18. SYME, a small island, was one of the early Dorian states that existed in the S.W. of Asia Minor before the time of Homer. Nireus, who was, after Achilles, the handsomest among the Greeks at Troy, came from Syme. Its connection both with Cnidus and with Rhodes, between which islands it lies, is indicated by the tradition that it was peopled by a colony from Cnidus led by Cthonius, the son of Poseidon and of Syme, the daughter of Ialysus. Some time after the Trojan war, the Carians are said to have obtained possession of the island, but to have deserted it again in consequence of a severe drought. Its final settlement by the Dorians is ascribed to the time of their great migration. The island was reckoned at 35 miles in circuit, and had eight harbours and a town, also called Syme, and of which there| are some trifling remains still extant. The modern town is situated on the principal port, which forms a narrow but deep and safe harbour, called the Strand (Ayiaós). The inhabitants amount to 7000, and live together in the town and at the port. Like the people of Calymnos and Chalki, they are chiefly occupied with the spongefishery, which employs 150 boats, and a dozen good-sized vessels. This island also is tributary to Rhodes. 19. CHALKI. We learn from Strabo and Pliny that Chalki had in ancient times a small town of the same name, a temple of Apollo, and a harbour. It lies off the W. coast of Rhodes, and seems to have been generally subject to its powerful neighbour. We read in Thucydides (viii. 41, 44, 45) that the Athenian fleet was stationed at Chalki in the latter part of the Peloponnesian war (B.C. 412), to watch the movements of the enemy in Rhodes. Chalki contains about 1500 inhabitants, chiefly engaged in diving for sponges. The harbour is good though small; it preserves its ancient name of Emporium. The chief village is an hour's walk from the port; near it are some Hellenic sepulchres and other remains. The inhabitants grow a little corn, and pay an annual tribute to the Pasha of Rhodes. Chalki is rugged and mountainous. 20. RHODOS OR RHODES (RODI), the residence of an English Consul, has, from the most remote period of antiquity, occupied a conspicuous place in the page of history. The ancient Rhodians were eminent for their civilization, their valour, their knowledge of maritime affairs, and their cultivation of art and literature. In modern times Rhodes is famous as the stronghold during two centuries of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and as the scene of one of the most heroic defences on record. Besides these associations, the beautiful climate and scenery well rephy a visit, and the island is now easily accessible, as the steamers between Syria and Smyrna generally touch there. Good accommodation can easily be procured in a Christian house. The most eastern island of the Ægean Sea, Rhodes, lies off the S. coast of Caria, at the distance of about 12 miles. Its length from N.E. to S.W. is nearly 45 miles; its greatest breadth from 20 to 25. In early times it was called Ethræa, Ophiussa, and by other names -which are to be considered, however, rather as epithets than as distinct appellations. The most primitive Greek records make mention of it. Mythological stories ascribed its origin to the power of Apollo, who raised it from beneath the waves; and ancient tradition indicated the early peopling of the island by some of the civilized races of Western Asia, probably the Phonicians. The Hellenic colonization was ascribed to Tlepolemus, the son of Hercules, before the Trojan war, and after that war, to Althemenes. Homer mentions the three Dorian settlements in Rhodes, namely Lindus, Ialysus, and Camirus; and these cities, with Cos, Cnidus, and Halicarnassus, formed the Dorian Hexapolis, which was established from a period of unknown antiquity, in the S.W. corner of Asia Minor. Rhodes soon became a great maritime state, or rather confederacy, the island being parcelled out between the three cities above mentioned. The Rhodians made distant voyages, and founded numerous colonies, of which the chief were Rhoda, in Iberia; Gela, in Sicily; Parthenope and Sybaris, in Italy; besides various settlements on the coast of Asia. During this early period the government of each of the three cities seems to have been monarchical; but about B.C. 660 the whole island appears to have been united in an oligarchical republic, the chief magistrates of which, called Prytanes, were taken from the family of the Eratida, who had been the royal house of Ialysus. At the beginning of the Peloponnesian war Rhodes was one of those Dorian maritime states which were subject to Athens: but in the twentieth year of the war, B.C. 412, it joined the Spartan alliance, and the oligarchical party, which had been depressed, recovered their former power under the leadership of Dorieus, so celebrated for his victories in all the great Grecian games. In B.C. 408 the new capital, the famous city of Rhodes, was founded, and