The Florentines had the citadel of Pisa, but not tho town, and the citizens soon retook the citadel They now asked peace of the Florentines, offering to repay them the money which they had raid to Boucieault. The Florentines however would bear of no proposal except the surrender of Pisa. They accordingly blockaded Pisa for about a year, and when the inhabitants were reduced to the greatest distress for want of provisions, Giovanni Gambacorta, whom they had recalled from exile to conciliate their enemies, secretly opened the gates to the Florentines for 50,000 florins on the night of the Sth November, 1406. Rather than submit to the yoke of Florence, the principal families of Pisa now emigrated to Sardinia and Sicily. Thus ended the career of Pisa as an independent state.
After S8 years of Florentine dominion, when Charles VIII. of France came to Italy, in 1494, the people of I'isa rose in arms, drove away the Florentine., and restored their republican government under the protection of France. In 1499, after the French had left Italy, the Florentines besieged Pisa, but were repulsed. Iu 1504 the Floren tines resumed the siege, but they failed again. At last, in 1509, they formed a close blockade round the town, and Pisa was obliged to ! surrender through famine.• A second emigration then took place, the wealthier families preferring exile to the loss of independence. Since that time Pisa has remained subject to Florence.
The university of Pisa has been the chief means of maintaining some life in the town. It is divided into three faculties, theology, law, and medicine; it is attended by about 400 students.
I'lSl'DIA formed the northern and mountainous part of the Syrian and Roman provinces of Pamphylia. [Psatenytis.] In their moun tains, which fanned a part of Mount Taurus, the l'isidians maintained their independence under the Persian empire. Neither the Syrian kings nor the Romans were able to subdue them, though the latter obtained possession of some of their towns. In the time of Strabo the Pisidiana were governed by petty chiefs, and principally supported themselves by plundering their neighbours.
Mr. (now Sir Charles) Fellows, who visited the westeru part of Pisidia in 1S38, says that the rocks are generally of marble, and some of common limestone with veins of marble running through them in all directions. The most singular features in this district are moun tains of volcanic dust accumulated round marble rocks. This light sand or dust is tufa, the dust of the pumice-stone; the decomposed lime has in many parts mixed with this tufa and formed hills of Roman cement The chief towns of Pisidia were AIITIOCHEIA, Sagaltussus, and Selge.
South-west of Antioeheia was Saga/asses, or Sdgessus, the ruins of which, according to Fellows, are very extensive, consisting of seven or eight temples; three other long ornamented with cornices and columns, and with rows of pedestals on each side; and a most beautiful and perfect theatre on the side of a higher hill than the rest of the ruins occupy. The town has no trace of walls, but its tombs are to be seen carved in the rocks for miles around, with much archi tectural ornament. These ruins are near the village of Allahsun to the south of Isbarta. To the south rises a high insulated conical hill with the remains of the wall round its summit. On this bill stood the Acropolis of Ssgalassus. (lIatnlIton, 'Researches in Asia Mime) South-east of Sagalaseus was Selge, the most important town in l'isidist. When Alexander marched through Pisidis, the inhabitants of Selge sent ambassadors to him, and obtained favourable terms from him. (Arrian, i. 28.) The territory of Selge, though mountainous, was, aocortling to Strabo, very fertile. It produced abundance of oil rind wine, and afforded pasturage for great numbers of cattle. The forests supplied a great number of timberarees, of which the etyrax was reckoned the moat valuable. Mr. Fellows visited the ruins of a large city, situated about 10 miles north-east of the village of Bonjek, which are in all probability those of Selgo. Ile rode (he says) for at least 3 miles through a part of the city, which was one pile of temples, theatres, and buildings, vying with each other in splendour.