Ramsay, William Mitchell: The cities and bishoprics of Phrygia: being an essay of the local history of Phrygia from the earliest time to the Turkish conquest (Band 1,2): West and West-Central Phrygia (Oxford, 1897)

3. MARSYAS. 401

Maeander passed outside, or only through the extreme outskirts,
of Apameia. Moreover Pausanias, speaking of ' the river that flows
through the city,' implies that there was only one river to which that
description could apply in his time.

Prof. G. Hirschfeld originated a theory which differed widely from
the views of all other explorers before or since. I can understand its
origin only on the supposition that it occurred to him years after
his visit, when his recollection of the situation had grown faint.
I would gladly omit all reference to his theory, and the errors in
mapping and description on which it is founded; but his high
authority as a geographer makes it necessary to show that his topo-
graphical scheme is wrong. Unless this is done, some will cherish
doubts; and it is best to try to clear up the subject once for all.
He maintains that-Dineir-Su was not the Marsyas, but the Maeander;
yet he recognizes that Dineir-Su alone among the branches rises amid
rocks. He even declares that this stream ' rushes forth from a lofty
rock-grotto1,' which is a stronger expression than I should venture
to use about the recess, though it is (I think) literally true of the
situation in the first or second century. If so, how did the cave fall
in? This might be due to natural causes, either the slow action of
water in chinks of the rock, or to volcanic action2; but another theory
might be plausibly maintained, that the cave, being a seat of pagan
religion in virtue of its striking situation and surroundings, was inten-
tionally destroyed by the Christians. No other fountain in the neigh-
bourhood matches this one in its impressive character; and any observer
familiar with the sites chosen for the old religion of Asia Minor would
at once select this among all the springs at Apameia as probably
a special seat of worship in early time. The analogy with the holy
springs at Ibriz is particularly close and suggestive. Further, no other
spring at Apameia has any appearance of having ever risen in a cave.

§ 4. Therma, still called the ' Warm Springs' (Lidja or Ilidja), are
on the north side of the village close to the road, which leads to E. and
to N. The water rises with a gentle faint murmur in a small pool,
apparently at a number of points, but these are not sufficiently well

1 ... an dem TJrspmng des von mir upper rocks which now lie about the

so genannten [i. e. Marsyas, our Therma] point of exit.'

Fhisses die Givltc feMt—walirend die " As appears in the sequel, I believe

Maeanderarme(ourMarsyas)/'reilichheute the features of Apamean scenery are

noeh aits einer hohen Felsengrotte hervor- not essentially changed (except by

stromen, p. 20. Hogarth's expression is human action) since ancient times,

' a dark hole which may have formed and that earthquakes have not caused

the recess of a former grotto, before alterations of any consequence in the

frost and rain had broken away the interval.

VOL. T. PT. II. E