Marmarica

Sources from old books

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn. OF THE ORIENTAL ILANDS.

2. LIBRA or MARMARICA, hath on the East, Egypt, properly so called; on the West, Cyrene; on the North, that part of the Mediterranean Sea, which was hence called Mare Libycum, and sometimes Parthenium; and on the South, some part of Aethiopia Superior.

It had the name of Libya, from the old Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifying black, agreeable to the complexion of the people, which is black and swarthie; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, antiqua lingua Graca niger, saith a learned Writer; or possibly enough from Lub, an Arabian word signifying thirst, as suitable unto the nature of the soile, which is drie and sandie, in which respect called by the Greeks Xero-Libya, or Libya sicca. From hence the South-wind, blowing from these Coasts towards Greece and Italy, had the name of Lybs, and the Promontorie in Sicilie opposite unto it, that of Lilybaeum. It was also called Marmarica, perhaps from the Marmaridae, a chief People of it, though placed by Ptolomie in Cyrene: and sometimes Barca, from Barce a chief City in it; of late times Barca Marmarica, by both names united.

The Country for the most part very dry and barren, and but meanly peopled; insomuch as Alexander passing through part of it towards the Temple of Iupiter Hammon, in the space of four dayes saw neither Man, Beast, Bird, Tree, nor River. Covered over in most places with a thick, light sand, which the winds remove up and down continually, turning vallies into hils, and hils into vallies. Found by Cambyses to his cost, who as basely esteeming of the Gods as he did of his Subjects, sent part of his Army into this Country to destroy the Temple above mentioned; but in the passage towards that prohibited place, fifty thousand of them were overwhelmed and smothered in a storm of sand, the rest with much adoe escaping. Called therefore Xero-Libya, or Libya Sicca, as before was noted; and Libya sitiens, thirsty Libya, (—per calidas Libyae sitientis arenas) in that Verse of Lucan.

The people, neighbours unto Egypt; and consequently much of the same condition. Said by Herodotus (by whom they are called Adyrnachidae) to be governed by the like Lawes and Customs as the Egyptians were; but to differ from them in their habit. Of colour dark and black, of constitution lean and dry, and inclining to Melancholy; angry on every light occasion, very litigious, and eager prosecutors of their dues. By an old observation among themselves, they abstained both from Beef and Hog-meat. So obstinate in denying their accustomed Tributes, that he who could not shew the marks of his sufferings for it, either black or blue, was accompted no body: And so resolved to conceal any thing disgraceful to them, that if any of them were apprehended for a Robbery, no torment could compell him to tell his name. At this time, little differing in person, temper or condition, from the Egyptians, Moors, and Arabes, intermixt amongst them.

Converted to the faith of Christ, with, or not long after the rest of Egypt, of which then reckoned for a Province, it became part of the Patriarchate of Alexandria; whose jurisdiction over it was confirmed by the Council of Nice: to the calling of which famous Council, this Country occasionally concurred, by bringing into the World that wretched Arius, who with his Heterodexies and contentious Cavils had disturbed the Church. His Heresie condemned in that famous Council; but his Person, by the Divine justice of God, reserved to a more remarkable punishment. Being sent for by the Emperor Constantine to make a Recantation of his former Heresies, he first writ out a Copy of his own Opinions, which he hid in his bosom; and then writing out the Recantation expected from him, took oath that he did really mean as he had written: which words the Emperor referred to the Recantation, he to the Paper in his bosom. But God would not be so cozened, though the Emperor was. For as he passed in triumph through the streets of Constantinople, he drew aside into a private house of Ease, where he voided his guts into the draught, and sent his soul as an Harbinger to the Devil to make room for his body.

Not more infamous for the birth of this Miscreant, who denied the Divinity of Christ; then famous for the birth of one of the Sibyls, hence sirnamed Libyca, by whom the same had been foreshewn. Which Sibyls seem to have taken denomination from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. Iovis consiliorum consciae. They were in number ten, viz. 1. Persica, 2. Libyca, 3. Delphica, 4. Cumaea, 5. Samia, 6. Hellespontiaca, 7. Tiburtina, 8. Albunea, 9. Erythraea, and 10. Cumana; which last is affirmed to have written the Nine books of the Sibyls. They were all presented by an old woman to Tarquinius Superbus; but he not willing to pay so great a sum of mony as was demanded, denied them; whereupon the old women burnt three of them, requiring as much mony for the other six, as for all; which being denied, she also burnt the other three, asking as much for the three remaining, as for the rest; which Superbus, amazed, gave, and the old Trot vanquished. These books contained manifest tokens of the kingdom of Christ, his name, his birth, and death. They were burned by the Arch-traitor Stilico. So that those Prophecies of theirs which are now extant, are for the most part only such as had been extracted out of other writings, where their authority had been quoted. Concerning which, though Causabon and some other of out great Philologers conceive them to be piae fraudes, composed of purpose by the Fathers of the Primitive times, to win credit to the Faith of CHRIST; yet dare I not so far disparage those most godly men, as to believe they would support so strong an edifice with so weak a prop, or borrow help from falshood to evict a truth; Or if they durst have been so impudently venturous, how easie had it been for their learned Adversaires, Porphyrie, Julian, and the rest of more eminent note, to have detected the Imposture, and silenced the Christian Advocates with reproach and scorn? But of this enough here; more at large elswhere.