peopled from the three ancient cities of Lindus, Ialysus, and Camirus. It was built by Hippodamus of Miletus, who had been employed by the Athenians to embellish the Piræus. Rhodes soon became distinguished for the splendour of its public edifices, and of the noble paintings and statues with which they were enriched. It was in fact one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world; Strabo, who had seen Rome, Alexandria, &c., gives the preference to Rhodes (lib. xiv.); and Pindar had long before extolled the island in one of his noblest odes (Olymp. vii.). The wealth of the Rhodians was derived partly from their fertile soil and advantageous situation, but still more from their extensive commerce and the wisdom of their laws, especially those having reference to maritime affairs. Such indeed was the estimation in which the latter were held, that many of their regulations were embodied in the Roman Civil Law, and have thence been adopted into all modern codes. After the Peloponnesian war the history of the island presents a series of conflicts between the democratical and oligarchical parties, and of subjection to Athens and Sparta in turn till the end of the Social War, B.C. 355, when its independence was acknowledged. Its internal dissensions were at length composed by a mixed form of government, uniting the elements of aristocracy and democracy. The Rhodians submitted to Alexander; ut at his death they expelled the Macedonian garrison. In the ensuing wars they formed an alliance with Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, and Rhodes successfully endured a famous siege by the forces of Demetrius Poliorcetes, who at length, in admiration of the valour of the besieged, presented them with the engines which he had used against their city, from the sale of which they defrayed the cost of the statue of the Sun, celebrated under the name of the "Colossus of Rhodes," as one of the Seven Wonders of the world. It was the work of Chares of Lindus, a statuary in bronze, and a favourite pupil of Lysippus. The height of the statue was upwards of 105 English feet, it was twelve years in erecting, and cost 300 talents. It stood at the entrance of the harbour of Rhodes, but there is no authority for the statement that its legs extended across the entrance of the port. It was overthrown and broken to pieces by an earthquake fifty-six years after its erection, B.C. 224. The fragments remained on the spot 923 years, till they were sold by the general of the Caliph Othman IV. to a Jew of Emesa, who carried them away on 900 camels, A.D. 672. It may be worth while to notice the fact mentioned by Hume in his 'Populousness of Ancient Nations,' that the siege of Rhodes by Demetrius Poliorcetes affords the only example to be found in antiquity of the establishment of a cartel for the exchange of prisoners. In the wars with Antiochus and Mithridates, the Rhodians gave the Romans the powerful aid of their fleet, | and they were rewarded by the supremacy of Southern Caria, where they had settlements from an early period. In the Civil Wars they took part with Caesar, and suffered in consequence from Cassius, B.C. 42, but were afterwards compensated for their losses by the favour of Antony. They were at length deprived of their independence by Claudius; and their prosperity received its final blow from an earthquake which laid the city of Rhodes in ruins, A.D. 155. On the division of the empire, this island was allotted to the Emperors of the East. It was seized or a short time by the Saracens, but having been recovered by the Greeks, it was presented in A.D. 1308 by the Emperor Emanuel to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who had recently been expelled from Palestine. The Knights, as the declared enemies of the Infidels, were engaged in perpetual warfare with the Turks, and sustained several blockades and sieges; the most remarkable of which was that in 1480 by the forces of Mahomet II., the conqueror of Constantinople. An interesting and graphic account of this siege may be read in an article in the Edinburgh Review,' No. 205 (for January, 1855). The Order retained possession of Rhodes till A.D. 1522, when, after a glorious resistance, they were compelled to surrender to Solyman the Magnificent. The Knights then retired first to Crete, and then to Sicily, where they continued till 1530, when the Emperor Charles V. ceded to them the island of Malta. Few historic feats surpass in interest the siege of Rhodes by Solyman the Magnificent. It lasted four months, during which prodigies of valour were displayed by both Turks and Christians. The Knights being at last moved at the fate which must have inevitably attended the Greek population, if the town, which was no longer tenable, should be carried by storm, acceded to the terms held out by Solyman. The principal stipulations were that the churches should not be profaned-that no children should be taken from their parents-that the citizens should be