PAPHLAGO'NIA, a province of Asia Minor, was bounded N. by the Euxine, S. by the part of I'hrygia afterwards called Galatia, E. by Pontus, and W. by Bithynia. It was separated from Bithynia by the Partheniue, and from Pontns by the Halys. (Herod. i. 6, 72.) Paphlagenia is described by Xenophon (‘ Auras.: v. 6, a. 6) as a country having very beautiful plains and very high mountains. It is traversed by two chains of mountains, running parallel to one another from west to oast. The higher and more southerly of these chains, called Olgassye by Ptolemy, is a continuation of the great mountain chain which extends from the Hellespont to Armenia. Strabo (xii. p. 561,562) however appears to give the name of Olgasss-s to the chain of mountains in the northern part of Paphlagonia, on which the Paphlagouians had built many temples. The country between these two chains of mountains is drained by the Amnia, (KaresSu), which flows into the Halys. There were several small streams which flowed from the mountains in the north of Paphla genie into the Euxine, but the only river of importance besides the Aunties and H.dys was the Parthenius, which is said by Xenophon to be impassable. (lien., Amts.,' v. 6, s. 9.) In the neighbourhood of Pompeiopolis, in the central part of the province, was a mountain called Sandaracurgium, where, according to Strabo (xii. p. 562), sand erne was obtained in mines which were worked by criminals, who died in great numbers iu consequence of the unhealthiness of the labour. The sandaraca spoken of by Strabo was probably the saute es sinopia, which was a kind of red ochre, obtained by the Greeks from Sinope, from which place it derived its name.
The Paphlageniens are said by Homer (' ii. 851, 852) to have come to the assistance of the Trojans under the command of Pyles menea from the country of the Heneti. They were subdued by
Cronus (Herod., i. 28.) and aftcewards formed part of the Persian empire. After the death of Alexander, Paphlagonia, together with Cappadocia, fell to the share of Eumenes. (Diod. Sic., xviii. 3.) It subsequently formed part of the kingdom of Pontus. Under the early Roman emperors it was united to the province of Galatia till the time of Constantine, who first erected it into a separate province.
The principal town of Paphlagonia was Sinope (Sinoub), a colony of the Milesians (Xen., Anab.,' vi. 1, a. 15), which was said to hate been founded by Antolycus, a companion of Jason. It was built upon a rocky peninsula, and was for many centuries one of the most flourishing commercial towns in tho Euxine. In the time of Strabo it was still a place of coneidershie importance. It was very strongly fortified, and possessed many handsome public buildings. The inhabit ants were accustomed to cateh off the coast great numbers of tunny fish. Sinope maintained its independence till the 2nd century before the Christian era, when it was annexed to the kingdom of Pontus. Mithriciates the Great, who was born there, made it the capital of his dominions, and adorned it with many public buildings. During the war which he carried on with the Romans it was taken by Lucullus. It was subsequently made a Roman colony. Diogeues the Cynic was born in this town. Siuope continued to be a considerable sea-port town till it was demolished by the Russian fleet under Admiral Nachimoff Nov. 30, 1853, on which occasion also the citadel was destroyed and the Turkish fleet in the roads burnt or sunk. The old walls of the town in part remain. The exports cousist of timber, salt, oil, cordage, and fish.