Epirus was denominated from the worship of fire, and one of its rivers was called the Aphas.
[833] Pliny. l. 31. p. 333.
[834] Marcellinus. l. 23. p. 285.
[835] Pliny. l. 6. p. 326.
[836] Strabo. l. 7. p. 487. See Antigoni Carystii Mirabilia. p. 163.
[837] Εν τῃ χωρᾳ των Απολλωνιατων καλειται τι Νυμφαιον· πετρα δε εστι πυρ αναδιδουσα· ὑπ' αυτῃ δε κρηναι ῥεουσι χλιαρου Ασφαλτου. Strabo. l. 7. p. 487.
[838] Strabo. Ibidem. l. 7. p. 487. He supposes that it was called Ampelitis from αμπελος, the vine: because its waters were good to kill vermin, Ακος της φθειριωσης αμπελου. A far fetched etymology. Neither Strabo, nor Posidonius, whom he quotes, considers that the term is of Syriac original.
[839] Philostrati vita Apollonii. l. 8. c. 4. p. 116.
[840] Dionis Historia Romana. Johannis Resin: Antiq. l. 3. c. 11.
[841] Pausanias. l. 9. p. 718.