NEA´POLIS
NEA´POLIS,
III.
In Africa.
1.
In Egypt. [
CAENEPOLIS]
2.
A town of Cyrenaica, which Ptolemy (
4.4.11) places in 31° 10′ lat. and 49° long.
The town of
Mabny or
Mably, with which it has been identified, and which appears to be a corruption of the old name, with no other change than what might be expected from the Arab pronunciation, does not quite agree with the position assigned by Ptolemy to Neapolis. (Beechey,
Exped. to the N. Coast of Africa, p. 350; Barth,
Wanderungen, pp. 391. 405.)
3.
[
LEPTIS MAGNA]
4.
A town of Zeugitana with a harbour (
Scylax, p. 47;
Stadiasm. § 107 ), the same as the MACOMADES of Pliny (
5.3;
Μακόμαδα, Ptol. 4.3.11); a “municipium,” as it appears from the Antonine Itinerary ( “Macomades Minores,”
Peut. Tab.; Geog. Rav. 3.5); this latter name indicates a Phoenician origin. (Mövers,
Phoeniz. Alterth. vol. ii. p. 494.)
It has been identified with
Kass'r Ounga, on the N. of the
Gulf of Hammámét.
5.
A factory of the Carthaginians upon the SINUS NEAPOLITANUS, from which it was the shortest distance to Sicily--a voyage of two days and a night. (
Thuc. 7.50; Seylax, p 49;
Stadiasm. § 107;
Strab. xvii. p.834.)
It was taken by Agathocles in his African campaign. (
Diod. 20.17.) Under the earlier emperors it was a “liberum oppidum” (
Plin. Nat. 5.3 ), afterwards under Hadrian a “colonia.” (
Ptol. 4.3.8;
Itin. Anton.; Peut. Tab.; Geog. Rav. 5.5.)
The old name is retained in the modern
Nâbel, where Barth (
Wanderungen, p. 141; comp. Shaw,
Trav. p. 161) found some remains of antiquity. [
E.B.J]