allowed the free exercise of their religion-that every individual, whether knight or citizen, should be at liberty to quit the island -that those Christians who remained should pay no tribute for five yearsthat the Knights should depart in their own galleys, and be supplied with additional transports from the Turkish fleet, if they required them—that they should be allowed twelve days from the ratification of the treaty to embark their property- that that property should include relics, consecrated vessels, records, and writings, and all the artillery employed on board their galleys. Villiers de l'Isle Adam, the Grand Master, embarked last of the sorrow ing band. On the morning of the 1st of January, 1523, the fleet, consisting of about fifty sail of all descriptions, put to sea. It was an hour of woe; but the mourners looked their last on the shattered towers from which the fate of war had driven them, supported by the consciousness that, though Rhodes had passed from under their sway, their protracted resistance had conferred the fame of victory even on defeat. The Turks, in token of respect for the vanquished, long refrained from defacing their armorial insignia and inscriptions on the public buildings of the city. The island of Rhodes is of a triangular form, rising gradually from the sea till it attains a considerable elevation towards the centre, where it terminates in the lofty summit (4600 feet) of Mount Artemira (the ancient Atabyros, on which was a temple of Jupiter), commanding a noble view of the island and of the neighbouring shores of Asia Minor. In antiquity this mountain chain was covered with dense forests of pine, whence the Rhodians drew supplies of timber for their fleets; in modern times it has supplied the dockyards of Constantinople. generally, the soil in the lower part is dry and sandy; but there are some fine valleys, well watered by the numerous streams that descend from the mountains. In antiquity the fertility of Rhodes was celebrated by Pindar Speaking (Olymp. vii.); but owing to the inse-¡ been expected, the best streets in the curity and extortion of which the inhabitants have been the victims, its agriculture is in a very depressed state, many of its finest fields being waste, and the island not producing corn sufficient even for its scanty population. The wine too has sadly degenerated from that mentioned by Virgil (Georg., ii. 102) as fit for the feasts of the gods. Rhodes produces oil, oranges, citrons, and other fruits. Marble is quarried in several parts of the island. The climate of Rhodes (claram Rhodon, Hor.) is probably the finest in the Mediterranean. Hardly a day passes throughout the year in which the sun is not visible, but the powerful radiance of the East is neutralized by fresh gales from the sea; while the heat at night is tempered by the breezes from the Caramanian mountains. The only beasts of burden used in the island are mules and donkeys, there being no camels, and but few horses, and those belonging chiefly to the richer Turks. Partridges are abundant. Various species of excellent fish, with coral and sponges, are found in the surrounding sea. city are in the quarter inhabited by the Jews. The Greeks occupy a distinct suburb called Neomaras, outside the city properly so called. On the land side the town is surrounded by a Turkish cemetery, beyond which are some detached and finely situated country-houses with gardens. The palace of the Grand Master is now the residence of the Pasha, who governs this and a number of the adjacent islands. The church of St. John has been converted into a mosque, and the grand hospital of the Knights is now a public granary. The church should be visited; its portals of carved wood are worth notice, and it contains some tombstones of grand masters and knights. There are few remains of antiquity in the city; its Saracenic and Turkish conquerors, and the recurrence of destructive earthquakes, having destroyed most memorials of its former splendour. Many large stone cannon-balls are to be seen scattered about. The Street of the Knights bears a strong resemblance to parts of Valetta in Malta, for which it probably was the model. Many of the stone houses in this quarter have the armorial bearings of the knights sculptured on their walls, where may be distinguished the arms of England, France, the Popes, and the heraldic devices of some of the most illustrious families in Europe. The windows have generally been disfigured by the wooden lattices placed before them by the Turks to conceal the ladies of their harems. The pavement, which was once even and carefully repaired, is now in a melancholy state of dilapidation; and the modern town, though occupying only a fourth part of the site of the ancient city, which is said to have been 9 miles in circumference, is still too extensive for its present population. It has two harbours: the smaller a fine basin, with a narrow entrance, is sheltered on all The city of Rhodes is situated at the