PHYCUS
PHYCUS (
Φυκοῦς,
Strab. viii. p.363, xvii. p. 837;
Ptol. 4.4.5:
Plin. Nat. 5.5), the most northerly point of the Libyan coast, 2800 stadia from Taenarum (350 M.P., Plin. .
l.c.), and 125 M. P. from Crete. (Plin.
l.c.) Cato touched at this point in Africa after leaving Crete, but the natives refused to receive his ships. (
Lucan 9.40.) Synesius, who has given in his letters (
Ep. 51, 100, 114, 129) several particulars about this spot, states that it was dangerous to live here because of the stagnant waters, and their fetid exhalations.
It had a harbour situated to the W., which is confirmed by the Coast-describer (
Stadiasm. § 53, where it is by an error called Phoenicus). Scylax (p. 46) placed the gardens and lake of the Hesperides near this headland, now
Râs-al-Razat or
Râs Sem, where Smyth (
Mediterranean, p. 455) marks the coast bold and steep, rising gradually to Cyrene. (Pacho,
Voyage, p. 169; Barth,
Wanderungen, p. 498.)
[
E.B.J]
