CARAMBIS
CARAMBIS (
Κάραμβις:
Kerempe). a promontory of Asia Minor, in the Paphlagonia of Strabo (p. 545), who describes it as a great headland, turned to the north and to the Scythian or Tauric Chersonesus.
He considers this promontory and the promontory of Criou Metopon in the Tauric Chersonesus as dividing the Euxine into two seas.
He states (p. 124) the distance between the two promontories at 2500 stadia; but this must be an error in the text for 1500 stadia, as a comparison with another passage (p. 309) seems to show; and the fact that many navigators of the Euxine are said to have seen both promontories at once (see Groskurd's note in his
Transl. of Strabo, vol. i. p. 204). Pliny (
4.12) makes the distance 170 M. P.
This promontory of Carambis is mentioned by all the ancient geographers, and by many other writers. Pliny (
6.2) makes the distance of Carambis from the entrance of the Pontus 325 M. P., or 350 M. P. according to some authorities.
The direct distance from Sinope, which is east of it, was reckoned 700 stadia; but the true distance is about 100 English miles. Carambis is in 42° N. lat. and a little more; and it is not so far north as the promontory Syrias or Lepte, which is near Sinope.
There was also a place called Carambis near the promontory, mentioned by Scylax and Pliny, though the name in Scylax is an emendation of thle MS. reading Caramus; but it appears to be a certain emendation.
[
G.L]
