Ister

ISTER[DANUBIUS]

(1) (Ἴστρος) and Danubius (Δανούβιος), also Danuvius. The greatest river in southeastern Europe; now the Danube, Donau. Its sources are at Donaueschingen near the Mons Abnoba, and after a long course through Vindelicia, Noricum, Pannonia, and Dacia, it separates into a delta of three branches and empties into the Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea). Among its 400 tributaries are the Dravus (Drave), Savus (Save), Pathiseus or Tibiseus (Theiss?), and Margus (Morava). The early writers, such as Pindar, had only the vaguest notions about the sources of this stream, and even in later times it was supposed to empty into the Adriatic. Ister was said to be its Keltic name and Danubis its Thracian. The syllable Dan is that found in Rho-dan-us, Tan-aïs, Eri-dan-us, etc., and is said to mean “river.” The most ancient name of the stream was said to be Matoas. Some writers use Ister of the lower Danube, and Danubius of the upper from its source as far as Vindobona (Vienna). The total length of the river is 1740 miles.

(2) A Greek historian, at one time the slave of Callimachus (q.v.). He wrote, in the third century B.C., a number of works, of which an Atthis, or history of Attica, was especially important. The fragments are given in Müller's Frag. Hist. Graec. i. pp. 418-427.