N.E. extremity of the island, and has an imposing appearance from the sea. It is built in the form of an amphi- | theatre, on ground rising gently from the water's edge, and is strongly fortified, having a moated castle of great size and strength, and being surrounded by walls flanked with towers. These works were constructed by the Knights of St. John, and they bear evidence of the same skill as was afterwards exhibited in the fortifications of Malta. Above the ramparts appear the domes and minarets of the mosques, together with some tufted palm-trees; while a highly ornamented Gothic gateway leads from the quay to the town. On entering Rhodes, as is also the case in so many other Eastern towns, the interior disappoints the expectations raised by the exterior-sides; but the Turks have allowed it to narrow winding lanes and mean houses of wood have generally replaced the substantial stone buildings of the Knights. Contrary to what might have be so much choked up by sand that it can now be used only for petty craft: the other harbour is much larger, and has deep water, but is exposed to the N.E. winds; on this account ships prefer | game is not wanting. Fallow-deer anchoring in the roads, in 20 fathom water, whence they can easily put out to sea in the event of the wind setting in strong from the N.E. A lighthouse is erected on a mole between the two harbours, which are protected by forts and batteries. The trade of Rhodes is now inconsiderable, and its quays are no longer loaded with merchandize. The ancient coins of the island bear a rose (pódov) on their reverse. A traveller with a week at his disposal, will do well to employ that period in an excursion round the interior of the island. He should procure letters from the English Consul to some of the chief inhabitants of the villages, and must make preparations for his journey similar to those necessary in the interior of Greece. He is always sure of finding for fare in the interior of Rhodes, bread, dried fruit, and a sweet, but not unpleasant wine; with a kind and cheerful welcome from the peasants, who are remarkably civil and hospitable to strangers. If he send on to announce his arrival at any village, a fowl will be killed, and a pilaff of rice or wheat prepared for his supper. Mules can be hired for about 1 shilling a day each. The Rhodian villages are almost exclusively inhabited by Greek Christians, and present a great contrast to those in most other parts of the East. The houses are built of stone, and are remarkably clean. They are usually not divided into rooms; but wooden platforms are raised in the four corners as sleeping-places. abound in the distant valleys, and the villagers can direct the traveller to their haunts. They are generally shot by moonlight, if not driven; a moderate present, however, will secure this latter convenience, and the sportsman is placed in a narrow gorge to fire at the deer as they are headed through it. Towards the W. part of the island wild hogs are to be met with; and on a mountain range in the S.W. district there are a few wild cattle and wild asses which may be hunted if a present is made to the chief of the nearest village or to its church. In an hour and a half from the capital, the traveller reaches the pretty village of Trianta, near which some foundations mark the site of Ialysus. A long day's journey farther down the W. coast of the island, there are some slight traces of Camirus. On the E. shore, the modern village of Lindus still retains the name of the ancient city. There are considerable Hellenic remains in this neighbourhood, and elsewhere in Rhodes; and the scenery is always charming. Mountain ridges divide the island by natural barriers into the three divisions, of which the three ancient cities were the capitals. There are now about 40 villages, many of whose names are evidently Hellenic. They are thinly inhabited, the largest containing under 800 inhabitants. The population of the whole island amounts at the present day to about 35,000, of whom 10,000 are Turks, 3000 Jews, and the remainder Greeks. Of this number 20,000 dwell in the capital and its suburbs. In ancient times the population of each of the three cities probably far exceeded the present aggregate of the whole island. To the sportsman the island of Rhodes affords peculiar attractions; and an autumn tour in the East becomes more desirable when so arranged that some good shooting may be included in its programme. Red-legged partridges swarm here on every hill; and though very shy near the town of Rhodes, they are easy of approach in the remoter parts of the island. The natives shoot them chiefly by lying in wait near the springs and rivulets where they come to drink. Hares are is an island in the sea between also numerous, and from November to Crete and Rhodes, and which was February a good shot may bag as formerly called after it the Carpamany woodcocks as he pleases. Nobler | thian Sea. The coast is generally steep 21. CARPATHOS (SCARPANTO) |