Author(s):
Kaletsch, Hans (Regensburg)
[German version] (Ἰκάριος πόντος;
Ikários póntos). Southeastern part of the Aegean Sea, from Samos to Mykonos (Plin. HN 4,51) respectively from Icarus, with Corassiae (Corseae, modern Fourni) and Samos, via Patmos, Leros and Kalymnos to Kos (Str. 10,5,13). References: Hom. Il. 2,145 (Ἰκάριος πόντος); Sen. Hercules Oetaeus 694; Auson. epist. 23 (
Icarius pontus); Ov. Fast. 4,283; 566; Plin. HN 4,68; 6,215 (
Icarium); Hdt. 6,96; Str. 2,5,21; Ptol. 5,2,1-6; 17,2; Diod. Sic. 4,77,6 (Ἰκάριον πέλαγος); Claud. in Eutropium 2,265 (
Icarium pelagus). The Icarian Sea (IS) breaks on the coasts of the lands of western Asia Minor: Ionia, Caria, Doris; in the north, it comes to Teos, Lebedos, Colophon (harbour Notion), the mouth of the Caystrus, Ephesus, Cape Trogilion on Mycale, the mouth of the Maeander (Ptol. loc. cit.). Subdivisions of the IS are the Latmian Gulf (largely silted up in the Middle Ages, modern Lake Bafa as remnant), with the cities of Miletus, Myus and Heraclea Latmus, to the south connecting with the bays of Iasus and Bargylia and the Ceramic Gulf, with Halicarnassus, Ceramus, Idyma, Cedreae. Feared in navigation were the numerous rocks (Hor. Carm. 3,7,21; Theaetetus, Anth. Pal. 7,499) and the stormy Etesian …