IRIS
IRIS (
ὁ Ἴρις:
Kasalmak), a considerable river of Pontus, which has its sources in the heights of Antitaurus in the south of Pontus.
It flows at first in a north-western direction, until reaching Comana it takes a western turn: it thus passes by the towns of Mesyla and Gaziura.
A little above Amnisus it receives the Scylax, and turns eastward; near Eupatoria the Lycus empties itself into it.
After this it flows due north, and, traversing the plain of Themiscyra, it empties itself into the Euxine by four mouths, the westernmost of which is the most important. (
Strab. xii. p.556.) The Iris is smaller that, the Halys (
Apollon. 2.368), but still a considerable river, flowing through a vast extent of country, and, according to Xenophon (
Xen. Anab. 5.6.3), was three plethra in breadth. (Comp.
Strab. i. p.52,
12.547;
Scylax, p. 32;
Ptol. 5.6.2; Xenoph. 5.6.9, 6.2.1;
Apollon. 2.965; Dionys. Per. 783;
Plin. Nat. 6.3,
4.)
The part near its mouth is
[p. 2.65]now called
Yechitor Yekil Irmdk. (Hamilton,
Researches, vol. i. p. 340.)
[
L.S]
