Colōnia Agrippina, a city of Germany on the Rhine, now Cologne.——Equestris, a town on the lake of Geneva, now Noyon.——Morinorum, a town of Gaul, now Terrouen, in Artois.——Norbensis, a town of Spain, now Alcantara.——Trajana, or Ulpia, a town of Germany, now Kellen, near Cleves.——Valentia, a town of Spain, which now bears the same name.
Colōnos, an eminence near Athens, where Œdipus retired during his banishment, from which circumstance Sophocles has given the title of Œdipus Coloneus to one of his tragedies.
Colŏphon, a town of Ionia, at a small distance from the sea, first built by Mopsus the son of Manto, and colonized by the sons of Codrus. It was the native country of Mimnermus, Nicander, and Xenophanes, and one of the cities which disputed for the honour of having given birth to Homer. Apollo had a temple there. Strabo, bk. 14.—Pliny, bk. 14, ch. 20.—Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 3.—Tacitus, Annals, bk. 2, ch. 54.—Cicero, For Archias, ch. 8.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 6, li. 8.
Colosse and Colossis, a large town of Phrygia, near Laodicea, of which the government was democratical, and the first ruler called archon. One of the first christian churches was established there, and one of St. Paul’s epistles was addressed to it. Pliny, bk. 21, ch. 9.
Colossus, a celebrated brazen image at Rhodes, which passed for one of the seven wonders of the world. Its feet were upon the two moles which formed the entrance of the harbour, and ships passed full sail between its legs. It was 70 cubits, or 105 feet high, and everything in equal proportion, and few could clasp round its thumb. It was the work of Chares the disciple of Lysippus, and the artist was 12 years in making it. It was begun 300 years before Christ; and after it had remained unhurt during 56 or 88 years, it was partially demolished by an earthquake, 224 B.C. A winding staircase ran to the top, from which could easily be discerned the shores of Syria, and the ships that sailed on the coast of Egypt, by the help of glasses, which were hung on the neck of the statue. It remained in ruins for the space of 894 years; and the Rhodians, who had received several large contributions to repair it, divided the money amongst themselves, and frustrated the expectations of the donors, by saying that the oracle of Delphi forbade them to raise it up again from its ruins. In the year 672 of the christian era, it was sold by the Saracens, who were masters of the island, to a Jewish merchant of Edessa, who loaded 900 camels with the brass, whose value has been estimated at 36,000l. English money.
Colotes, a Teian painter, disciple of Phidias. Pliny, bk. 35, ch. 8.——A disciple of Epictetus.——A follower of Epicurus, accused of ignorance by Plutarch.——A sculptor who made a statue of Æsculapius. Strabo, bk. 8.
Colpe, a city of Ionia. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 29.
Colubraria, now Monte Colubre, a small island at the east of Spain, supposed to be the same as Ophiusa. Pliny, bk. 3, ch. 5.
Columbra, a dove, the symbol of Venus among the poets. This bird was sacred to Venus, and received divine honours in Syria. Doves disappeared once every year at Eryx, where Venus had a temple, and they were said to accompany the goddess to Libya, whither she went to pass nine days, after which they returned. Doves were supposed to give oracles in the oaks of the forest of Dodona. Tibullus, bk. 1, poem 7, li. 17.—Ælian, Varia Historia, bk. 1, ch. 15.
Columella Lucius Junius Moderatus, a native of Gades, who wrote, among other works, 12 books on agriculture, of which the tenth, on gardening, is in verse. The style is elegant, and the work displays the genius of a naturalist, and the labours of an accurate observer. The best edition of Columella is that of Gesner, 2 vols., 4to, Lipscomb, 1735, and reprinted there 1772.