Rivers of note I find not any. 'Tis well, if in a Country so full of sands, there be any at all: some Lakes I meet with in my Authors, the principal of which, 1 Laccus, 2 Lacus Lacomedis, now Linxamo, 3 Cleartus; sufficient to preserve their few Cattel from the taint of thirst. The Mountains of most note, those called Anogombri, 2. and that named Azar; this last extended West and East in a strait line, from the 51 degree of Longitude, to the 53. 3 Aliphus; 4 Ogdomus; 5 Tmodes; 6 Alpis; not much observable, but that they serve for Land-marks to discover the Country.

Towns of note there are none now in it. Of most esteem in former times, 1 Batrachus, by some called Menelaus, an Haven-town. 2 Phthia, and 3 Anesisphyra, two Port-towns also. 4 Tetrapyrgia, so called from its four Towers, the Antipyrgus of Ptolomie. 5 Mesuchis, more within the land. 6 Mazacila, another midland town. 7 Chaereola, mentioned among the chief Cities of this tract, by Ammianus. 8 Paraetonium, now Porto-rassa, which with Pelusium are by Florus called the two Horns of Egypt, which whosoever held fast, would be sure to master it. By some old writers it had formerly been called Ammonia, as we read in Stephanus and Strabo, from the Temple of Jupiter Hammon, seated very near it. So antiently honoured with an Oracle, (if that were any honour to it) that Semiramis is said to have come hither to enquire of her death; Perseus and Hercules, touching their Adventures. The like, but not long after, was done by Alexander the Great: but the Oracle by that time had learnt to flatter, and puffed him up with a proud conceit of being the son of that God whom he came to worship. The Temple seated in the middle of a vast sandie Desart, environed with a pleasant and delightful Grove, about six miles or more in circuit, watered with wholsom springs, refreshed with a temperate air, and shaded with Fruit-bearing trees, which carried in their leaves a perpetual spring; Fortified with a triple wall, within the first whereof was a Royal Palace of the kings, within the second a Seraglio for his Women, in the third Lodgings for the Officers of Court; The Oracle fitly placed (so the Priests would have it) near the Seraglio of the Ladies; Before the entrance a fair Fountain, wherein the Oblations were first washed, then offered. A place of great repute in sacred and Civil estimate; all the adjoining Country taking hence the name of Ammoniaca, and by that name reckoned amongst the Provinces of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. 9 Antiphra, on the East border of it, towards Alexandria. 10 Barce, called afterwards Ptolemais, by the name of one of the Ptolomies, by whom repaired and beautified. Of such accompt, that from hence the whole Country had the name of Barca, and the Inhabitants of Barcaei, (—Latéque furentes Barcaei) as in that of Virgil.

The old Inhabitants hereof, were the Libyarchae and Bassachitae, in the North; the Ogdoni, Buzes, and Adyrmachidae, in the South; the Goniatae, and Prosaditae, in the midland parts; the Libyaegyptii, bordering nearest unto Egypt, with the people whereof so intermingled, as to make up betwixt them but one name and nation. Others there were of lesse, or as little note, but all descended properly of Naphtuhim the son of Misraim▪ from whom the name of Neptune, originally a Libyan Deity, seems to be deri•ed •et so, that Lehabin his brother must come in for a share; the founder, as it is conceived, of the Libyaegyptii before mentioned. Being then of the same original with those of Egypt, they followed the same fortunes also, till the times of the Ptolomies; by whom sometimes given for portion, with the title of a •ingd•m to their younger children. By the last will and testament of Apion, the last King hereof, a Bastard-son of Ptolomie sirnamed Euergetes, the seventh King of that house, bequ•athed unto the Senate and People of Rome. By whom first suffered to live under them, as a Free-Estate ••ll the conquest of Egypt; then reckoned as a part of that, and so accordingly described by Ptolomic; wh•re Libya, Marmarica, and Ammoniaca, occurre amongst the Nomi or Divisions of i• Afterward made a distinct Province of that Diocese and governed by a Lord President, under the Praesectus Augustalis, or Supreme Commander for the Emperours.