ress, accounts for the disappearance of all such remains
as might have indicated the site of the ancient city. It
may perhaps be objected that the term Palaedkastron
is applied to the mere ruins of the Venetian fortress.
I reply that Palaedkastron is rarely a designation of
middle-age remains, which are generally called Kastelia ;
and, a fact of much more importance to decide this
question, I find the place mentioned, under the same
name of Palaedkastron, in the very deliberations of the
Venetians respecting the propriety of erecting the fort-
ress on the spot7; so that the epithet, as usual, indicates
the existence of an ancient site.
No Cretan city has experienced a harder fate, since
the revival of letters, than the unfortunate Cytaeum.
Domenico Negri, Ferrarius, and most of the early geo-
graphers, placed it at Megalo-Kastron ; while others8
condemned it to exile near the eastern extremity of the
island. Meletius states its three supposed sites, and
rightly objects to the hypothesis of its having been at
Sitia9.
7 This I saw in MSS. at Venice. 1 find in the library of Trinity Col-
lege, Cambridge, an Italian manuscript, entitled, Descrittione de Candia,
and at fol. 207. are the words " La fortezza fatta nuovamente, sopra il sasso
nominato Paleo castro, spazza tutto il porto, e disloggia ogni sorte di vascello."
The MS. volume is marked R. 4. 6.
8 Belon, for instance; see his Singularitez etc. fol. 7- He was probably
struck by a fancied resemblance in sound, as Tournefort says (p. 31.) that
" La Sude semble conserver encore quelques restes du nom de Cydonia," that
is 'SouSa, the present name of the fortress and gulf, (on the etymology of which
word see Du Cange and Koray, cited above at p. 189.) resembles KvSwvLa:
which it does just as much as Su and Chi resemble each other when pro-
nounced by an Italian.
9 Meletius, Geograph. p. 409. ILvtolov XoyidZ^ovai -rives, on aind
vd elvai jj vvv KdvOLa. Kai aWoi Xeyova-iv, Sti to Kvtolov vd elvai tj
SiTTta, d\\' avTTj Tt0eTCU els to 'AvaroXiKOV /xepoi. Kai aXXoi OTl vd
elvai ij ®pd<TKia. La Fraschia is the name of this spot in Venetian writers :
the Capo della Fraschia is the Dium promontory. Mr Sieber, Reise,
Vol. ii. p. 269. supposes two towns of the name Cytaeum (Kvtulov) : in
order, I suppose, that he may have the pleasure of placing one of them at
Sitia.