Septem Fratres

SEPTEM FRATRES(Ἑπτάδελφοι ὄρος, Ptol. 4.1§ 5), a group of mountains in the northernmost part of Mauritania Tingitana, connected by a tongue of land with the promontory of Abyla (now Ximieranear Ceuta), and thus on the narrowest part of the Fretum Gaditanum (Plin. Nat. 5.1. s. 1; Solin. 100.28; Strab. 17. p. 827.) One of these mountains, now called the Ape Mountains(Graberg Von Hemsö, Empire of Morocco, Germ. Tr. p. 24), bore, according to Strabo (l. c.) the name of the Elephant (Ἐλέφας), probably from the number of elephants which were to be found there. (Plin. l. c.;Mart. Cap. 6. p. 216.) The Geogr. Rav. (3.11) also mentions in this neighbourhood a town called Septem Fratres, which is perhaps the same place mentioned in the Itin. Ant. (p. 9) as a station between Tingis and Abyle. Procopius also ( B. Vand. 1.1; comp. 2.5, and de Aed. 6.7) mentions here a castle or fortress called Σέπτον;and Isidore ( Orig. 15.1) a castle and town called Septa, perhaps the modern Ceuta. (Comp. Mela, 1.5.5, et ibi Tzschucke.)
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