Caresene or Karesene () was a mountainous tract in the
ancient Troad
The Troad ( or ; , ''Troáda'') or Troas (; , ''Trōiás'' or , ''Trōïás'') is a historical region in northwestern Anatolia. It corresponds with the Biga Peninsula (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Biga Yarımadası'') in the Çanakkale Provinc ...
, which contained many villages, and was well cultivated.
It bordered on the
Dardanice as far as the parts about
Zeleia and
Pityeia. It was named from the
Caresus River, mentioned by
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
in the ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...
'', which flows into the
Aesepus River
The Aesepus River or Aisepos River () was a river of Northern ancient Mysia, Mysia.
Description
The river was mentioned by Homer in the ''Iliad'' as flowing past Zeleia, at the foot of Mount Ida (Turkey), Ida; and in another passage as one of the ...
. The Caresus has a considerable valley (αὐλῶν), but less than that of the Aesepus.
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...
says that the Andrius or
Andirus River (the modern Kursak Çay),
which flows into the
Scamander River
Karamenderes is a river located entirely within the Çanakkale Province of Turkey. It flows west from Mount Ida (Turkey), Mount Ida and empties into the Aegean Sea near the Troy#Troy_Historical_National_Park, Troy Historical National Park. Acco ...
, also rises in the Caresene, part of which is therefore probably a high plateau, on which the Andrius and Caresus rise. The Caresus springs between
Palaescepsis and
Achaeum, which is opposite to the island of
Tenedos
Tenedos (, ''Tenedhos''; ), or Bozcaada in Turkish language, Turkish, is an island of Turkey in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively, the island constitutes the Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Bozcaada district of Çanakkale Provinc ...
. There was a city
Caresus, but it was ruined before Strabo's time.
[
]
References
Troad
Historical regions in Turkey
{{AncientTroad-geo-stub