- Adria:
- Adria strictly speaking, was the name of the Adriatic gulf, now the Gulf of Venice, an arm of the Mediterranean, about 400 miles long and 140 broad, stretching along the eastern shores of Italy on one side, and Dalmatia, Sclavonia, and Macedonia on the other. But the term Adria was extended far beyond the limits of this gulf, and appears to have been given to an indeterminate extent of sea, as we say, generally, the Levant. It is observable, that the sacred historian does not say "in the Adriatic gulf," but "in Adria," (that is, the Adriatic sea, πελαγος [Strong's G0099] being understood); which, says Hesychius, was the same as the Ionian sea; and Strabo says that the Ionian gulf "is a part of that now called the Adriatic." But not only the Ionian, but even the Sicilian sea, and part of that which washes Crete, were called the Adriatic. Thus the scholiast on Dionysius Periegetis says, "they call this Sicilian sea Adria." And Ptolemy says that Sicily was bounded on the east by the Adriatic, υπο [Strong's G5259], Αδριοι [Strong's G0099], and that Crete was bounded on the west by the Adriatic sea, υπο [Strong's G5259], του [Strong's G5120], Αδριατικον πελαγος [Strong's G3989].
|
