The only traveller who has collected evidence upon the spot, bearing upon this point, is Mr. Pashley. It is not so complete as could have been wished, because that part of his work has been left unfinished; he has, however, stated enough to confirm the foregoing evidence. He found, a short distanee above Lutro, two villages, bearing the names of Anopolis and Aradhena, and observes that,— 'The mention of an ancient city called Aradena, along with Anopolis and Port Phoenix in the Synecdemus of Hierocles, seems to point plainly to Lutro as the site of the last-named city.' (Vol. ii. p. 257.) Mr. Pashley subsequently visited Lutro, and has marked on his map ruins near it, to which he gives the name of Port Phoenix. If we compare his map with the notices in Hierocles and Stephanus, it will be found that they throw light on each other. According to Hierocles, Phenice was also named Aradena. According to Stephanus, 'Aradena, a city of Crete, also called Anopolis, or Upper Town, because it is upper.'+ Now, upon the map these three places are little more than a mile from each other, and Anopolis is above Lutro. I think that we may conclude, therefore, with certainty, that the port of Phenice is the present port of Lutro. With regard to the position of the island of Clauda there is no difficulty; it is unquestionably the same as the Claudos of Ptolemy, which he places to the south-west of Crete, and the Gozzo of the modern charts. Ptolemy, it * Hierocles merely says, Powviên ntoɩ Apadeva, which implies that Phenice was also called Aradena. † Αράδην πολις Κρητης ή δε Ανωπολις λεγεται, δια το είναι ανω. is true, places it a degree too far to the west, which is, perhaps, a clerical error; but there is no island near his position, or for which it can be mistaken. The mention of it in the Synecdemus of Hierocles along with Port Phenice points very clearly to its true position. In many manuscripts it is spelt Cauda, which agrees with the spelling of Pliny and Suidas. Pomponius Mela spells it Gaudos, which is its present Greek name, Gaudonesi, or Island of Gaudos, which has been Italianized into Gozzo.* We have, therefore, the relative positions of the three places mentioned in the proceedings of the day on which the Apostle and his companions left Crete, the events of which I shall now take into consideration. * Mr. Brown was informed upon the spot that the island still retained its ancient name Chlauda or Chlauda Nesi, Χλανδα or Κλαυδα Νησος. (See Appendix, No. 3.) 96 CHAPTER III. CRETE TO MELITA.-THE GALE. (Acts xxvii. 13.) THE ship, as we have seen, remained wind-bound at Fair Havens till the advanced state of the season rendered navigation dangerous. They had, however, resolved, at the consultation mentioned in the 10th and 11th verses, to move to Port Phenice, as a more secure winter harbour r; and a moderate breeze from the south having sprung up, it was considered favourable for their purpose. They accordingly weighed anchor.* After clearing the harbour, their course, till they had passed Cape Matala, was close to the land. A ship which could not lie nearer to the wind than 13 Ὑποπνεύσαντος δε Νότου, δοξαντες της προθεσεως κεκρατηκεναι, άραντες ασσον παρελεγοντο την Κρητην. 13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence they sailed close by Crete. * Apavres may be translated either 'weighed' or 'set sail;' for ancient authors sometimes supply raя ауkupas, anchors,' and sometimes Ta iσTiα, 'sails.' (See note on v. 4, and by Dindorf on Xenophon, Hellen. vi. 2.) Julius Pollux, however, like St. Luke, supplies neither, which is certainly the most nautical way of expressing it ; he says, αίροντες απο της γης. (Lib. i. 103.) |