CEBRE´NE
CEBRE´NE (
Κεβρήνἠ or CEBREN, a town of Mysia, in a district Cebrenia (
Κεβρηνία) There was a river Cebren (
Κέβρην). The Ethnic names are
Κεβρηνός, Κεβρηνεύς, and
Κεβρήνιος (Steph. s. v.
Κεβρηνία); but the Ethnic name is properly
Κεβρηνιεύς, as Strabo has it. Cebrenia was below Dardania, and a plain country for the most part.
It was separated from the Scepsia or territory of Scepsis by the river Scamander.
The people of Scepsis and the Cebrenii were always quarrelling, till Antigonus removed both of them to his new town of Antigonia, afterwards called Alexandria Troas. The Cebrenii remained there; but the Scepsii obtained permission from Lysimachus to go home again. Strabo speaks of a tribe in Thrace called Cebrenii (p. 590), near a river Arisbus; but we cannot conclude any thing from this as to the origin of the Cebrenii. Ephorus, in the first book of his history (quoted by Harpocrat. s. v.
Κέβρηνα), says that the Aeolians of Cumae sent a colony to Cebren.
The city Cebren surrendered to Dercyllidas the Lacedaemonian (
Xen. Hell. 3.1. 17), who marched from thence against Scepsis and Gergitha. Geographers have differed as to the position of Cebrenia. Palaescepsis was near the banks of the Aesepus, and the Scepsis of Strabo's time was 40 stadia lower down than Old Scepsis. Now, Old Scepsis was higher up than Cebrenia, near the highest part of Ida, and its territory extended to the Scamander, where Cebrenia began. Again, the territory of the Assii and the Gargareis was bounded by Antandria (on the east), and the territory of the Cebrenii, the Neandrieis, and the Hamaxiteis. Thus Cebrenia is brought within tolerably definite limits. Leake (
Asia Minor, p. 274) supposes Cebrenia to have occupied the higher region of Ida on the west, and its plain to be the fine valley of--the
Mendere as far down as
Ene, probably Neandria.
This seems to agree with Strabo's description. Leake also supposes that the town Cebren may be a place called
Kushunlu Tepe, not far from
Baramitsh. Dr. E. D. Clarke found considerable remains at
Kushunlu Tepe; but remains alone do not identify a site.
[
G.L]
